Nelly Korda’s exciting start to the 2026 LPGA Tour season continued this weekend. On Sunday, World No. 2 overturned the rally with a late 3-putt comeback from short range in the final round to lose the 2026 Fortinet Founders Cup by one shot.
Technically, Korda ended a long drought of winning the first LPGA tournament of the season. But that victory came in a controversial way (more on that below). Victory on Sunday in the packed 72-hole event would have silenced any naysayers who doubted his ability to return to World No.
But as has happened so often for Korda in recent years, squirrelly play on the floor cost him his chances.
At the start of Sunday’s final round at the Founders Cup, Korda may not have had victory in mind. Despite sitting in second place, he was five shots behind 54-hole leader Hyo Joo Kim.
That dynamic changed quickly.
After an early bogey on the 2nd hole, Korda blasted the entire Sharon Heights Golf and Country Club front nine with five birdies. After six birdies on the par-5 10th hole, Korda completely erased the five-shot deficit.
With eight holes to play, Korda and Kim are tied at 17 under. Despite making bogey at 16, Kim regained a one-shot lead when the final par reached the par-3 17th hole.
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Going into 17, Korda made four straight pars as he watched Kim begin to struggle. When Korda found the 17th green with his tee shot and Kim missed long, it looked like Korda would at least tie the lead, if not take the lead, going into the final hole.
That’s when things went wrong.
Korda’s birdie putt missed and left him with a three-foot putt for par. Meanwhile, Kim hit a championship chip from deep in the rough to set up his par putt from par.
Kim struck first and finished with the game-saving measure. Korda then stepped up and hit him, only to watch as his ball skidded off the low side without touching the cup. He missed an audible gasp from the Golf Channel commentator.
A disastrous short miss gave Korda a 3-putt bogey, dropping him two shots back on 18.
Kim ended up making a bogey at the end of the par-5, but Korda was able to manage the par, giving Kim one win and Korda another close.
After the round, Korda lamented his “one stupid mistake” on 17 and said the 3-putt “stung,” but also tried to take some positives from the experience.
“Obviously, something like 17 hurts, so it is what it is. I felt great all day. I just made one stupid mistake, and that was 17 (and) 18,” Korda said Sunday night. “I wish I would have hit the drive on the fairway and given myself a better chance to push a little harder.”
He continued: “That’s just golf, sports, sometimes it’s on your side, sometimes it’s not.”
Nelly Korda’s controversial win in a rain-shortened LPGA event
Korda’s unfortunate loss comes after their first win of the season. But the atmosphere surrounding that victory, the 16th LPGA victory of his career, was unusual.
At the Hilton Grand Vacations Championship in late January, the first LPGA tournament of the season, freezing temperatures disrupted play.
When Sunday rolled around, some players hadn’t even finished their third round. After initially planning to play the final round and delaying the start to allow the course to thaw, LPGA officials controversially decided to cancel the final round and shorten the event to 54 holes.
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Saturday’s 64 left Korda with a three-goal lead going into Sunday, so when the tournament was called, Korda was officially awarded the win. It was his first LPGA win since 2024.
But this decision came out amid controversy. Korda was preparing for the range when the final round was canceled and called the course “playable” at the time.
LPGA veteran Annika Sorenstam said, “I don’t know why they’re not playing,” while Korda’s competitor, Lydia Ko, who was in fourth place, said, “I’m glad we can’t play tomorrow.”
In a memo to LPGA members the next day obtained by GOLF, LPGA commissioner Craig Kessler apologized for the controversial ending to the Championship, writing in part, “Although the decision was difficult and contrary to previous statements we shared, I made the judgment call.
;)
