PHOENIX (AP) — Hyo Joo Kim beat Nelly Korda for the second straight week, pulling away around the turn Sunday and closing with a 3-under 69 for a two-shot victory in the Ford Championship.
Kim was poised to break the LPGA Tour's scoring record for 72 holes until one mistake led to a double bogey on the eighth hole and gave Korda hope.
Korda, who trailed by four at the start of the final round, suddenly was only one shot behind. But the American missed a short par putt on the ninth, and that was followed by a two-shot swing on the 10th — Kim hit her approach to 18 inches for birdie, and Korda failed to get up-and-down for par.
Korda never got any closer until the tournament was out of reach, finishing eagle-birdie for a 67.
Kim, who also won the Ford Championship last year, now has back-to-back wins for the first time in her career, both against Korda. Last week in the Founders Cup, the 30-year-old South Korean held off a Sunday charge by Korda.
“I wanted to ask Nelly how it feels to win back-to-back,” Kim said with a laugh, referring to Korda winning five straight starts during the 2024 season.
Kim finished at 28-under 260. With three early birdies — and a week in which she twice had posted rounds of 61 — it looked as though she could break the LPGA scoring record of 257 set by Sei Young Kim at the 2017 Thornberry Creek LPGA Classic.
Those hopes took a hit on the par-4 eighth hole, when Kim pulled her tee shot. She tried to punch a hybrid under tree branches, but it ran hot on the sunbaked fairway, through the crusty green and didn't stop rolling until it went down a slope and into the desert scrub.
That led to double bogey. Kim twice missed 5-foot birdie chances, and she also had a three-putt bogey on the 16th.
But the putting issues belonged to Korda, who missed a 2-foot par putt on the 15th — her second short miss of the round — that all but ended it.
“Where it went wrong? There's a couple shots here and there that I would like to get back, more like a couple putts throughout the week,” Korda said. “I'm going to miss a bunch of those putts throughout my entire career, and I just can’t get down on myself.”
Korda has won and twice been runner-up in three starts on the LPGA this year. It was the lowest she has been under par (26 under) in her LPGA career. She just ran into one of the hottest players in women's golf.
“I'm done playing with her,” Korda said, jokingly. This was the fifth straight time they were in the same group, and Korda has had a good view of remarkable play, particularly Kim's putting.
“Hyo Joo has been playing amazing golf,” Korda said. “She a phenomenal player, and person. She definitely motivates me on the golf course.”
Minami Katsu of Japan shot 65 to finish alone in third. Lydia Ko, who began the tournament with a 60, wound up in fourth, eight shots behind.
AP golf: https://apnews.com/hub/golf
Nelly Korda waves to the crowd after making an eagle on the second hole during the final round of the LPGA Ford Championship golf tournament, Sunday, March 29, 2026, in Chandler, Ariz. (AP Photo/Ross D. Franklin)
Hyo Joo Kim, of South Korea, hits a fairway shot on the second hole during the final round of the LPGA Ford Championship golf tournament, Sunday, March 29, 2026, in Chandler, Ariz. (AP Photo/Ross D. Franklin)
Hyo Joo Kim, of South Korea, hits her tee shot at the third hole during the final round of the LPGA Ford Championship golf tournament, Sunday, March 29, 2026, in Chandler, Ariz. (AP Photo/Ross D. Franklin)
WASHINGTON (AP) — Braylon Mullins sank a desperation 3-pointer with 0.4 seconds left to give UConn an astonishing 73-72 victory over top-seeded Duke on Sunday, earning the Huskies a spot in the Final Four after they rallied from a 19-point first-half deficit.
The Blue Devils (35-3) led by three before UConn's Silas Demary Jr. made one of two free throws with 10 seconds left. With Duke playing keep-away to prevent the Huskies from fouling, Cayden Boozer's pass near midcourt was deflected by Demary, and after UConn came up with the ball, Mullins swished a 3 from 35 feet away.
It's the second straight season to end in a huge collapse for Duke, which was the top overall seed in this year's tournament. The Blue Devils led by six with 1:14 remaining before falling to Houston in last year's national semifinals.
