KPMG Women's PGA opening round: Lexi Thompson battles through, Minjee Lee shines
The 2025 KPMG Women's PGA Championship started at Fields Ranch East in Frisco, Texas, the home course of the PGA of America. The Senior PGA was held at Fields Ranch East in 2023, the women are on tap this week and the men make their way to North Texas in 2027.
The best players in the world are battling it out with a major title on the line, including world No. 1 and past champion Nelly Korda, who remains in search of her first victory this season.
Here's a look at the opening round of play from the KPMG Women's PGA:
KPMG Women's PGA leaderboard
Keep up with the latest scores on our USA TODAY Sports leaderboard.
Jeeno's 60-foot bomb helps her to 4 under
Jeeno Thitikul made a double on the fifth hole, but ever since that mishap, she's been dialed in. From the 7th through the 12th hole, she posted five birdies.
Then, on No. 17, Thitikul dropped a long putt to get to 4 under.
Incredibly, she lipped out a 76-footer on 18. She finished making just under 200 feet of putts while playing partners Lydia Ko and Nelly Korda combined to make just over 108 feet.
Can Lexi Thompson get into contention?
It was a rough start for Lexi Thompson, who was coming off her best start of the year, a fourth-place finish at the Meijer LPGA Classic for Simply Give.
Thompson, who missed the cut at the U.S. Women's Open, made a pair of bogeys in her first four holes, while playing with Yealimi Noh (she started on the back) and Yuka Saso.
She rebounded with a birdie on her fifth hole, but dropped another shot on the following hole. Thompson finished at 1 over for the day.
Rose Zhang admits this has been an 'unorthodox year'
It's been a tough stretch for Rose Zhang, who just turned 2, and returned to the LPGA after a month-long break at May's Mizuho Americas Open, site of her extraordinary win two years ago in her professional debut.
Zhang missed the first major of the season due to recurring neck spasms and has been back home in Las Vegas rehabbing at the UFC Performance Institute. Doing chin-ups next to a bunch of trained fighters proved to be intimidating, the two-time LPGA winner said with a smile.
After an even-par 72, she admitted it's been an uneasy season, for certain.
"Honestly, this year has been very unorthodox. I felt like I was in a good groove last year, also the year before, but this year kind of had its moments where obviously the neck injury kind of flared up," she said. "I spent hours and hours doing work at school, and I feel like that all played a part in the stress and coming back and trying to put up performances.
"Right now, I'm trying to go back into a more process-oriented mindset of trying to get things one step at a time. Starting with being healthy and then working on the game back again."
Korda starts strong despite neck tweak
Nelly Korda was even after her first half-dozen holes at Fields Ranch East, but after tweaking her neck during a practice round, she looks to be swinging comfortably.
Korda hit a shot out of the rough on the front nine Monday and her neck went into full spasm.
“It's getting better,” said Korda, who had kinesiology tape stretched across the back of her neck on Tuesday. "But yeah, it was not very good yesterday.”
Korda missed several events in the fall Asian swing last year after suffering from a neck injury. The world No. 1 travels with longtime physio Kim Baughman, who will no doubt be busy throughout the week at Fields Ranch East. It's worth noting, however, that the fairways are wide on the Gil Hanse design, though they have been narrowed since the Senior PGA two years ago. And no one on the LPGA drives the ball better than Korda.
Korda finished with two birdies and two bogeys for an even-par 72.
Leona Maguire is tinkering with equipment
After four consecutive missed cuts, Leona Maguire has found something with her driver after switching back to last year’s model. She also went back to her old putter — almost. Maguire’s Ping rep has always had a backup putter at his house that was identical to her longtime putter, and she asked him to bring it out to Texas this week
For the last few weeks, she’d been trying a center-shafted putter. “Sometimes, what do they say, a rest is as good as a change,” said Maguire. “It’s nice to have this familiar putter.”
She worked her way through an even-par 72 on Thursday. Here's more on Leona.
Minjee Lee makes turn at 3 under
Minjee Lee opened the KPMG Women's PGA with a bogey, but she got hot from there. Lee birdied No. 3, 5, 7 and 9 to make the turn at 3 under and in a share of the lead.
Yuna Nishimura took early lead at KPMG
Here's another reminder that you don't have to be big to be good at golf.
Yuna Nishimura is 3 under and leading a major. The 23-year-old stands 4-feet-11.
