Nelly Korda quickly took control of the Chevron Championship on Friday, shooting a second consecutive round of 65 to enter the weekend with a six-shot lead at Memorial Park.
But while the world number 2 was racing for a big lead in the the first major of the yearseveral other big names packed up and left town on Friday after a disappointing showing.
This list starts with world number 1, Jeeno Thitikul, who is still looking for her first major championship. That quest will continue next month at the US Women’s Open at Riviera Country Club.
“The questions, you have every time I lose a major for sure. Thanks for reminding me every week,” Thitikul said with a laugh Tuesday of her big championship quest. “Obviously, I think it’s just another challenge of my career. I know what I have (under my belt). Right now, at this age, I think I’ve achieved a lot, but obviously, one main thing is that I feel like the first time is always the hardest. And then if I have to show myself that I can do it.”
Thitikul shot 74-74 over the two days at Memorial Park to finish at 3 over and miss the cut by one.
Here are the big names that should miss the cut in Houston:
Jeeno Thitikul
What she shot: 74-73 (+3)
Why it’s surprising: Thitikul is ranked number one in the world and has already won this year in Thailand. She had never missed this race in the previous five trials, although this year is the first time that the championship takes place at Memorial Park.
Lydia Ko
What she shot: 72-75 (+3)
Why it’s surprising: The three-time major champion made four bogeys in a seven-hole stretch Friday to get to 40. She battled hard on her back nine but couldn’t find another birdie to get to the right side of the fairway.
Rose Zhang
What she shot: 73-74 (+3)
Why it’s surprising: Zhang just finished her degree at Stanford and is transitioning into professional golf full-time, so the missed cut itself isn’t surprising. But given how quickly Zhang’s star rose when he arrived at the tournament, it’s disappointing to see him miss the cut in the first competition of the year. Next, she will head to the US Women’s Open qualifiers to try and earn a spot on the Riviera.
Lily Vu
What she shot: 76-77 (+9)
Why it’s surprising: The last three winners of the Chevron Championship were grouped together for the first two rounds and Korda beat Vu by 23 strokes. It’s been a tough stretch for Vu since her 2023 season, when she won two major titles. She continues to fight off the tee.
Kiara Romero
What she shot: 71-78 (+5)
Why it’s surprising: Amateur no. The World No. 1 was close to the top of the leaderboard as she reached the end of her first round. A couple of bogeys late on saw him come home at 1 under, still very much in the championship mix. The Oregon product teed off Friday afternoon and hit just seven greens while struggling with the flat club. Romero seems poised for big thingsbut that won’t happen this weekend in Houston.
Chizzy Iwai
What a shot: 77-74 (+7)
Why it’s surprising: Chizzy Iwai has been playing good golf. She was in contention at the JM Eagle LA Championship last week before finishing in a tie for seventh. But she struggled to get close this week, hitting just 15 of 36 greens over two days. She will stick around to watch her sister, Akie, who is tied for 31st going into the weekend.
Sugarcane Megha (a)
What she shot: 77-78 (+11)
Why it’s surprising: Ganne won the US Women’s Amateur last summer and will be on the LPGA soon. Like Romero, she has the game to compete and win at the highest level, but struggled with her approach and shot in Houston. The Stanford product hit just 16 of 36 greens and needed 59 shots to get through two rounds.
