Nelly Korda quickly took control of the Chevron Championship on Friday, firing a second consecutive round of 65 to enter the weekend with a six-shot lead at Memorial Park.
But while the World No. 2 was racing out to a big lead at the year’s first major, several other big names packed up and left town on Friday after a disappointing showing.
That list starts with World No. 1 Jeeno Thitikul, who is still searching for her first major championship. That search will continue next month at the U.S. Women’s Open at Riviera Country Club.
“The questions, you have it for every time I lose in a major for sure. Thank you for reminding every week,” Thitikul said while laughing on Tuesday about her major championship search. “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 accomplished a lot, but obviously, a major is the one that I feel the first time is always the hardest. And then if I need to prove to myself that I can do that.”
Thitikul shot 74-74 over two days at Memorial Park to finish at 3 over and miss the cut by one.
Here are the big names to miss the cut in Houston:
Jeeno Thitikul
What she shot: 74-73 (+3)
Why it’s surprising: Thitikul is ranked No. 1 in the world and has already won this year in Thailand. She had never missed the cut in this event in five previous tries, although this year is the first time the championship is being held 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 on Friday to go out in 40. She fought hard on her final nine but couldn’t find another birdie to get on the right side of the cut line.
Rose Zhang
What she shot: 73-74 (+3)
Why it’s surprising: Zhang just finished up her degree at Stanford and is transitioning back to full-time professional golf, so the missed cut in itself isn’t surprising. But given how fast Zhang’s star rose when she arrived on the tour, it’s disappointing to see her miss the cut at the year’s first major. Next up, she’ll head to U.S. Women’s Open qualifying to try and earn a spot at Riviera.
Lilia Vu
What she shot: 76-77 (+9)
Why it’s surprising: The past three Chevron Championship winners were grouped together for the first two rounds, and Korda beat Vu by 23 shots. It has been a rough stretch for Vu ever since her 2023 season, when she won two major titles. She continues to struggle off the tee.
Kiara Romero (a)
What she shot: 71-78 (+5)
Why it’s surprising: The World No. 1 amateur was near the top of the leaderboard as she got to the end of her first round. A couple of late bogeys saw her get in the house at 1 under, still very much in the championship mix. The Oregon product went out in the afternoon on Friday and hit just seven greens while also struggling with the flatstick. Romero seems primed for big things, but that won’t happen this weekend in Houston.
Chizzy Iwai
What shot: 77-74 (+7)
Why it’s surprising: Chizzy Iwai has been playing good golf. She was in contention at last week’s JM Eagle LA Championship before finishing in a tie for seventh. But she struggled on approach this week, hitting just 15 of 36 greens over two days. She’ll stick around to watch her sister, Akie, who is tied for 31st entering the weekend.
Megha Ganne (a)
What she shot: 77-78 (+11)
Why it’s surprising: Ganne won the U.S. Women’s Amateur last summer and will be on the LPGA soon. Like Romero, she’s got the game to compete and win at the top level, but struggled on approach and with the putter in Houston. The Stanford product hit just 16 of 36 greens and needed 59 putts to get through two rounds.
