“Bad day at the office”: Nelly Korda shoots a 10 on a par-3 hole, 10 over for the round

Nelly Korda had a hard reminder of her humanity and experienced a disastrous start at the 2024 U.S. Women’s Open. She scored a 10 on the par-3 12th hole at Lancaster Country Club for her wordt round of the season by far.

This septuple-bogey on just her third hole of the day set the tone for a challenging round, leaving her with an uphill battle to contend for the title.

Nelly Korda, who has been in exceptional form recently, found the water three times on the 12th hole:

“Making a 10 on a par-3 will definitely not do you any good at a U.S. Open,” Korda said after her round. “I just didn’t play well today. I didn’t hit it good; I found myself in the rough a lot. … Overall, just a bad day at the office.”

A look into Nelly Korda’s Setback

Despite this setback, Nelly Korda has been on a remarkable run. She entered the U.S. Women’s Open as the top-ranked player in women’s golf, having won six of her last seven tournaments. Her recent victories include a triumph at the Chevron Championship in April, where she secured her second career major title.

Korda’s dominance has been evident, with a five-tournament winning streak that was only interrupted by a seventh-place finish at the Cognizant Founders Cup. She quickly bounced back by winning the Mizuho Americas Open, further solidifying her status as a favorite for the U.S. Women’s Open.

However, her shocking 10 on the 12th hole has cast doubt on her ability to continue this streak.

Nelly Korda‘s troubles began on the 161-yard par-3 12th hole, where she curiously chose a 6-iron, a decision that led to her ball landing in the back bunker. From there, things went from bad to worse.

“I kind of had a leaf under my ball, so when I hit it kind of rocketed through,” Korda explained.

Her second shot found the hazard on the other side of the green, and subsequent attempts to recover only resulted in more penalties and frustration.

Nelly Korda’s group had to wait for 25 to 30 minutes on the 12th tee, which may have contributed to her indecision and poor execution.

“I just didn’t really know what to hit,” she said. “Sometimes it’s not really good seeing the girls play in front of you because of them — Gaby [Lopez] up short of the water, and I think Ingrid [Lindblad] went into the water. It was just a tough day.”

Despite the disastrous start, Nelly Korda remains optimistic about her chances.

“I’m human,” she said. “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.”

Nelly Korda’s resilience and recent form suggest that she could still mount a comeback, although it will be a significant challenge.

Historically, the highest first-round score ever recorded by an eventual champion at the U.S. Women’s Open was Susie Maxwell Berning’s 79 in 1972. Nelly Korda’s 10-over 80 leaves her 12 shots out of the lead, a daunting gap to close.

However, her ability to recover from setbacks and her exceptional skill set cannot be underestimated.

Nelly Korda’s performance in the remaining rounds will be crucial. She needs to play near-flawless golf to have any chance of contending for the title. Her recent track record shows that she is capable of extraordinary feats, but the mental and physical toll of such a poor start could be a significant hurdle.

Nelly Korda’s focus will be on steadying her game and avoiding further mistakes. If she can regain her composure and play to her potential, she may still have a shot at turning this tournament around.

The U.S. Women’s Open is known for its challenging conditions, and Korda will need to draw on all her experience and resilience to navigate the remaining rounds successfully.

While Nelly Korda’s chances of winning the 2024 U.S. Women’s Open have been severely impacted by her disastrous start, her recent form and determination provide a glimmer of hope. Golf fans will be watching closely to see if she can pull off one of the greatest comebacks in the history of the sport.