Nelly Korda wins Chevron Championship for 3rd major and returns to No. 1

HOUSTON (AP) — Nelly Korda won The Chevron Championship on Sunday with a performance worthy of her return to No. 1 in women's golf.

Staked to a five-shot lead at the start, Korda was efficient as ever and no one could get closer than four shots all afternoon at Memorial Park. She closed with a 2-under 70 for a five-shot victory to capture the third major of her career.

The victory was her 17th on the LPGA and 21st worldwide, and it was enough for the 27-year-old American star to move back to the top of the women's world ranking for the first time since August.

Korda not only won wire-to-wire, it was never really a contest. She hit 5-iron to 5 feet for birdie on her 16th hole of the opening round Thursday to take the lead and never trailed again.

As easy as Korda made it look, it felt like a struggle.

“That was a hard weekend,” she said. “Honestly, having that big of a lead, it’s not easy. It was definitely one of the hardest things I’ve had to do mentally. ... Just happy to get it done."

She celebrated in the best manner possible — a cannon ball into the 4 1/2-foot pool built to the right of the 18th green to keep with the tradition at this major that dates to 1988 when the winner jumped into Poppie's Pond at Mission Hills in the California desert.

Korda's lead was four shots after a tentative three-putt bogey on the 12th. She followed by hitting wedge to 2 feet on the 13th, and then hammered a 3-wood just short of the green on the par-5 14th for a simple up-and-down for her final birdie.

She joined Juli Inkster (1989) and Amy Alcott (1991), both at Nabisco Dinah Shore, as the only players in the last 50 years to win LPGA majors when leading by multiple shots after each round.

And by the look of it, Korda might just be getting started on another stellar season. She has played in the final group all five tournaments she has played this year, winning the season opener and the first major, finishing runner-up in the other three.

About the only drama in the final hour — all weekend, really — was whether Korda could break Dottie Pepper's 72-hole scoring record that has stood since 1999. Korda was playing it safe with a big lead, hitting to the fat of the green and settling for pars, along with another three-putt bogey.

She finished at 18-under 270, one short of Pepper's record at Mission Hills.

Korda made a 25-foot birdie putt on the 12th hole Friday, and didn't make another putt over 10 feet the rest of the week. That included a trio of 4-foot misses that kept it from being a blowout.

But that was part of Korda's new outlook. Don't worry about mistakes, knowing she could make up for them, and she did.

‘What I was telling myself was I really want to hoist this trophy because I want to show the kids at home that it’s OK to miss short putts and still win a major championship," she said with a laugh. "You’re going to make mistakes. You have to mentally still be in it 100%, and that’s really what I wanted show.

“I wanted to show it to myself and I wanted to show it everyone looking up to me.”

Ruoning Yin (69) and Patty Tavatanakit (70) tied for second. They were the only ones who could even think about having a chance on Sunday.

Tavatanakit walked in a 25-foot birdie on the sixth hole to get within four shots, only to make bogey with a wedge on the par-5 eighth. Yin went 56 consecutive holes without a bogey until making one on the 17th.

Korda won $1.35 million for a victory that puts her back as the best in women's golf without any debate. She won seven times in 2024, including a record-tying five in a row she capped off with a victory at The Chevron when it was at Carlton Woods.

This was the first time the LPGA's opening major was held at Memorial Park, a big golf course that had been redesigned for the Houston Open on the PGA Tour.

AP golf: https://apnews.com/hub/golf

Nelly Korda celebrates after winning the Chevron Championship LPGA golf tournament Sunday, April 26, 2026, in Houston. (AP Photo/David J. Phillip)

Nelly Korda jumps in the water with her caddie after winning the Chevron Championship LPGA golf tournament Sunday, April 26, 2026, in Houston. (AP Photo/Ashley Landis)

Nelly Korda celebrates after winning the Chevron Championship LPGA golf tournament Sunday, April 26, 2026, in Houston. (AP Photo/David J. Phillip)

Nelly Korda holds the trophy after winning the Chevron Championship LPGA golf tournament Sunday, April 26, 2026, in Houston. (AP Photo/David J. Phillip)

Nelly Korda celebrates by jumping in the water after winning the Chevron Championship LPGA golf tournament Sunday, April 26, 2026, in Houston. (AP Photo/Ashley Landis)

Nelly Korda reacts after missing a putt on the third hole during the final round of the Chevron Championship LPGA golf tournament Sunday, April 26, 2026, in Houston. (AP Photo/Ashley Landis)

Nelly Korda hits her tee shot on the third hole during the final round of the Chevron Championship LPGA golf tournament Sunday, April 26, 2026, in Houston. (AP Photo/David J. Phillip)

Nelly Korda hits from the fairway on the eighth hole during the final round of the Chevron Championship LPGA golf tournament Sunday, April 26, 2026, in Houston. (AP Photo/David J. Phillip)

BOSTON (AP) — Sabres coach Lindy Ruff shut down any talk of putting forwards Tyson Kozak and Jason Zucker back in after injuries sent them to the locker room late in Game 4 of Buffalo's first-round playoff series against the Bruins.

“I said ‘There’s no need to return at this time,’" Ruff said on Sunday after the Sabres waylaid the Bruins 6-1 in Boston. "Just treat them and leave them in the dressing room. Just for where the game was at.”

