SAN FRANCISCO (AP) – High school junior Megha Ganne shot a 4-under 67 on Thursday to become the first amateur in 15 years to have a share of the lead after any round at the U.S. Women’s Open.

The 17-year-old from New Jersey made back-to-back birdies on the back nine to take sole possession of the lead before making bogey on the 18th hole to end the day in a tie with Mel Reid on the Lake Course at the Olympic Club.

Ganne became the first amateur to lead after a round at the women’s Open since Jane Park did it after one round at Newport Country Club in 2006.

Ganne needed a playoff last month to qualify for her second career U.S. Open but felt much more comfortable once she got here than she did two years ago when she missed the cut.

“I think the first time is nerve-racking for anybody and meeting your idols and being on the stage for the first time,” she said. “But the second time around, even the practice rounds, I wasn’t as nervous. I felt like I could come here and just play my game instead of soaking that all in.”

She did just that up the road from Stanford where she plans to go to college after graduating high school next year. She birdied three of the first eight holes and made three more on the back nine to overcome a pair of bogeys.

She made one of her few mistakes on 18 when she hit her approach shot into a greenside bunker.

The notoriously tough Lake Course played a little easier than usual after the rough was trimmed a bit before the round. Fifteen players shot under par with Canada’s Brooke Henderson, and Americans Angel Yin and Megan Khang one shot back. Henderson three-putted from less than 20 feet on the 18th hole to fall out of a share of the lead.

Rebecca Lee-Bentham of Toronto shot a 76 and Noemie Pare of Victoriaville, Que., shot an 80. Megan Osland of Kelowna, B.C., withdrew.

Lexi Thompson, Yuka Saso and Shanshan Feng were two shots back.

Other notable players include defending champion A Lim Kim of South Korea, who struggled at 6 over, and 2014 champion Michelle Wie West, who shot 74.

This marked the first time the women came to the Lake Course overlooking the Pacific Ocean for a major. But this venue has a rich history for the men, hosting five U.S. Opens and three U.S. Amateurs among other events.

The course that played at 6,361 yards Thursday has traditionally played as one of the tougher ones despite having no water hazards and only one fairway bunker. Only four men broke par at the five U.S. Opens here, including none the past two times with Lee Janzen winning at even par in 1998 and Webb Simpson a 1 over in 2012.

Reid set the pace in the morning. The Englishwoman started at the ninth hole and hit her first two approach shots within 10 feet for birdies on the par 4s. She added birdies on Nos. 15 and 16, another on her second-to-last hole and had only one bogey all round.

“I didn’t think that score was out there honestly,” she said. “I had a pretty good game plan. It’s probably the best I’ve had for a tournament. We had a game plan and stuck to it. If you’re in trouble, just get it out, make bogey. I think the key here is to not take many risks the first two, three days, and I didn’t do that.”

Reid, who won her first LPGA Tour title last October to go with her six career wins on the European Tour, has had little career success at the U.S. Women’s Open. She missed the cut four of her previous five times at this tournament and finished tied for 50th in her other appearance in 2012.

Reid said she was helped by a couple of long conversations with two-time men’s U.S. Open champion Brooks Koepka that she carried over into the round.

While Reid used a fast start to get to the top of the leaderboard, Yin finished strong by making eagle on the par-5 17th and birdie on the par-4 18th to get within one shot of the lead. The American’s 60-foot putt on 17 helped overcome back-to-back bogeys on the front nine.

One of the featured groups in the morning featured sisters Jessica and Nelly Korda, the daughters of 1998 Australian Open men’s tennis champion Petr Korda. Their parents took advantage of the grouping and got to watch both daughters at once.

Jessica birdied three of her first five holes before finishing at 72, while Nelly shot 78.

VANCOUVER – Due to logistical challenges and continued border restrictions related to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, Golf Canada, title sponsor Canadian Pacific (CP), and the LPGA Tour have announced that the 2021 CP Women’s Open, scheduled for August 23-29, 2021, at Shaughnessy Golf and Country Club in Vancouver, has been cancelled.

