As quick as Nelly Korda's 2024 U.S. Women's Open began, it was over. The world No. 1 signed for a 10-over 80 to open play Thursday at Lancaster Country Club, the highest round in relation to par of her LPGA career. As such, she effectively played her way out of the championship.
The round marks Korda's second straight 80 in the U.S. Open as she finished last year's championship at Pebble Beach with an 8-over 80. And it truly was over just a few holes after it started Thursday.
Korda's day opened in so-so fashion with a bogey on her first hole, the par-4 10th, and a par on the next. Then she stepped to the tee on the difficult downhill par-3 12th and drove her ball long of the green. Having initially skirted the water hazard lining the front of the green, Korda may have thought the hardest shot on the hole was out of the way, but it was only just beginning.
Her second from the back greenside bunker found the water on the other side of the front pin location and forced her to take relief from an uncomfortable position. Needing to drop in front of the green but on the other side of the hazard, Korda sunk her championship chances when she hit not one but two more balls in the water from the downhill lie. Finally hitting her eighth shot on the green, Korda two-putted for her 10.
"I mean, not a lot of positive thoughts, honestly," Korda said. "Just honestly, I just didn't play well today. I didn't hit it good. I found myself in the rough a lot. Making a 10 on a par-3 will definitely not do you any good at a U.S. Open. I started off really poorly but played pretty well on the back nine. But overall, yeah, just a bad day in the office."
The rest of Korda's round was in line with what the rest of the field was doing as she turned in 10-over 45 after tacking on a couple more bogeys on her outward half. A birdie finally came on the par-4 3rd to get her to 9 over for the day before a topsy-turvy ending that included two bogeys, two birdies and one last bogey on the par-4 9th secured her 10-over 80.
"Yeah, I just didn't really want to shoot 80, and I just kept making bogeys," Korda said. "My last two rounds in the U.S. Women's Open have not been good. I ended Sunday at Pebble I think shooting 81, and then today I shot 80. I'm human. I'm going to have bad days. I played some really solid golf up to this point. Today was just a bad day. That's all I can say."
Not only will Korda's seventh win of the season and third major championship triumph not be in store this weekend, but neither will her presence unless something serious happens in the second round. With the top 60 and ties at the halfway point making the cut, Korda could score a moral victory if she somehow creeps inside that magic number.
