At Lake Nona Golf & Country Club in Orlando, Florida, the early chapters of the 2026 Hilton Grand Vacations Tournament of Champions have unfolded with excitement and unexpected pairing at the top of the leaderboard. After two rounds of play, Lydia Ko and Lottie Woad now share the 36‑hole lead, setting the stage for a thrilling weekend in the LPGA season opener.
Ko, the New Zealand LPGA Hall of Famer and former world No. 1, fired a 5‑under‑par 67 on Friday to match her strong opening round and sit at 8‑under par through 36 holes. Remarkably, the three‑time major champion has yet to card a bogey in the young tournament, a testament to her precision and consistency on a course that has challenged even the tour’s best.
Standing alongside her is 22‑year‑old English rising star Lottie Woad, who built on her opening‑round 67 with a three‑under‑par 69 on Friday. The young professional has shown poise and steady scoring, bolstered by four birdies against just one bogey, giving her a share of the lead early in what is still a relatively new chapter of her LPGA career.
Both Ko and Woad sit at 8 under par heading into the weekend, one stroke clear of a chasing pack led by South Korea’s Amy Yang and Japan’s Nasa Hataoka, who finished Friday at 7 under. That group’s steady play sets up a competitive chase for the top spot in the final rounds.
The tournament — a 72‑hole event with no cut — brings together winners from the previous season’s LPGA events in a celebratory start to the new year. The presence of top players, including world No. 2 Nelly Korda and Thai star Jeeno Thitikul, adds depth to the field and promise of an engaging weekend.
Ko, a Lake Nona member and 2024 champion of this very event, commented after her round that she was looking to carry the momentum she’s built into the weekend, while Woad, fresh off strong starts in her recent starts, said she knew she was still firmly in the hunt despite challenging pin placements on Friday.
As the Tournament of Champions heads into its third round, both veterans and rising talents will vie for the early lead, with Ko and Woad’s shared position adding narrative intrigue to what promises to be an exciting finish in Orlando..
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Sources Lydia Ko and Lottie Woad tied for lead at the Hilton Grand Vacations Tournament of Champions. Ko’s bogey‑free rounds and shared lead details.