It was that kind of day for Buffalo — and Boston.

Josh Doan had a goal and an assist during Buffalo’s four-goal first-period, and Alex Lyon stopped 21 shots to help the Sabres take a 3-1 lead in their first-round playoff series. Buffalo, which fell behind in each of the first three games, took a 6-0 lead before the Bruins got on the board in the final minute.

“I am embarrassed, and we all should be,” Bruins coach Marco Sturm said. "And we’re all (upset), and we will talk about it, but then we have to move on.

“As far as I know, you have to win four games to move on. They’ve got three, so that means we still have a chance,” he said. "And I can cry about it, but I also have to push my guys for the next game and make sure our intensity is going to be there.”

Peyton Krebs, Zach Benson and Bowen Byram also scored to help Buffalo open a 4-0 lead. Beck Malenstyn and Alex Tuch scored 84 seconds apart in the third period to make it 6-0 and chase Bruins goalie Jeremy Swayman.

Boston split the games in Buffalo and needed just one win at home to avoid moving to the brink of elimination. Instead the Sabres, who won the Atlantic Division to end an NHL-record 14-year playoff drought, can finish off the best-of-seven series in Game 5 on Tuesday night in Buffalo for their first playoff series win since 2007.

“They beat us once in our building, so I’m sure that they’re going to come in feeling confident and motivated. We have to be ready for that,” Lyon said. “Sometimes when you have a really good game, it’s almost harder to a degree to curb that emotion. So, enjoy it for a hot second, and then we've got a job to do.”

Swayman stopped 23 shots for Boston before he was pulled at 46 minutes, 41 seconds, shouting down the bench in frustration as he left the ice. Joonas Korpisalo stopped all six shots he faced the rest of the way.

“At least the one guy” showed emotion, Sturm said. “It was not his fault today, I can tell you that. Felt bad for him. That’s why we kept him in there for a while, because he’s a battler. He wants to be in.”

Krebs scored 4:17 into the game, Doan’s goal came less than three minutes later and Benson followed two minutes after that. When Byram made it 4-0 just 14:24 into the game, it was Buffalo’s second four-goal period of the series; the Sabres rallied from a 2-0 third-period deficit to win 4-3 in Game 1.

The last time the Bruins allowed four goals in the first period of a playoff game, they were facing the Hartford Whalers in the first round of the 1991 postseason.

Sean Kuraly scored a short-handed goal in the final minute to avert the Bruins' first shoutout of the season.

The Sabres lost Kozak after a hit from Bruins defenseman Charlie McAvoy midway through the third period sent him into the boards. It wasn't clear what happened to Zucker, who last appeared in the play-by-play with about five minutes left.

Buffalo’s power-play woes continued — sort of. After failing to score on their first 13 man advantages in the series — and their last 22 in the regular season — the Sabres’ second goal came just after a Boston penalty expired, but before Viktor Arvidsson had gotten back into play.

But they were officially 0 for 2 on the power play, extending their drought to 15 in the series and 37 overall.

“You could say we’re going to be 0-for-whatever. I really don’t care right now,” Ruff said. “As far as I’m concerned, we scored a power-play goal. The guy was still in the box, and it looked good.”

The Sabres will have a chance to eliminate Boston in Buffalo on Tuesday night, with a Game 6 back at the TD Garden on Friday, if necessary.

AP NHL playoffs: https://apnews.com/hub/stanley-cup and https://apnews.com/hub/nhl

The Buffalo Sabres celebrate as they leave the ice after defeating the Boston Bruins in Game 4 of a first-round NHL hockey Stanley Cup playoff series, Sunday, April 26, 2026, in Boston. (AP Photo/Michael Dwyer)

Buffalo Sabres' Alex Lyon makes a save during the third period in Game 4 of a first-round NHL hockey Stanley Cup playoff series against the Boston Bruins, Sunday, April 26, 2026, in Boston. (AP Photo/Michael Dwyer)

Boston Bruins' Hampus Lindholm (27) falls on Buffalo Sabres' Tyson Kozak (48) while battling for the puck during the first period in Game 4 of a first-round NHL hockey Stanley Cup playoff series, Sunday, April 26, 2026, in Boston. (AP Photo/Michael Dwyer)

Buffalo Sabres' Zach Benson (6) celebrates his goal with teammates Bowen Byram (4), Noah Ostlund (86), Josh Doan (91) and Owen Power (25) during the first period in Game 4 of a first-round NHL hockey Stanley Cup playoff series against the Boston Bruins, Sunday, April 26, 2026, in Boston. (AP Photo/Michael Dwyer)

Buffalo Sabres' Zach Benson (6) scores on Boston Bruins' Jeremy Swayman (1) during the first period in Game 4 of a first-round NHL hockey Stanley Cup playoff series, Sunday, April 26, 2026, in Boston. (AP Photo/Michael Dwyer)

Buffalo Sabres' Josh Doan (91) celebrates his goal with Zach Benson (6) beside Boston Bruins' Jeremy Swayman (1) and Charlie McAvoy (73) during the first period in Game 4 of a first-round NHL hockey Stanley Cup playoff series, Sunday, April 26, 2026, in Boston. (AP Photo/Michael Dwyer)