Fortinet Founders Cup Round 1

Date
Thu 19th March 2026 (UTC)
Thu 19th March 2026 (Local)

Timestamp
2026-03-19T14:30:00

Time

14:30:00 UTC (07:30:00 Local)

Poster

Your Rating (Click a star below)

Star off icon

Total Rating
(0 users)

Thumb

Square Poster

League
LPGA Tour

Season
2026

Round
5

Status
Match Finished

Location

Video Highlights

Play on YouTube

Event Statistics

Description

The LPGA Tour heads to the Sharon Heights Golf & Country Club in Menlo Park, California, for the first time in the tournament's history. This $3 million event serves as a tribute to the 13 founders of the LPGA and marks the start of a critical West Coast stretch leading up to the season's first major. The objective for the star-studded field, which includes world number one Jeeno Thitikul and defending champion Yealimi Noh, is to master the tree-lined fairways and recently renovated greens of this prestigious Bay Area venue.

A primary challenge for the field is the strategic layout of Sharon Heights, which rewards precision over raw power. Local favorite Rose Zhang enters the week with significant attention, having just completed her final academic assignments at Stanford University. For Zhang and other top contenders like Nelly Korda, the goal is to adjust quickly to the Northern California conditions and post an aggressive opening score to keep pace with an international field that has shown immense depth throughout the early 2026 season.

Reports

Result List

Result Description

Hyo Joo Kim delivered a masterclass in the opening round, carding a bogey-free 9-under par 63 to take a two-shot lead. Kim’s performance was highlighted by an extraordinary finish, where she went birdie-eagle on her final two holes—the first time she has achieved that specific closing sequence in her career of over 750 rounds. Her success was rooted in a flawless short game, requiring only 22 putts to navigate the Sharon Heights greens, the lowest mark in the field.

Rookie Dongeun Lee sits in solo second at 7-under par after an impressive 65, marking her lowest professional round on the LPGA Tour to date. A trio of players, including Gemma Dryburgh, Polly Mack, and Jin Hee Im, share third place at 6-under par. While many of the favorites found their rhythm, defending champion Yealimi Noh struggled in her opening defense, carding a 7-over 79. Rose Zhang remained steady with a 1-under 71, finishing her round just hours after officially submitting her final paper for her degree.

Collections
None found...

Popular Tweets

Fanart
No Fanart thumb