Nelly Korda has etched her name in the LPGA Tour record books, winning a record-tying fifth straight tournament with a two-stroke victory in the Chevron Championship for her second major title.
World No.1 Korda joins Nancy Lopez (1978) and Annika Sorenstam (2004-05) as the only players to win in five consecutive LPGA starts. Her previous major victory was in 2021 at the Women’s PGA Championship.
Korda shot a three-under 69 in the final round to outlast Maja Stark of Sweden, who birdied her final two holes to shoot a 69 and pull within one.
Korda stayed aggressive on the par-5 18th, easily clearing the lake in front of the green and setting up an easy up-and-down birdie for her two-shot win at 12-under 275 at Carlton Woods in Texas.
Lauren Coughlin shot a final-round 68 finish tied for third with Canadian Brooke Henderson (72), a shot behind Stark.
Australians Steph Kyriacou (75) and Gabriela Ruffels (77) both slipped on Sunday to finish tied 40th, 14 shots behind Korda, with Robyn Choi (77, T54th), Sarah Kemp (80, T70th) and Karis Davidson (79, T72nd) well back. Big names Minjee Lee and Hannah Green had missed the halfway cut.
Korda entered the last round one shot off the lead after completing the last seven holes of the weather-delayed third round early Sunday morning on a windy and unseasonably cool day.
Korda took home $US1.2 million ($A1.87 million) That brings her season earnings to $US2,424,216 ($A3.77 million)
Winners of the major had been jumping into Poppie’s Pond off the 18th green at Mission Hills since 1988, and Korda became the second to do it in Texas by leaping off a small dock into brown-tinged water.
Korda nearly aced the par-3 17th in the final round, with her tee shot hitting the hole and hopping in the air before settling within 10 feet. She settled for par to maintain her two-shot lead.
Korda wowed the large crowd, which followed her throughout the day, by chipping into the wind for birdie on the par-4 10th hole to take a four-stroke lead.
The 25-year-old raised her club above her head with one hand and pumped her fist after the ball rolled into the hole.
Haeran Ryu of South Korea shot a bogey-free 67 to enter the final round leading Korda by one. But the 2023 Rookie of the Year bogeyed the first two holes in the fourth round to fall out of the lead. She closed with a 74 and finished fifth.