Golf Canada had been working with local, provincial, and federal government health officials towards a comprehensive health operation plan for the tournament. With a decision timeline established, Golf Canada engaged a number of stakeholders to navigate the impact of current provincial restrictions as well as federal quarantine measures in effect, given the number of players and event personnel required to cross the border for the event.  

Despite the disappointment of cancelling the 2020 and 2021 events, Golf Canada and CP have confirmed that Shaughnessy Golf and Country Club will pivot to host the 2023 CP Women’s Open, August 21-27, 2023. Both the Province of British Columbia and Sport Hosting Vancouver have already confirmed their commitment to support Canada’s National Women’s Open Golf Championship in its return to British Columbia.

CP also confirmed that they have extended their partnership with Golf Canada an additional year through 2024 which includes title sponsorship of the CP Women’s Open.

“Together with CP, the LPGA Tour, and our friends at Shaughnessy, we share in the deep disappointment of the players, volunteers, partners, and golf fans with the cancellation of the 2021 CP Women’s Open,” said Golf Canada CEO Laurence Applebaum. “Even with our extensive health and safety plan, we continued to face a number of significant logistical challenges that led to this unfortunate decision for a second year. As we focus on moving forward, I want the thank Shaughnessy Golf and Country Club and the Musqueam First Nation as well as the Province of British Columbia and Sport Hosting Vancouver for their swift decision to get behind the event coming back in 2023 and we know that it will be an incredible showcase when we bring the world’s best golfers back to Vancouver. I also want to thank CEO Keith Creel and the entire team at CP for their continued partnership and meaningful support of Canadian golf.”

CP’s various charitable activities over the past two years have helped BC Children’s Hospital and Royal Inland Hospital raise over $2 million through different matching programs. BC Children’s Hospital, the primary partner, will use the funds for a fleet of new cardiac ultrasound machines, research, and support for a catheterization program and two new fellowships. Royal Inland Hospital, the community partner in Kamloops, will use the funds to redevelop and vastly improve the cardiac department of the hospital. CP continues to work with these charity partners to raise even more funds.

Among the contributing factors to the 2021 cancellation was the continued uncertainty around international travel restrictions and quarantine requirements that made it most difficult to move forward with the Canadian event. 

“We are so grateful to CP and Golf Canada for their continued support of the CP Women’s Open and the LPGA Tour,” said Ricki Lasky, Chief Tournament Business Officer for the LPGA. “While we share in this disappointment, we have no doubt that Shaughnessy, CP and Golf Canada will provide our players with an amazing experience when we are together in 2023, and we look forward to working with these partners for years to come.”

The 2023 CP Women’s Open at Shaughnessy Golf and Country Club will mark the sixth time the province of British Columbia has hosted Canada’s Women’s Open Championship, with the last time being in 2015 at The Vancouver Golf Club, where Lydia Ko won her third CP Women’s Open title.

For Shaughnessy Golf and Country Club Board of Directors and membership, pivoting to host the 2023 CP Women’s Open allows the club and its host volunteer committee to refocus on what is sure to be celebration of golf when the LPGA Tour returns to Vancouver. 

“While we are disappointed to be postponing the CP Women’s Open once again due to the COVID-19 pandemic, we will refocus our efforts and look forward to working with the Musqueam First Nation, Golf Canada, CP, the City of Vancouver, our fantastic group of volunteers, and other partners in preparation of hosting the best players in the world at Shaughnessy in 2023,” said Brian Mossop, General Manager and C.O.O. at Shaughnessy.

The rescheduled return of the LPGA Tour to Vancouver in 2023 will be proudly supported by both the Province of British Columbia as well as Sport Hosting Vancouver. With a global audience reach of over 500 million households across 170 international markets, both bodies are getting behind one of Canada’s signature sports entertainment properties as part of their revitalized tourism platform moving forward.