UConn (33-5) missed 17 of its first 18 attempts from 3-point range and finished 5 for 23. The fifth will be remembered in Connecticut for generations.
The Huskies are trying to win a national title for the third time in four seasons, a feat that hasn't been accomplished since UCLA in the 1970s. UConn now faces third-seeded Illinois in Saturday's semifinal in Indianapolis.
To get there, the Huskies needed one of the biggest comebacks in regional final history. Only Louisville, which came from 20 down to beat West Virginia in 2005, had a bigger one. Duke led 44-25 late in the first half and 44-29 at the break. That's now the largest halftime lead in tournament history blown by a No. 1 seed.
Cameron Boozer, who had 27 points for the Blue Devils, fought his way to a basket inside with 28.9 seconds to play, and the next UConn possession used precious time before Demary was fouled.
After he made one of two, the inbound came to Cameron Boozer, who passed out of a double team to Dame Sarr, who then found Cameron's twin brother, Cayden, in the middle of the could. Instead of waiting to be fouled, Cayden Boozer — who shoots about 81% from the line — tried for one more pass.
There were two Duke players alone behind the UConn defense, but Demary was able to deflect the ball and Mullins recovered it near midcourt. He passed to Alex Karaban, who gave it back to Mullins. The freshman was in rhythm, but about halfway between the 3-point arc and half court.
Nothing but net.
It’ll go down alongside the great NCAA Tournament game-winning shots, next to Christian Laettner’s for Duke in the 1992 Elite Eight against Kentucky. Or Laettner’s shot in the 1990 regional final — which turned another Duke-UConn classic from a loss into a win for the Blue Devils.
UConn has now won 18 consecutive games in the Sweet 16 or subsequent rounds. The last loss for the Huskies in those stages of the tournament came against Michigan State in the 2009 Final Four.
For all the success Duke has had through the years, the Blue Devils have now had hearts broken by UConn three straight times in the Big Dance. The Huskies beat one of Duke's greatest teams in the 1999 title game and rallied late to beat the Blue Devils in the 2004 semifinals.
This one was a gut punch very much on par with those.
Tarris Reed Jr. led UConn with 26 points, and for a while he had little help offensively. The Huskies gradually cut into their deficit in the second half, though, and a 3 by Karaban pulled them within one with under a minute left.
UConn: The Huskies have met Illinois in the NCAA Tournament once. UConn won 77-52 in the Elite Eight in 2024.
Duke: The Blue Devils are expected to lose Cameron Boozer to the NBA.
AP March Madness bracket: https://apnews.com/hub/ncaa-mens-bracket and coverage: https://apnews.com/hub/march-madness
UConn guard Braylon Mullins celebrates his game-winning basket against Duke during the second half in the Elite Eight of the NCAA college basketball tournament, Sunday, March 29, 2026, in Washington. (AP Photo/Stephanie Scarbrough)
UConn guard Braylon Mullins (24) reacts with teammates after scoring the winning basket against Duke in the Elite Eight of the NCAA college basketball tournament, Sunday, March 29, 2026, in Washington. (AP Photo/Abbie Parr)
UConn guard Braylon Mullins, right, celebrates his game winning basketball with teammates after the second half in the Elite Eight of the NCAA college basketball tournament, Sunday, March 29, 2026, in Washington. (AP Photo/Stephanie Scarbrough)
Duke players react to their loss against UConn in the Elite Eight of the NCAA college basketball tournament, Sunday, March 29, 2026, in Washington. (AP Photo/Abbie Parr)
UConn guard Braylon Mullins, right, celebrates his game winning basket with guard Malachi Smith (0) during the second half in the Elite Eight of the NCAA college basketball tournament against Duke, Sunday, March 29, 2026, in Washington. (AP Photo/Stephanie Scarbrough)
UConn guard Braylon Mullins (24) scores the winning basket during the second half against Duke in the Elite Eight of the NCAA college basketball tournament, Sunday, March 29, 2026, in Washington. (AP Photo/Abbie Parr)
