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Fateful tournament
Nelly Korda once called her relationship with the US Women's Open a "complicated one." For her, it's not just a prestigious major, but also an emotional journey. In part, it's the first major she's played at, at just 14 years old.
Here, Korda was heartbroken as in 2024, when she entered the tournament in unstoppable form: winning 6 of the last 7 tournaments. But then she opened with an 80 and was eliminated without making the cut. Korda once shared that the US Women's Open was the major she most wanted to win.
At Erin Hills this year, Korda came close to achieving that dream. But once again, the trophy eluded her. She finished in a tie for second place with a total score of under 5, two strokes behind Maja Stark, the Swede who won her first major.
“It really hurts to miss out on the title,” Korda said. “But looking back, I feel proud of what I did, especially in tough conditions like the US Women's Open. This tournament really requires you to be mentally strong and have all-round skills. But I played pretty solidly, which shows that my hard work is paying off. I'll continue to do that and hopefully I'm on the right track.”
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Everything is fine except...the putter
Korda did almost everything perfectly to give herself the best chance at the U.S. Women's Open. She drove the ball well and maintained superior approach numbers through all four rounds. However, her putting was a downer.
During the final round commentary, commentators noted that Korda had missed three putts under 1.5 metres during the week, a regrettable number in a top tournament.
“I hit the ball well. I didn’t hit a bunker all week,” Korda said. “I was consistent, created a lot of chances. Then I missed the putt — it was really frustrating. I didn’t hit a bad putt, though. No pushing, no pulling.”
Erin Hills is not a very easy course to putt, especially on weekends when the greens are extremely difficult to read: slightly undulated, slippery, and rarely open to birdie opportunities.
Korda believes it's that very harshness that makes the US Women's Open the tournament that exposes every weakness in her game in a way that no other tournament can.
“I really learned a lot about myself and my golf game from this tournament,” she shared. “Because it really tests every aspect of your game.”
From the way Korda spoke after the round, it was clear she was pleased with her performance through four stressful days.
“I was happy with my performance,” she said. “I finally saw my chipping improving. I used to struggle with the drop and roll, but this week I was really confident with my shots around the greens.”
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Still, the pain of missing out on the title is palpable.
After a brilliant 2024 season with 5 consecutive victories and 7 titles in total, Korda has proven her true class. But because she has won so many times, second place is rarely a consolation. However, that does not stop her, but motivates her to keep going.
“It's motivating,” Korda admitted. “It's obviously made me more determined to see where I am. Hopefully I can keep it up for the long season ahead.”
For Korda, the 2025 US Women's Open was an emotional week. She left Erin Hills feeling disappointed, satisfied, hurt, and inspired. But the overall message she took away from the tournament was overwhelmingly positive. While it may not be perfect, the most important pieces are in place.
Korda's first close to winning the U.S. Women's Open. Her previous best finish was a tie for eighth at Pine Needles in 2022. "I just have to keep pushing and knocking on the door," Korda said. "And hopefully one day, the door will open."
Source: https://tienphong.vn/nelly-korda-lo-hen-us-womens-open-noi-dau-va-dong-luc-post1747937.tpo
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