“I recognize how devastating it must have been for organizers to once again have to cancel the 2021 CP Women’s Open due to the continuation of Federal travel restrictions,” said Melanie Mark, Minister of Tourism, Arts, Culture and Sport. “However, with the majority of adults vaccinated and COVID-19 case counts steadily declining, I feel more optimistic than ever about B.C.’s restart plan and our ability to welcome the world back to our province once again. I would like to thank the entire CP Women’s open community for your unwavering commitment to the power of sport.”

“As a host destination we are thrilled for the opportunity to re-secure and host the 2023 CP Women’s Open,” said Michelle Collens, Director, Sport Hosting Vancouver. “Major events like the CP Women’s Open will be a critical part of our tourism and economic rebuild, making this great news for our future event portfolio, welcoming back international visitors and fans to Vancouver.”

With the 2021 event officially cancelled, tournament officials with Golf Canada and CP will turn their focus to the 2022 CP Women’s Open, which was previously confirmed to be hosted at Ottawa Hunt and Golf Club August 22-28, 2022.

The fourth annual CP Women’s Leadership Summit, which was scheduled to take place on August 24 as part of CP Women’s Open tournament week, will be replaced by a digital experience focused on audience empowerment and inspiring guest speakers. Full details including a schedule and guest speakers will be released in the coming weeks. The Summit, which is a celebration of business leaders, influencers, and community champions, will continue to be part of the CP Women’s Open in 2022 and beyond.  Golf Canada, CP and the LPGA Tour would like to thank golf fans across the nation in addition to the many corporate partners, ticket, and hospitality purchasers, as well as the countless volunteers for their continued support through this unprecedented time.

The stars of the LPGA Tour will challenge for the CP Women’s Open from August 22-28, 2022, at Ottawa Hunt and Golf Club in Ottawa, Ont. Through its CP Has Heart program, title sponsor CP will once again make a substantial donation to the host community of Canada’s National Open Golf Championship by supporting local pediatric care. The 2022 CP Women’s Open is proudly sponsored by CP, Audi, RBC, Steam Whistle, Levelwear, Coca-Cola, Hilton, Ottawa Tourism, and the Government of Canada. For information on volunteer opportunities, tickets, or corporate hospitality, visit www.cpwomensopen.com or call 1-800-263-0009.

DAYTONA BEACH, FLA., May 25, 2021 – The Board of Directors of the LPGA has unanimously elected Mollie Marcoux Samaan as its next Commissioner. Marcoux Samaan, currently Ford Family Director of Athletics at Princeton University, will become the ninth Commissioner of the LPGA since its formation in 1950. She will succeed Commissioner Mike Whan who notified the LPGA Board late last year of his intent to step down in 2021. Whan was recently announced as the next Chief Executive Officer of the USGA. Marcoux Samaan will be working with the LPGA Board and the University to transition to her new role in the months ahead.  

“Our selection of Mollie Marcoux Samaan as the LPGA’s next Commissioner is the outcome of an extensive and deliberate search process. The position attracted a diverse group of outstanding internal and external candidates, all passionate about the LPGA. We concluded that Mollie is the right leader to guide the LPGA’s next chapter of growth, impact and achievement,” said Diane Gulyas, Chair of the LPGA Board of Directors and the Search Committee.

“Mollie understands the power of golf to change the lives of girls and women. As a values-centered leader, she’s known for her skills in collaboration, managing through complexity and building a winning team culture. In every role, she’s had an outstanding record of performance in navigating change, forging lasting partnerships, and seeing – and seizing – new opportunities,” Gulyas said.

“Our search process was disciplined and thorough. We were impressed and honored by the large number of quality of leaders interested in the LPGA. But in the end, Mollie stood above the rest. We were impressed by her track record working with athletes; with her ability to forge new and innovative partnerships; and with her personal passion, authenticity and proven persistence for excellence,” said Juli Inkster, World and LPGA Hall of Famer and a member of the Search Committee.

