Rolex Women’s World Golf Rankings No. 1 Nelly Korda and four-time LPGA Tour winner Jeeno Thitikul are tied at the top of the leaderboard after the Friday morning wave at the Ford Championship presented by Wild Horse Pass.
Playing alongside Thitikul and Patty Tavatanakit, Korda kicked off her first title defense of the 2025 LPGA Tour season with a 5-under 67 on Thursday at Whirlwind Golf Club, a first-round effort during which she carded one bogey and six birdies, three of which came consecutively on holes 12, 13 and 14.
The second round saw Korda’s threesome tee off on the back nine, and the 27-year-old quickly climbed to 6-under for the tournament after picking up a birdie on the par-3 10th hole. The 15-time LPGA Tour winner made another birdie on the par-5 12th hole before collecting her third birdie of the round on the par-3 15th hole. Korda then recorded a pair of back-to-back birdies on 17 and 18 to turn in 31 at 5-under for the round and 10-under overall.
The two-time major champion landed another blow on the second hole, grabbing a sixth birdie to climb to 11-under, but she bogeyed the par-4 4th hole to slip back to 10-under for the tournament. Korda then recovered late with birdies on the fifth and seventh holes, parring in to post a 7-under 65 and move from T17 to T1 following morning play on day two of the Ford Championship.
“I rolled in a birdie on my first hole, so got off to a good start,” said Korda. “Slowed a little down on the back nine, but the wind picked up a little. It was starting to play a little bit firmer. In the mornings, the greens are definitely a little bit more receptive, so you can be a bit more aggressive. Then once the round and the heat kind of starts to play a factor, you have to be a little bit more timid.”
Thitikul recorded a 4-under 68 on day one in Chandler, Ariz., to sit in the logjam of players who were tied for 30th after the first 18 holes at Whirlwind Golf Club. But the Thailand native separated herself from that pack on Friday morning, going birdie-birdie-eagle-birdie on holes 10, 11, 12 and 13 to race up the leaderboard early and move to 9-under overall.
She birdied the par-3 15th hole to get to 10-under and then made her fifth birdie of the round on the par-5 17th hole before parring the 18th hole to turn in 29, what is the sixth nine-hole 29 of the 2025 LPGA Tour season.
The reigning Race to the CME Globe champion threw another punch on the par-5 2nd hole, nabbing another birdie to sit at 12-under with seven holes to play. She momentarily stumbled with a bogey on the par-4 4th hole, but Thitikul recovered by making another birdie on the par-5 7th hole and then closed out with pars on holes eight and nine to card an 8-under 64. It is the 22-year-old’s second round of 64 or better this season, joining the 64 she posted on day two of the Honda LPGA Thailand last month.
“It’s all about my putting because it’s kind of hard to get close to the hole (because) it’s so firm and bouncing,” said Thitikul, whose 64 was tied for the lowest round of the Friday morning wave alongside Japan’s Yuri Yoshida. “I didn’t have good confidence before coming here with my putter much, but I think for these two rounds, I putted really well, which is grind a lot of confident with my putter because I think this is kind of a short course where we can play low score.”
Epson Tour graduate Auston Kim is now in contention at 9-under overall after firing a 7-under 65 in the second round, a score that saw her make one bogey and eight birdies, three of which came consecutively on holes 15, 16 and 17. She is joined at 9-under by Hyo Joo Kim, who posted a 66 on Friday morning after making one bogey and seven birdies and who hasn’t won on the LPGA Tour since capturing The Ascendant LPGA benefiting Volunteers of America title back in 2023.
In terms of local connections, Phoenix native and LPGA*USGA Girls Golf ambassador Sarah Schmelzel followed up her opening 66 with a 2-under 70 on Friday to climb to 8-under for the tournament, and Arizona State University alum and LPGA Mom Azahara Munoz moved into the top 25 after recording a 6-under 66 on day two of the Ford Championship presented by Wild Horse Pass.
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