I’m human’: Nelly Korda shoots septuple-bogey on par-three in nightmarish US Women’s Open start

Nelly Korda, the world number one in women’s golf, experienced a challenging start at the 79th US Women’s Open at Lancaster Country Club. Despite being the tournament favorite and seeking her seventh win in eight starts, Korda’s first round ended disastrously with a 10-over 80, placing her 12 shots behind leader Yuka Saso. Her difficulties peaked at the par-three 12th hole, where she carded a septuple-bogey after finding the water three times and eventually two-putting for a total of ten strokes on the 161-yard hole.

Korda’s struggles did not let up after the initial setback. Starting from the 10th hole, she managed to steady her game somewhat with three birdies but could not fully recover from the early damage. Reflecting on her performance, Korda acknowledged her human fallibility, expressing frustration with her score but emphasizing that bad days are part of the sport. Her comments underscored the unpredictable nature of golf, where even the best players can face significant challenges.

Despite the tough conditions, Yuka Saso led the leaderboard with a two-under 68, navigating the blustery weather better than most. The challenging course and swirling winds left only four players under par, emphasizing the difficulty of the day’s play. As Korda faces an uphill battle to make the weekend cut, she remains focused on improving her performance, while Saso and other contenders aim to maintain their strong starts in pursuit of the US Women’s Open title.