“The LPGA Commissioner role is one of the best jobs in sports today and the opportunity of a lifetime. I’m passionate about the game of golf and have been an LPGA fan since I was a little girl. I appreciate the LPGA’s history and the tenacity of its 13 Founders. I’m truly inspired by our Tour players and teaching professionals. I’m excited to dive into the LPGA initiatives to impact women and girls in the game at every age and ability. And, to learn about and contribute to all aspects of the LPGA’s business,” said Mollie Marcoux Samaan.

“I believe passionately that sports have the power to change the world. And in this moment in time – with the positive energy around women’s sports, women’s leadership and society’s commitment to diversity, equity and inclusion – I believe the LPGA has an incredible opportunity to use our platform for positive change.

‘I’ve devoted my career to developing character, confidence and opportunities through sports. My mission and the LPGA’s mission are fully aligned: providing women and girls the opportunity to achieve their dreams through golf.

“Under the leadership of Mike Whan and the executive team, the LPGA is strongly positioned for continued growth and impact. I’ll look forward to working with Mike and the leadership team to meet the many people and organizations that have been so integral to the LPGA’s success. With its committed sponsors and fans, talented players and members, and exceptional staff and Board, my role will be to continue the positive momentum and increase opportunities, awareness, impact and respect for the LPGA worldwide,” Marcoux Samaan said.

WILLIAMSBURG, Va. (AP) – Wei-Ling Shu eagled the par-5 15th hole Sunday, creating a four-shot swing that gave her a two-shot lead, and won the LPGA Tour’s Pure Silk Championship for her first career victory.

She closed with a 3-under 68 to finish at 13-under 271, two shots clear of playing partner Moriya Jutanugarn.

Jutanugarn had a 70. Jessica Korda was third at 10 under after a 70.

Brooke Henderson (67) of Smiths Falls, Ont., finished in a tie for 10th place at 6 under. Alena Sharp (71) of Hamilton, Ont., was at 1 under.

Shu’s eagle, aided by a fortuitous bounce that left her with a very makeable putt, came as Jutanugarn, who started the hole with a two-shot lead, drove into a bunker, needed two shots to get out, hit her approach to the edge of the green and three-putted for a double bogey.

And it all happened on the easiest hole on the course, again showing it can also be the decisive one.

The victory for the 26-year-old from Taiwan, in her 147th career start, was all but assured with another birdie on the par-4 16th that stretched her lead to three. And it came on a sweltering day on the Kingsmill Resort’s James River Course with parched fairways and greens that were fast and firm for all four rounds unusual for May in Virginia.

For much of the day, the battle for the lead was like a juggling act.

Jessica Korda pulled into a three-way tie for the lead with third-round co-leaders Shu and Jutanugarn with a birdie at the par-4 sixth while Jutanugarn bogeyed and Hsu made par. Korda went ahead two holes later with a par when her two playing partners bogeyed.

That sequence started a near-constant shifting of the lead, with Jutanugarn and Hsu getting back to a share of the lead after the 10th hole, and Sarah Kemp making it a four-way tie with a birdie on the par-4 12th in the group just ahead of the final threesome.

Hsu regained the top spot at No. 12 with a birdie while Korda fell two back, and then Jutanugarn enjoyed the same two-shot swing with a birdie at the par-3 13th while Hsu two-putted for bogey after missing the green.

Jutanugarn’s lead doubled with her third birdie in four holes on the par-4 14th, setting up the remarkable final lead-swap at 15.

Jutanugarn did sink a long birdie putt on the par-3 17th, applying some pressure to Hsu, but she rolled in a putt for par, pumping her right fist as it dropped into the cup.

Korda also birdied the 17th, leaving Shu with a two-shot lead heading the par-4 18th, but Korda bogeyed the 18th, leaving Jutaugarn alone in second and Korda third.

Kemp was fourth at 9 under after a 70.

The tournament, once among the most popular on the tour, failed to attract several of the game’s top players, perhaps because its purse of $1.3 million is third-lowest on the tour.

WILLIAMSBURG, Va. – Sarah Kemp shot a 4-under 67 on Friday at firm and fast Kingsmill Resort to take a one-stroke lead into the weekend in the LPGA Tour’s Pure Silk Championship.

