Lydia Ko Cards 12 Birdies... "Did You See Her 12-Under 60?"

New Lowest Round Record Set in Ford Championship 1st Round
Exceptional Iron Shots and Putting Displayed
Kim Hyojoo at 11-Under, Korda in Pursuit at 9-Under

Korean-New Zealander golfer Lydia Ko delivered a remarkable performance.

On March 26 (local time), at Whirlwind Golf Club's Cattail Course (par 72, 6,675 yards) in Phoenix, Arizona, Lydia Ko played the first round of the LPGA Tour Ford Championship (total prize money: 2.25 million dollars), making 12 birdies without a single bogey. Recording a 12-under-par 60, Ko took the top spot on the leaderboard. Her score of 60 set a new Ford Championship lowest round record, breaking the previous record of 61 set by Hannah Green (Australia) in 2024.

Lydia Ko is teeing off at the 14th hole of the first round of the Ford Championship. Phoenix=AFP Yonhap News Agency

Lydia Ko picked up momentum with four consecutive birdies from holes 10 to 13, and then made four more pairs of back-to-back birdies at holes 16-17, 1-2, 5-6, and 8-9. She missed only one green and took just 25 putts. Holding a one-stroke lead, she has laid the foundation for her first win of the year. Ko, often dubbed a golf prodigy, has claimed 23 career victories on the LPGA Tour. This year, she has already finished in the top five twice in the first four tournaments. Her most recent win was at the HSBC Women’s World Championship in March 2025.

Hyojoo Kim, who won last week’s Fortinet Founders Cup, carded one eagle and nine birdies. With an 11-under-par 61, she chased closely behind Lydia Ko. As the defending champion with eight career wins after her latest victory last week, Hyojoo Kim is aiming for back-to-back titles and her second win of the season.

World No. 2 Nelly Korda (USA) shot a 9-under-par 63. Somi Lee, Haeran Yu, Narin An, and Akie Iwai (Japan) each finished with a 6-under-par 66. Jeongeun Lee5 posted a 5-under-par 67, and Jeon Inji and Yang Heeyoung wrapped up the first round with a solid 4-under-par 68.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.