Yoon's Historic PGA Lead
Ina Yoon Ties Record with Stunning 9-Under 63, Takes Early Lead at Women's PGA Championship
Key Points
Yoon’s 9-under 63 ties the lowest single-round score in Women’s PGA Championship history, matching the record set by Patty Sheehan (1984), Meg Mallon (1999), Kelly Kuchar (2017), Kim Sei-young (2020) and Nelly Korda (2021).
Yoon, 23, is in her second LPGA season and had never finished higher than fourth in an LPGA event before this round, highlighting the rapid breakout performance.
The Women’s PGA Championship purse is $13 million—the largest in women’s golf history—with the winner taking about $1.95 million.
Nellie Korda, world No. 1 and a four-time major winner, sits seven shots behind after a day that included five birdies but a double bogey on the 16th, and she recently won the Chevron Championship and the U.S. Women’s Open.
Yoon began on the back nine and closed with a flurry of birdies on 14, 15, 17 and 18, contributing to her 9-under round that kept her in the lead.
South Korea's Ina Yoon shot a bogey-free 9-under-par 63 on Thursday to take a two-shot lead after the first round of the Women's PGA Championship at Hazeltine National Golf Club in Chaska, Minnesota. The score ties the lowest single-round total in tournament history, WNEWSJ reported, matching a record first set by Patty Sheehan all the way back in 1984.
Yoon, 23, sits two strokes clear of Australia's Karis Davidson, who shot 7-under 65. A-Lim Kim and Alexa Pano share third place at 5-under. World No. 1 Nelly Korda is seven shots back after a double bogey on the 16th hole derailed an otherwise solid round, according to Head Top Topics.
Yoon's Flawless 63 Ties a 42-Year-Old Record
Yoon started her round on the back nine and built momentum steadily. She carded nine birdies and zero bogeys, finishing with a flurry — birdies on holes 14, 15, 17, and 18. KIMT reported she needed only 24 putts, well below the field average of 29.4. That means she gained more than five strokes on the greens alone.
Her 63 ties a list of legends. The record was previously matched by Meg Mallon (1999), Kelly Kuchar (2017), Kim Sei-young (2020), and Nelly Korda (2021), according to WNEWSJ. Yoon said she wasn't chasing history. "I wasn't thinking about the record," she said. "Everything just looked very big — the holes felt wide today."
A Breakout Moment for a Second-Year LPGA Pro
Yoon is only in her second full LPGA season. Before Thursday, she had never finished higher than fourth in an LPGA event, Bilyonaryo reported. That makes her record-tying opening round in a major championship one of the most dramatic breakout performances in recent women's golf.
In South Korea, the reaction was immediate. Social media showed a wave of excitement as fans framed Yoon as a new standard-bearer for Korean women's golf. A win would nearly triple her career earnings in a single weekend and open the door to lucrative sponsorship deals with Korean conglomerates.
Korda's Grand Slam Bid Takes a Hit on Hole 16
Nelly Korda entered the week as the heavy favorite. She had already won the Chevron Championship and the U.S. Women's Open in 2026, putting a third straight major — a so-called "grand slam" run — within reach. But a double bogey on the par-4 16th hole cost her dearly, Yahoo Sports reported. She finished at 2-under 70.
Korda acknowledged the setback but stayed measured. "The double on 16 really stung," she said. "Seven back is a lot when someone is playing as well as Ina, but Hazeltine can be cruel over four days." She still carded five birdies, showing her game is sharp — just not sharp enough on Thursday.
A $13 Million Purse — The Biggest in Women's Golf History
The prize stakes have never been higher. The total purse for the 2026 KPMG Women's PGA Championship is $13 million — the largest in the history of women's golf, according to KIMT. The winner will take home roughly $1.95 million, about 15% of the total pot.
LPGA Commissioner Mollie Marcoux Samaan called the purse a statement. "This purse represents our commitment to parity," she said. "Seeing a 63 in the opening round proves that these athletes are performing at a level that justifies every cent of this investment." The purse is roughly three times what the tournament offered a decade ago.
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