“This golf course is made for me because I feel like I’m not long and I have a lot the wedges in, so I can’t imagine it being an advantage for the long hitters and I’m not a bomber,” Kemp said. “If I just hit it down the fairway, it’s firm and fast and they’re rolling out and I’ve had a lot of wedge shots. ”

Kemp rebounded from a bogey on the par-4 fourth her 13th hole of the day on the River Course with birdies on the par-5 seventh and par-4 eighth, holing a 20-footer on No. 8 to tie Stacy Lewis for the lead at 6 under and finishing with a par on No. 9.

The 35-year-old Australian is winless in her 14-season LPGA Tour career.

“I worked really hard. I was annoyed because I had hit the ball great for a couple years and I just didn’t convert the opportunities.”

Lewis scrambled for a closing bogey on the par-4 18th in a 69, dropping only one shot after driving into the water and having to re-tee. She was tied for second with Jessica Korda and Ana Belac.

“I’ve been working on my driver and it’s been really good this week up until this point,” Lewis said. “So, kind of just told myself to forget about it because I know I’m hitting it better than that, and hit a great second drive. Hit 8-iron in there to about probably 18 feet, and then just told my caddie when I made that putt, `That’s what I do. Just keep grinding.”’

The 35-year-old Lewis has 13 LPGA Tour titles, the last in the 2020 Ladies Scottish Open also in firm and fast conditions.

“I love it,” Lewis said. “You have to think about how far your drive rolls out, which bounce you’re going to get in the fairways. It’s thinking golf is a better way to put it. I love it playing like this. I mean, when it’s lush and green it looks great on TV, but I like playing this kind of golf better.”

Korda eagled the par-5 seventh and 15th holes in a 67. She made a long putt on No. 7 and holed out from 86 yards after laying up on the 15th.

“I really wanted to go for it in two, but they put the tee so far back with how firm it is there was no reason to even try to take on that pin,” Korda said about the 15th. “So I laid up and Kyle (caddie Morrison) and I were like, `It’s just a hard half-shot.? It landed exactly where we wanted and it and turned straight into the hole. I was like, `Sick!? So unexpected, but very welcome.”

The winner of the season-opening Diamond Resorts Tournament of Champions, she also had four birdies and four bogeys on the course playing much firmer and faster than she expected.

“I honestly wasn’t prepared for this,” Korda said. “This golf course is always super pure, overseeded, soft, not what we are playing right now. It’s actually really tough to gauge wedge shots because the ground is so firm that it’s just bouncing off of it. I made a couple of mistakes with some wedges in my hand, but it wasn’t like it was a bad shot or anything.” Belac is making her second tour start of the year and fourth overall. The 24-year-old player from Slovenia shot 67, playing in the last group of the day off the first tee. She led Duke to the 2019 NCAA team title and won last year on the Symetra Tour.

First-round leader Wei-Ling Hsu followed her opening 66 with a 72 to fall two strokes back at 4 under in a group with third-ranked Sei Young Kim (71), Moriya Jutanugarn (67), Haeji Kang (68) and Wichanee Meechai (68),

Canadian Brooke Henderson had back-to-back birdies before bogeying the 17th and 18th holes and finished the second round with a 1-under 70. The native of Smiths Falls, Ont., sat four strokes back of Kemp, tied for 14th spot.

Hamilton’s Alena Sharp ended the day in 68th place with a 2-over 73.

Jaclyn Lee of Calgary and Quebec City’s Anne-Catherine Tanguay did not make the cut.

Lexi Thompson bogeyed the final two holes for a 72 to make the cut on the number at 3 over. She set the tournament record of 20-under 264 in 2017.

Ariya Jutanugarn, coming off a victory two weeks ago in her home LPGA Tour event in Thailand, missed the cut with rounds of 70 and 77. She won at Kingsmill in 2016 and 2018.

