Nelly Korda, the reigning queen of women’s golf, entered the 2024 U.S. Women’s Open as a dominant force in the game, having won six of her last seven tournaments, including a major championship. The No. 1 ranked player in the world was heavily favored to perform well at the event held at Lancaster Country Club in Pennsylvania.
However, Korda’s hopes of a successful week came crashing down after just three holes. Starting her round on the 10th hole, she struggled from the beginning with a bogey. By the time she reached the par-3 12th hole, she was already 1 over par. Things took a turn for the worse when her tee shot landed in a bunker.
Despite her efforts to recover, Korda’s bunker shot ended up in the water hazard, and subsequent attempts to get back in play also found the water. After hitting multiple balls into the hazard, Korda eventually finished the hole with a devastating septuple-bogey 10.
With that disastrous start, Korda faces an uphill battle to make the cut and continue playing in the tournament. She will need to produce something extraordinary over the next 33 holes to have a chance of qualifying for the weekend rounds. The shocking turn of events left fans and observers stunned, as Korda’s chances of success seemed to vanish in just a few holes.
Korda’s struggles continued throughout round one as she carded several more bogeys and finished with an impressive double digits scorecard.
In contrast, other players on tour had been performing exceptionally well and were now leading by several strokes.
As Korda looked on from behind, it seemed like all hope was lost for her to come back from such an abysmal start and make it through to Sunday’s rounds.
However, despite facing insurmountable odds and facing criticism from some fans who doubted her ability to recover from such a poor performance,
Korda refused to give up on herself.
She knew that she needed every stroke saved if she wanted any chance of making it through to Sunday’s rounds.
With renewed determination and focus,
