Playing in front of a home crowd changes the rhythm of a round, and Gaby Lopez had that edge at the 2026 Riviera Maya Open. With galleries following Lopez across El Camaleón, Nelly Korda was recently asked what it felt like to play alongside the local favorite and hear the support build around every shot.

“Great. Playing with Gaby, the crowds have been amazing, to see the local support for her. And not complaining about where I am on the leaderboard,” said the 3-time major winner during the media interaction on Friday at El Camaleón Golf Course.

Lopez opened her week with rounds of 4-under 68 and 1-under 71 to reach 5-under through 36 holes, leaving her tied for seventh and four shots off the lead heading into the weekend.

“Playing some solid golf and playing in front of fun crowds, hometown crowds for Gaby, is fun to see. Hopefully I can continue playing well, good golf going into the weekend,” added Korda.

Korda, on the other hand, stayed in control through 36 holes and moved into a share of the lead at 9-under after rounds of 68 and 67. She avoided a bogey in the second round and closed with a birdie on 18 to reach the top of the board.

“Yeah, it was a good day. You know, drove it really well. Hit it to the right spots on the green and capitalized on some good shots,” Korda explained how she kept the card clean and played her way into a share of the lead.

Nelly Korda reveals her formula for scoring at El Camaleón

The 17-time LPGA winner kept her answer simple when asked what has worked at El Camaleón.

“Drive it straight, hit it close, and make putts,” said Korda during the interaction.

Korda has followed the same trend through the first part of 2026, and it has kept her in contention every time she has played.

She began the season with a win at the Hilton Grand Vacations Tournament of Champions, then finished second at the Fortinet Founders Cup and the Ford Championship.

From there, she added another runner-up finish at the Aramco Championship before winning The Chevron Championship for her third major title. That result moved Korda back to World No. 1.

Four days later, she arrived in Mexico with two wins already in place, including one major, and carried that form straight into the 2026 Riviera Maya Open.

Through two rounds at El Camaleón, Korda is once again in prime position, continuing the run that has defined her start to 2026.

What do you make of Nelly Korda’s take on playing alongside Gaby Lopez in front of the home crowd? Let us know in the comments.

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Written by

Aditi Singh

Edited by

Surjo Ray