Abstract A formal total synthesis of palmerolide A has been accomplished by assembling three fragments by means of successive Julia–Kocienski olefination, Yamaguchi esterification, and ring-closing metathesis (RCM). Our initial efforts to combine the first two fragments through a Julia–Kocienski reaction between a secondary sulfone and a ketone were not successful; nevertheless, it was feasible between a primary sulfone and ...