Yuna Nishimura matched the Walmart NW Arkansas Championship’s 36-hole scoring record with consecutive 63s, reaching 16 under and taking a five-shot lead into Sunday as a crowded group of first-time LPGA winners chased her at Pinnacle Country Club.
Nishimura’s Record-Tying 126 Takes Command at Pinnacle
Yuna Nishimura entered Saturday with a one-shot lead. She left with a place in the tournament record book and a five-shot advantage entering the final round of the Walmart NW Arkansas Championship.
Nishimura shot an 8-under 63 for the second consecutive day at Pinnacle Country Club, reaching 16 under through 36 holes. Her 126 total tied the tournament’s 36-hole scoring record, matching Anna Nordqvist in 2020 and So Yeon Ryu in 2017.
Michelle Zhang, Mary Liu and Auston Kim are tied for second at 11 under after each shot 7-under 64 Saturday. The three players began the day tied for 26th and turned Round 2 into a major move up the board.
Nishimura, meanwhile, kept setting the pace.
“My short irons were working really well, so I was able to put it close to the pin and kind of all worked out for me,” Nishimura said through a translator.
She made nine birdies and one bogey in Saturday’s 63. Through two rounds, Nishimura has made 15 birdies, hit 24 of 26 greens in regulation and posted the best 36-hole total of her LPGA career by four strokes.
The first-round 63 had given Nishimura an early edge. The second 63 changed the tournament. She became the first player in her LPGA career to lead after both the first and second rounds, and she will now attempt to turn that position into her first Tour victory.
The Leader Is Still Attacking
Nishimura’s advantage is large, but her mentality is not defensive. Asked about her final-round plan, the Japanese star did not talk about protecting 16 under or playing cautiously around Pinnacle’s scoring holes. She set a new target.
“I would like to go for 20-under,” Nishimura said through a translator.
That answer reflects the way she has played all week. Her short irons have consistently produced close birdie looks, and she has taken advantage without allowing bogey avoidance to become the primary goal.
“I haven’t really been telling myself not to make bogeys, but I am trying to play this course aggressively,” she said.
That approach has put the 26-year-old in position to become the third Japanese winner of the NWA Championship. Ai Miyazato won in 2012, while Nasa Hataoka won in 2018 and 2021.
Nishimura has six victories on the Japan LPGA but is still seeking her first LPGA Tour title. A win Sunday would make her the 15th Japanese Rolex First-Time Winner since 2006 and the third first-time LPGA winner of the 2026 season.
The Chase Is Full of Momentum
Zhang, Liu and Kim will start Sunday five shots back, but all three produced the type of Saturday round that makes the final day compelling. Zhang carded her best LPGA round with a 64. The rookie made eight birdies and one bogey, reaching 11 under and recording the lowest 36-hole score of her LPGA career.
She said her form had been building during the Solheim Cup break, when she played two Epson Tour events and finished second and seventh.
“I’ve been just kind of consistently kind of playing good golf,” Zhang said. “Having someone that I really like on the bag … he’s been helping me with the confidence on the course and just kind of seeing some putts drop and hitting a lot of greens.”
Liu also shot 64, making eight birdies and one bogey. Her score was a career low, and she has taken only 52 putts through two rounds, the fewest in the field. Kim’s 64 was bogey-free. She finished with birdies at Nos. 17 and 18 and now ranks among the tournament leaders in eagles, birdies and fewest bogeys.
“I knew I was scoring,” Kim said. “It was just a matter of minimizing the mistakes.”
All three women are pursuing a first LPGA victory. So is Nishimura. Sunday will determine which player turns a strong two-round foundation into a breakthrough.
Saturday also featured Lauren Coughlin’s historic nine consecutive birdies to open her round and an LPGA-record 26 on her first nine holes. But the larger tournament truth remains unchanged: Nishimura owns the lead, the record and the target. She wants 20 under. The rest of the field has 18 holes to stop her.
