Nelly Korda opened the LPGA season on fire. She ran away with the first major of the year, the Chevron Championship, and then accomplished a lifelong dream by winning the U.S. Women\u2019s Open at Riviera Country Club.<\/p>\n
Korda arrived at the KPMG Women\u2019s PGA Championship looking to complete the third leg of the \u201cNelly Slam\u201d and, in the process, punch her ticket to the LPGA Hall of Fame. Korda contended at Hazeltine, but a cold putter let her down as Haeran Ryu won her first major title.<\/p>\n
Two weeks after snapping Korda\u2019s major streak, Ryu landed in France for the Evian Championship, the year\u2019s fourth major, with a simple goal in her first major after getting the monkey off her back.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhen we first start this tournament [at] the press conference I said my goal is to just play on the weekend; that\u2019s it,\u201d Ryu said, laughing, on Saturday.<\/p>\n
While Korda missed the cut at the Evian Resort Golf Club, Ryu has done much more than she initially hoped. She shot eight under over the first two rounds to get into Saturday\u2019s final group alongside 36-hole leader Lottie Woad and Aki Iwai.<\/p>\n
Then, on Saturday, Ryu quickly went from being in the mix at another major to grabbing it by the throat and making major championship history in the process.<\/p>\n
Ryu birdied two of her first five holes and then holed out for eagle on the par-4 sixth to grab the lead. She birdied seven and nine to turn in six-under 29, then birdied the 10th. As Ryu stretched her lead on the back nine, she was unaware that she was speeding toward something that had never been done before. After three straight pars from 11-13, Ryu made circles at 14, 15, and 17, sparking buzz around Evian that a 59 was in play with the par-5 18th coming up. Ryu split the fairway with her tee shot and then found the green. But her 30-foot eagle putt came up just short, leaving her to tap in for birdie and sign for a third-round 11-under 60, the lowest major championship round in women\u2019s golf history.<\/p>\n
\nEVERY BIRDIE (plus an eagle) from the first ever 60 \u203c\ufe0f in LPGA Major Championship history \ud83d\udcaf pic.twitter.com\/1nlYAUBkfk<\/a><\/p>\n
\u2014 LPGA (@LPGA) July 11, 2026<\/a><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n
It was only when Ryu counted up her score after a closing birdie that she realised what she had done.<\/p>\n
\nThis is the absolute best. Haeran Ryu had zero clue that she had a putt to shoot 59. You can watch her figuring it out here on the 18th green! \ud83d\ude02<\/p>\n
What a beautiful mind she must have! pic.twitter.com\/JkSQbIFGbp<\/a><\/p>\n
\u2014 Beth Ann Nichols (@GolfweekNichols) July 11, 2026<\/a><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n
\u201cI never know,\u201d a smiling Ryu said in her post-round interview about making history. \u201cI never know because, I didn\u2019t know [it\u2019s] par 71 [at Evian]. That\u2019s why I just hit it \u2014 I didn\u2019t know my score on the green today.<\/p>\n
\u201cBut after the putt, I counted my score with my caddie, and, \u2018Oh, my God, it\u2019s 11-under par.\u2019 It was so amazing. My caddie says, \u2018Yep.\u2019 Yeah, I\u2019m so happy right now.\u201d<\/p>\n
Per golf stats guru Justin Ray, Ryu gained 9.40 shots on the field on Saturday, building a three-shot lead over Iwai heading into Sunday. That is the second-most Strokes Gained in a major round this season, trailing only the 10.17 by Ina Yoon in the opening round of the KPMG.<\/p>\n
\nMost strokes gained total in single round, @LPGA<\/a> majors this season<\/p>\n
Ina Yoon, KPMG PGA Rd 1, +10.17
Haeran Ryu, Evian Rd 3, +9.40
Haeran Ryu, KPMG PGA Rd 2, +9.03<\/p>\n3 major rounds this season of 9+ strokes better than the field average. Ryu has 2 of them.<\/p>\n