World's top 3 playing together
It should be an interesting first two rounds as the world's top three players are paired together at Fields Ranch.
How to watch KPMG Women's PGA Championship 2025
All times EDT
Thursday, June 19
Golf Channel: 11 a.m.-3 p.m.; 6 p.m.-8 p.m.
Featured groups: 8 a.m.-8 p.m.
Friday, June 20
Golf Channel: 11 a.m.-3 p.m.; 6 p.m.-8 p.m.
Featured groups: 8 a.m.-8 p.m.
Saturday, June 21
Peacock: 11 a.m.-1:30 p.m.
Featured groups: 10 a.m.-4 p.m. (kpmgwomenspgachampionship.com, PGA Champs App)
NBC: 1:30-6 p.m.
Sunday, June 22
Peacock: 11 a.m.-3 p.m.
Featured groups: 10 a.m.-4 p.m. (kpmgwomenspgachampionship.com, PGA Champs App)
NBC: 3-6 p.m.
Vivaldi among best of the golf pros
Making her first appearance in this major championship, Natalie Vivaldi, the PGA director of instruction at Emerald Isle GC in Oceanside, Calif., shot 76. A day of solid play (14 pars) was spoiled by a triple-bogey at the par-3 8th, but otherwise she acquitted herself nicely, according the PGA of America's pool reporters. Vivaldi and Joanna Coe, the PGA director of instruction at Merion GC in Ardmore, Pa., tied for low scores in the morning wave for members of the Corebridge Financial Team, those PGA of America Golf Professionals and LPGA Professionals in the field.
KPMG odds: We've got Ronni
We're going with the No. 4 player in the world this week. Ruoning Yin is +1400 in pre-tournament odds, behind only Nelly Korda and Jeeno Thitikul, who are both +900.
Here are the full odds:
- Jeeno Thitikul +900
- Nelly Korda +900
- Ruoning Yin +1400
- Haeran Ryu +2000
- Hye-Jin Choi +2200
- Minjee Lee +2200
- Celine Boutier +2500
- Lydia Ko +2500
- Ayaka Furue +3000
- Angel Yin +3500
- Ariya Jutanugarn +3500
- Akie Iwai +3500
- Charley Hull +3500
- Hyo Joo Kim +3500
- Mao Saigo +3500
Texas pro hits opening tee shot at KPMG
Katelyn Sepmoree, a member of the Northern Texas PGA Section, is playing in her first major championship not too far from her hometown of Tyler, Texas. She even got to hit the first tee shot of the tournament.
The 34-year-old played her way into the championship by winning the PGA Women’s Stroke Play Championship. To prepare for the week, she’s packed her schedule with lessons in the morning and practice in the evenings, putting in long days in the Texas heat. Fellow Willow Brook pro Correy Davis will be on the bag.
The first goal, she said, is to enjoy the moment. Here's more on the story.
Will LPGA go 16 for 16 with winners?
Fifteen tournaments into the 2025 LPGA season, 15 different winners. Nelly Korda, who surprisingly isn’t one of those 15, said, “It’s golf.” But Carlota Ciganda, who won last week, had a different reaction: “Very happy to be one of them.”
It was Ciganda’s third career win but it came nine years after she won the first two.
Here's the full list:
A Lim Kim (Hilton Grand Vacations Tournament of Champions), Yealimi Noh (Founders Cup presented by U.S. Virgin Islands), Angel Yin (Honda LPGA Thailand), Lydia Ko (HSBC Women’s World Championship), Rio Takeda (Blue Bay LPGA), Hyo Joo Kim (Ford Championship presented by Wild Horse Pass), Madelene Sagstrom (T-Mobile Match Play presented by MGM Rewards), Ingrid Lindblad (JM Eagle LA Championship presented by Plastpro), Mao Saigo (The Chevron Championship), Haeran Ryu (Black Desert Championship presented by Greater Zion), Jeeno Thitikul (Mizuho Americas Open), Chisato Iwai (MEXICO Riviera Maya Open at Mayakoba), Maja Stark (U.S. Women’s Open presented by Ally), Jennifer Kupcho (Shoprite LPGA Classic presented by Acer), Carlota Ciganda (Meijer LPGA Classic for Simply Give).
Hole locations for first round of KPMG
Here are the hole locations for Thursday's opening round: