Hyo Joo Kim sets 54-hole record at Ford Championship

South Korean golfer builds 4-stroke lead after 3 rounds

Mar. 29, 2026 at 3:39am

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South Korea's Hyo Joo Kim took a commanding lead at the Ford Championship on Saturday, setting an LPGA 54-hole record with a 25-under-par score through three rounds. Kim's bogey-free round included 9 birdies and an eagle, giving her a 4-stroke advantage over World No. 2 Nelly Korda heading into the final round.

Why it matters

Kim is looking to defend her Ford Championship title, and her historic 54-hole performance has put her in prime position to do so. The battle between Kim and Korda, two of the LPGA's top players, has been a highlight of the tournament.

The details

Kim matched her first-round 11-under 61 on Saturday, putting her at 25-under for the tournament - the best 54-hole score in LPGA history. Her round included 4 birdies in her first 7 holes, followed by 4 straight holes under par on the back 9, including an eagle on the par-5 12th. Korda, who led after the first two rounds, carded a 5-under 67 to sit 4 strokes back at 21-under.

  • Kim set the 54-hole LPGA record on Saturday, March 28, 2026.
  • The final round of the Ford Championship will take place on Sunday, March 29, 2026.

The players

Hyo Joo Kim

A South Korean professional golfer who is the defending champion of the Ford Championship.

Nelly Korda

The World No. 2 ranked female golfer, who is currently 4 strokes behind Kim heading into the final round.

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What they’re saying

“This course, anyone is capable of scoring low, so I will continue to just focus on the same game plan that I did today.”

— Hyo Joo Kim, Golfer

“I'm never going to complain about a bogey-free round and 5-under, so it was a solid one.”

— Nelly Korda, Golfer

What’s next

The final round of the Ford Championship will take place on Sunday, March 29, 2026, where Hyo Joo Kim will look to defend her title and Nelly Korda will try to overcome a 4-stroke deficit.

The takeaway

Hyo Joo Kim's historic 54-hole performance has put her in prime position to defend her Ford Championship title, setting up an exciting final-round showdown between two of the LPGA's top players, Kim and Nelly Korda.