Nelly Korda’s dream season took a stunning turn on Thursday as she made a disastrous start in her quest to win the US Women’s Open, scoring a 10 on her third hole of the championship.
The 25-year-old has been victorious in six of her last seven starts, including The Chevron Championship at Carlton Woods in April to claim the first major of the year. Her supremacy in the women’s game has even surpassed that of men’s world number one Scottie Scheffler.
However, the Florida native’s aspirations of securing back-to-back major wins were shattered after a dreadful start at Lancaster Country Club in Pennsylvania. Beginning on the back nine, she bogeyed her opening hole before experiencing an absolute catastrophe at the 161-yard par three 12t
Korda’s tee shot landed in the back bunker, and her pitch rolled off the putting surface into a stream protecting the front of the green. She was dropped in the fairway on the other side of the water, and with her fourth shot, she plunged her chip straight into the penalty area.
After dropping again, Korda’s sixth stroke made it over the hazard, only to catch the slope and roll back in. Finally, with her eighth shot, she reached the dancefloor, but the agony was not over. The two-time major champion failed to convert a 12-footer for a nine and tapped in for a 10 which surely puts her out of contention for her first US Women’s Open title.
Golf influencer Paige Spiranac was among the many stunned fans who reacted to Korda’s shocker, taking to social media to simply say: “Golf is hard.”
Korda, who began the tournament as an overwhelming betting favourite, is just three spots from dead last on the leaderboard, sitting in a tie for 147th at 10-over-par. The tournament has proven challenging for most, with many scores soaring over par.
Andrea Lee, Wichanee Meechai, and Adela Cernousek share the clubhouse lead at one-under after their first 18 holes. Korda was not the only star name to stumble out of the gate, Charley Hull and Lydia Ko going round in five-over and 10-over respectively.
Korda was widely tipped for the title as she stood over her opening tee shot, but now faces an uphill struggle just to make the weekend with an under-par round required on Friday to have a chance of making the cut.
