Hyo Joo Kim Sets LPGA 54-Hole Record with 191 Total to Lead Ford Championship

Hyo Joo Kim carded an 11-under 61 at Whirlwind Golf Club to reach 25-under par, breaking the LPGA 54-hole scoring record.

PHOENIX -- Hyo Joo Kim established a new LPGA Tour 54-hole scoring record on Saturday, carding an 11-under 61 to reach a three-day total of 25-under 191 at the Ford Championship. Playing the Cattail course at Whirlwind Golf Club, the 30-year-old South Korean surpassed the previous record of 192, which was formerly shared by four different players. Kim enters the final round with a four-shot lead over Nelly Korda, who posted a bogey-free 5-under 67 to sit at 21-under par. This 191 total marks Kim’s second 61 of the week, following an identical score in the opening round.

During her historic third round, Hyo Joo Kim utilized a stretch of seven consecutive one-putt greens to distance herself from the field. Her back-nine surge featured a sequence of birdie-birdie-eagle-birdie as she navigated the Arizona desert layout. On the par-4 16th hole, Kim pulled her approach shot, yet the ball caught a favorable slope and settled 7 feet from the cup, leading to another birdie. She followed this with a two-putt birdie on the 17th and a par on the 18th to secure the record-breaking 191. Kim finished the day with only 25 total putts, describing her performance by stating that her putter, irons, and driver all functioned exactly as she desired.

Korda Chases Record-Setting Performance

Nelly Korda began the third round with a two-shot advantage but fell four strokes behind despite her clean 67. Korda noted that while a bogey-free 5-under round is typically solid, it felt less significant while playing alongside Kim’s "unbelievable" golf. This tournament marks the fifth consecutive round that Kim and Korda have played in the same group, dating back to last week’s Founders Cup. In that previous event, Kim held off a late Korda rally to win by a single stroke. Korda, who won the season opener in Florida—a tournament shortened to 54 holes due to extreme cold and wind—remains Kim’s closest pursuer heading into Sunday.

Behind the lead pair, a large group sits tied for third place at 16-under par, nine shots adrift of the lead. This chasing pack includes 24-year-old English rookie Mimi Rhodes, who surged up the leaderboard with a 9-under 63. Joining Rhodes at 16-under are Chizzy Iwai, Minami Katsu, Ina Yoon, and Lydia Ko. Ko initially led the field with a 60 in the first round but has since fallen back with subsequent rounds of 71 and 69. Despite the nine-shot deficit, these players remain in contention for podium spots as the final 18 holes approach.

Pursuit of the 72-Hole Scoring Mark

As the defending champion in Phoenix, Hyo Joo Kim now eyes the all-time LPGA 72-hole scoring record. The current milestone is 257, set by Sei Young Kim during the 2018 Thornberry Creek LPGA Classic. To break this record, Kim would need to reach 258 or lower, meaning a final-round score of 66 or better would eclipse the mark. Kim’s current momentum stems from her victory last week at Sharon Heights, and she expressed her enjoyment in playing with Korda, whom she described as her favorite player.

Korda remains wary of the challenge ahead, emphasizing that despite Kim’s flurry of putts, 18 holes of play remain. The duel between the two recent winners has effectively turned the Ford Championship into a two-person race. While the morning conditions of the first round were ripe for low scoring—highlighted by Ko’s 60 and Kim’s first 61—Kim has maintained that pace through the heat of the third round. Her smooth putting touch, which Korda described as "mesmerizing," has been the defining factor in her four-shot cushion.

Statistical Dominance at Whirlwind Golf Club

The scoring at the Cattail course has been historically low, but Kim’s 25-under-par total through three days stands alone in the record books. Her ability to convert opportunities was most evident during the torrid start to her back nine, where the eagle on the par-5 helped her pull away from Korda. Even when Kim displayed frustration with her ball-striking, such as the approach on the 16th, the results remained positive. With 54 holes completed, Kim has now recorded two rounds of 11-under par in a single tournament, a feat that has positioned her to potentially rewrite multiple sections of the LPGA history books by Sunday evening.