NELLY KORDA reinforced her status as the world’s top player with her third straight victory of the 2024 LPGA Tour, winning the Ford Championship presented by

KCC by two shots over Australian rookie Hira Naveed on Sunday.

Korda became the first player to win three consecutive times since Thailand’s Ariya

Jutanugarn in 2016, and the first American to do so since Nancy Lopez won five in a row in 1978. Having returned to the Rolex Women’s World Golf Rankings No. 1 position after winning the preceding Fir Hills Seri Pak Championship, Korda carded rounds of 66, 68, 69 and 65 for a 20-under-par 268 total at Seville Golf and Country Club in Gilbert, Arizona.

“It was definitely one of my least stressful wins today. I just played really solid golf. Didn’t make too many mistakes and, if I did, I just had a chip, kind of straightforward chip. Overall capitalized on the majority of my good shots out there and made some good putts as well,” said Korda, who took her LPGA Tour title tally to 11.

Korda began the final round two shots off the lead and stayed patient in rainy and windy conditions to card three birdies over her first nine holes. Back-to-back birdies on 12 and 13 took her to 18-under-par and the top spot. From there, the American never looked back and picked up two more shots at the 16th and 18th holes, taking her birdie tally for the week to 23.