Paula Creamer also failed to advance to the weekend, shooting 76-74 in her first LPGA Tour start since tying for 63rd in the BMW Ladies Championship in October 2019. Coming off wrist and thumb injuries, she also has an exemption into the U.S. Women’s Open in two weeks.

LOS ANGELES – Brooke Henderson rallied to win the HUGEL Air Premia LA Open on Saturday for her 10th LPGA Tour title, chipping in for birdie on the par-3 12th in an early back-nine burst and getting up-and-down for par on the last.

Four strokes behind leader Jessica Korda and three back of top-ranked Jin Young Ko entering the sunny day at Wilshire Country Club, Henderson closed with her second straight 4-under 67 for a one-stroke victory over Korda.

The 23-year-old Canadian birdied the par-4 11th to take the lead at 15 under, hitting a 144-yard shot to 3 feet of the back, right pin. She holed out from 70 feet from right and below the green on 12, and made a 6-foot birdie putt on the short par-4 14th.

Henderson bogeyed the par-4 17th to cut her lead to two, then chipped inside 2 feet for par on the par-3 18th after her 8-iron shot rolled off the right edge of the green and into a low collection area.

The sixth-ranked Henderson won for the first time since the Meijer LPGA Classic in June 2019. She finished at 16-under 268 to break the event record of 14 under set by Minjee Lee in 2019.

Korda closed with a 72, missing a chance for her second victory of the year after leading after each of the first three rounds. She won the season-opening Diamond Resorts Tournament of Champions in January for her sixth LPGA Tour title.

“You know, this game is incredible and it gives you so many great opportunities. The friends that I’ve made and the places that I’ve been able to travel are really crazy,” said Henderson, when asked about being a role model.

“I’m really grateful that my parents got me into the game and that my sister and I have been able to share this journey together.”

While Henderson made her move early on the back nine, Ko bogeyed the 11th and 12th in a 72 that left her tied with Australia’s Hannah Green at 14 under. The South Korean star was coming off a two-week break after finishing seventh in the ANA Inspiration.

Green eagled the 14th and birdied the par-5 15th in a 66.

Major champions So Yeon Ryu (68) and Angela Stanford (70) tied for fifth at 12 under.

LOS ANGELES – Jessica Korda rode out a series of big momentum shifts Friday at historic Wilshire Country Club to hold onto the lead in the HUGEL Air Premia LA Open.

Six strokes ahead after three holes, tied with top-ranked Jin Young Ko at the turn and two shots back with three to play, Korda birdied the final two holes to take a one-stroke lead into the final round.

“I’m just trying to be patient,” Korda said. “It’s tough. It’s tough to win out here. Still have 18 holes left and I just want to give myself an opportunity to win.”

Korda shot a 3-under 68 to break the tournament 54-hole record at 16 under. She matched the event course record with a 64 on Wednesday and shot a bogey-free 65 on Thursday to break the 36-hole scoring record at 13 under.

“Honestly, it’s just hitting it in the right spots,” Korda said. “Pins were definitely tougher today than they have been the last two days, more tucked, so it was hard to be aggressive on a lot of them.”

Ko shot a 66, making a 30-foot bogey putt on the par-3 18th after driving over the green and watching her second bang into the bank and roll back to her feet.

“Lie wasn’t good. Really, like no grass, and just like it was a cart path, so it was hard,” Ko said. “But I had good putt, so I’m happy.”

Korda matched Ko with a two-putt birdie on the par-5 15th, then hit to 3 feet for a birdie on the par-4 17th and to 2 feet on 18.

“I knew that she was going to come out and play great,” Korda said about Ko. “That’s what she does being world No. 1. You wouldn’t expect anything less. I was just trying to play my own game, and that’s exactly what I’m going to try to do tomorrow.”

She won the season-opening Diamond Resorts Tournament of Champions in January for her sixth LPGA Tour title.

Korda birdied the first three holes to open the six-stroke lead, hitting to a foot on Nos. 2 and 3. She parred the next five and bogeyed the par-4 ninth to fall into a tie with Ko. Korda also bogeyed Nos. 11 and 13 before rallying late.

“It was tough,” Korda said. “Once we hit that mark of no movement for about 20 minutes, it was just really, really slow and it was hard for he to gain my momentum back. I was still hitting really good shots. I just didn’t have any opportunities. I was kind of always above the hole, and trying to nestle something down close to the hole is tough when you’re trying to make birdies.”

Ko had six birdies and a bogey in a front-nine 30. She bogeyed Nos. 10 and 11 and birdied Nos. 13-15. The seven-time LPGA Tour winner is coming off a two-week break after finishing seventh in the major ANA Inspiration.

“Tomorrow, I don’t care about my scores or whatever, just trying to my game on the course and have fun,” Ko said.

Brooke Henderson got a spot alongside Korda and Ko in the final group Saturday, shooting a 67 to get to 12 under. The Canadian birdied Nos. 15-17, then had a 7-foot birdie try slide left on 18. She rebounded from a double bogey on No. 6.

“I think when you have bad holes like that it’s really important to just stay patient and keep doing what you’re doing,” Henderson said.

Angela Stanford was 11 under after a 68, and So Yeon Ryu and Hannah Green each shot 69 to get to 9 under. Morgan Pressel had a 66 to match Tiffany Chan (70) at 8 under.

Sei Young Kim, playing alongside Ko and Korda in the final group, had a 76 to fall into a tie for 18th at 4 under. She closed with her second double bogey of the day.

Korda broke the 54-hole mark of 11 under set by Minjee Lee in her 2019 victory. Lee holds the 72-hole mark of 14 under in the event that was first played in 2018 and was cancelled last year.

LOS ANGELES – Jessica Korda birdied three of the final four holes for a 7-under 64 and a one-stroke lead Wednesday after the first round of the HUGEL Air Premia LA Open.

Korda had eight birdies and a bogey at Wilshire Country Club to match the tournament scoring record set by Megan Khang and Annie Park in 2019.

Korda won the season-opening Diamond Resorts Tournament of Champions in January for her sixth LPGA Tour title, and sister Nelly Korda followed with a victory a month later in the Gainbridge LPGA in the second event of the year.

“We’re not playing in Asia next two weeks,” Jessica Korda said. “Taking those three weeks off, and the summer is so busy. Just going to pace ourselves. Got some big events coming up that I would like to be prepared for, and that’s kind of what my team and I are concentrating on.”

Tiffany Chan and Moriya Jutanugarn were a stroke back. Chan played at Southern California.

“My goal was to try not to be too aggressive because it’s my home course so I know the course really well,” Chan said. “So, I still tried to be a little more conservative.”

Nelly Korda was two strokes back at 66 with Dana Finkelstein, Su Oh, Carlota Ciganda and Austin Ernst.

Michelle Wie West matched Lexi Thompson with a 70.

Brooke Henderson of Smiths Falls, Ont., fired a 2-under 69, Hamilton’s Alena Sharp opened with a 1-over 72, while Calgary’s Jaclyn Lee came in with an 8-over 79.

Lydia Ko opened with a 78, four days after winning the Lotte Championship in Hawaii at 28-under 260.

Patty Tavatanakit had a 75 in her first event since winning the ANA Inspiration for her first major and first LPGA Tour victory.

RANCHO MIRAGE, Calif. _ Patty Tavatanakit survived Lydia Ko’s final-round charge Sunday to win the ANA Inspiration for her first LPGA Tour victory.

Five strokes ahead entering the day and six in front after a chip-in eagle on the par-5 second, Tavatanakit shot a 4-under 68 in 100-degree heat to beat Ko by two strokes in the first major championship of the year.

Ko matched Lorena Ochoa’s tournament record with a 62, shooting 7-under 29 on the front nine for the best nine-hole score in event’s 50-year history. The New Zealander began the day tied for seventh at 6 under, eight strokes behind Tavatanakit in the tournament played without spectators for the second time in seven months.

Winless since April 2018, the 23-year-old Ko played the first 11 holes in 9 under and added a birdie on the par-4 15th. On the par-5 18th, she drove into rough near the water that lines the left side, laid up and hit a wedge 30 feet long and right. Her birdie try missed to the left, stopping inches away.

Tavatanakit had a series of late par saves to keep her two-stroke lead. Her 8-footer on the par-4 15th circled the cup and dropped in, she lagged a 45-footer to 2 feet on the par-4 16th, and chipped to inches on the par-3 17th after missing the green left.

The 21-year-old Thai player finished the wire-to-wire victory with a short par putt on 18. A day after matching the tournament 54-hole record of 14 under set by Pernilla Lindberg in her 2018 victory, Tavatanakit finished a stroke off Dottie Pepper’s 72-hole mark of 19 under set in 1999.

Ranked 103rd in the world, the former UCLA star became the sixth straight international winner. She’s the first rookie to win the event since Juli Inkster in 1984 and the fourth straight first-time major winner.

Tavatanakit won seven times in two seasons at UCLA and had three Symetra Tour victories in 2019.

Ko has 15 LPGA Tour victories, winning at Mission Hills in 2016 for her second major victory.

Nelly Korda (66), Sei Young Kim (66) and Nanna Koerstz Madsen (66) and Shanshan Feng (69) tied for third at 11 under.

Brooke Henderson of Smiths Falls, Ont., shot a two-under 70 on Sunday and finished the tournament in a six-way tie for 19th at six under.

Canada’s top two professional golfers are returning to tournaments this week where they were atop the leaderboard the last time they played in the event.

Corey Conners of Listowel, Ont., won the Valero Texas Open in 2019 and, because the event was cancelled in 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic, is considered the reigning champion. As a result, every room key at the players’ hotel for the PGA Tour event this week has his picture on it.

Conners said that although his photo is everywhere at the event in San Antonio, he still enjoyed some anonymity when checking in with a hotel clerk thanks to the mask he was wearing upon arrival.

“She had no idea who I was, but I made a funny comment about it being embarrassing for the guy who’s got to look at himself on the room key every day for the whole week,” Conners said this week.

“I obviously had my mask on and a hat and I think a sweatshirt, so she probably didn’t put two and two together.”

Conners won in 2019 after entering the field as a Monday qualifier. He’s ranked 41st in the world this week after a hot start to the season.

He believes he’ll be a different player when he tees off on Thursday compared to the man who won the Texas Open in 2019.

“I think my game’s gotten a little more polished over the last few years, a little more consistent,” said Conners.

Brooke Henderson of Smiths Falls, Ont., tees off on Thursday at the ANA Inspiration, the first major of the LPGA Tour season. It was last held in September 2020 because of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Henderson was tied for first with American Nelly Korda and South Korea’s Mirim Lee at 15-under after four rounds at last year’s ANA Inspiration. Lee won the tournament with a birdie on the first playoff hole.

The 23-year-old Henderson, who has the most professional tournament wins in Canadian golf history, said she has learned from that playoff defeat.

“I think it’s really important to take away the positives from that week because I played really well and there’s a lot of good things that happened,” said Henderson. “Unfortunately I didn’t lift the trophy but I was tied for the lead when we finished 72 holes. So that’s a lot of confidence and that’s a great feeling.”

David Hearn of Brantford, Ont., Roger Sloan of Merritt, B.C., Michael Gligic of Burlington, Ont., as well as Adam Hadwin and Nick Taylor of Abbotsford, B.C., are the other Canadians in the field at the Texas Open.

The winner, if not already qualified, gets a spot in the Masters, the first major of the men’s season, next week in Augusta, Ga.

Hamilton’s Alena Sharp is the only other Canadian in the field at the ANA Inspiration.

Canada is coming off a big week on the PGA and LPGA feeder circuits.

Adam Svensson of Surrey, B.C., won the Korn Ferry Tour event last week, while Maude-Aimee Leblanc of Sherbrooke, Que., tied for second at the Symetra Tour tournament.