Playa del Carmen, Quintana Roo, May 1, 2026.– Showing the outstanding form she’s in, Nelly Korda climbed to the top of the leaderboard at the Riviera Maya Open at Mayakoba after the second round at El Camaleón, tied with fellow American Brianna Do.
Korda carded a solid 67 (-5), highlighted by birdies on holes 2, 5, 8, 14, and 18, to reach a total of 135 (-9) and share the lead.
“I managed it really well. I hit it to the right spots on the greens and took advantage of some good shots. Overall, it was a solid day. I didn’t really make mistakes, and when I did, I recovered very well,” Korda said, noting there wasn’t much difference playing earlier compared to the previous round. “Not really—the wind was already pretty strong in the morning. Maybe it just wasn’t as hot.”
Do, who opened with a 66 (-6), followed up with a 69 (-3) to remain tied for first at -9.
Just one shot back in third place is rookie Melanie Green, who posted a 70 (-2) for a total of 136 (-8), staying firmly in contention.
Two shots behind the leaders is Japan’s Minami Katsu, who delivered one of the day’s best rounds with a 68 (-4) to climb six positions and reach 137 (-7).
The standout round of the day came from China’s Yu Liu, LPGA Rookie of the Year in 2018, who fired a 66 to move to 138 (-6), tying for fifth with Spain’s Carlota Ciganda.
Mexico’s Gaby López had a more challenging day, finishing with a 71 (-1) for a total of 139 (-5). She recorded birdies on holes 3, 5, 13, and 18, along with bogeys on 2, 12, and 16.
“Honestly, I felt better in the second round than in the first. The issue was that I hit a lot of really good shots that didn’t end up exactly where I wanted, and that was a bit frustrating. I didn’t make the putts I made yesterday. Sometimes you hit it well and it just doesn’t finish where you expect. It also plays a role when you’re paired with someone hitting it as well as Nelly. But that’s golf—there are still two days left, we’re halfway through, and I’m happy with how I’m feeling out there,” López explained.
López is tied for seventh place alongside Paraguay’s Sofía García, Germany’s Olivia Cowan, and Thailand’s Arpichaya Yubol.
