Nelly Korda off to a shocking start at the US Open Women’s Major after dunking 3 shots in the water

Nelly Korda returned to the headlines of the golf world this Thursday, May 30, 2024, but not for the exceptional performance she has maintained all season. Korda got off to a very unfavorable start at the 2024 US Women's Open.

The World No. 1 scored 10 on the 12th hole (third of the first round for her) at Lancaster Golf Club, the venue for the event. It is a 161-yard, par 3 hole that features a water hazard and slope on the front green and several sand bunkers on the back green.

Nelly Korda tried to drive the green, but her tee shot went long (178 yards) and ended up in a bunker. Korda looked for the hole with a wedge shot, but it went long again, rolled down the slope and went into the water.

Korda had to take a penalty stroke. She looked for the green from the fairway and again found the slope and water. There came another penalty stroke and a third shot into the water as she tried to find the green again.

Nelly Korda finally found the green with her eighth shot, but two-putted (after missing an 11-foot putt), to leave her score for the hole at 10 (+7).

Korda started the 2024 US Women's Open first round on the 10th hole where she carded a bogey. She then parred the 11th, had the performance described above on the 12th, parred the 13th and 14th, bogeyed the 15th and parred the 16th. Her score through seven holes is 9 over.

Nelly Korda's worst round of 2024

Nelly Korda has played eight tournaments during 2024, has won six, five in a row (including a Major) and her worst finish of the year is T16. She has played 32 rounds and has posted scores in the 60s in 21 of them.

Her worst score for a round in 2024 was a 74. This score came in the fourth round of the Hilton Grand Vacations Tournament of Champions, the opening event of the season.

Korda has also posted five rounds of 73 (fourth at the LPGA Drive On Championship, first and second at the T-Mobile Match Play presented by MGM Rewards, and third and fourth at the Cognizant Founders Cup). She won the first two of those three tournaments.

Her best score of the year for a round so far has been 65. She has achieved this score five times (first round of the LPGA Drive On Championship, fourth round of the Ford Championship, fourth round of the T-Mobile Match Play, second round of the Cognizant Founders Cup and third round of the Mizuho Americas Open). She won all of this events except the Cognizant Founders Cup.

Korda is seeking her first career victory at the US Women's Open. In nine previous appearances her best result is T8 (2022).