Nelly Korda hits from the fourth tee during the first round of the Chevron Championship LPGA golf tournament Thursday, April 23, 2026, in Houston. (AP Photo/Ashley Landis)

HOUSTON — Nelly Korda leaned on her putter to save pars early and then poured it on her back nine of Memorial Park for a 7-under 65, her best start to a major in four years to take a two-shot lead Thursday in The Chevron Championship.

Patty Tavatanakit, who won this major as a rookie in 2021 when it was the ANA Inspiration in the California desert, played bogey-free for a 67 and was two shots back along with Somi Lee, who bogeyed her final hole on the par-3 ninth.

Farah O’Keefe, the junior at Texas, missed a 5-foot par putt on her last hole to fall back into the group of players at 68.

“Just day one out of four — a lot can happen,” Korda said after her best opening round in a major since a 64 in the 2022 Evian Championship. “So happy to be in this position and hoping to move forward.”

Korda has been building toward the first major of the LPGA season, playing in the final group in each of her four tournaments this year and winning the season opener.

She started on No. 10 and the American star was in full flight after making the turn on a rain-soaked course that got little roll in the fairway. She made birdie on the three par 5s on the front nine and really shined on the tough par 3s — a 6-iron to 4 feet on No. 2, a 5-iron to 5 feet on No. 7.

Equally important was keeping bogeys off her card — her first bogey-free round in a major since the second round of the 2024 Women’s British Open — especially on the front nine.

“Made a really long one on my first hole which could have started out the day with a bogey and I didn’t. I made a really solid putt,” she said. “Even on the second hole where I saved a 5-footer for par. Made some good saves for par.”

Record tied

AVONDALE, La. — Matt Fitzpatrick, fresh off his RBC Heritage victory, teamed with younger brother Alex to shoot an 8-under 64 in better-ball play Thursday in the Zurich Classic, leaving the English duo six shots behind Alex Smalley and Hayden Springer.

Smalley and Springers matched the tournament record with a 58. Shane Lowry and Brooks Koepka, who comprise the most accomplished team at the par-72 TPC Louisiana this week, shot a 66 to leave them outside the top 40 and in danger of missing the cut.