World No. 1 Nelly Korda’s chances at claiming her first U.S. Women’s Open title took an early and dramatic hit with a septuple-bogey on the third hole of her first round in Lancaster, Pa., on Thursday.
Starting on the back nine at Lancaster Country Club, Korda bogeyed her opening hole. After a par on the next hole, Korda’s tee shot at the 161-yard 12th hole bounced over the green into a bunker. Her shot out of the sand rolled past the pin and into the water. After a penalty drop, her low pitch hit the bank and rolled back into the stream.
Following a second penalty drop, her pitch hit the front of the green and once again rolled back into the water. Korda’s pitch after a third penalty drop stopped about 8 feet past the hole and she two-putted to complete the shocking septuple-bogey 10.
“We waited for like 25 to 30 minutes on that tee,” Korda said after the round. “I was in between a 7-iron and a 6-iron. I just didn’t really know what to hit.
“I kind of teed it up behind the tee box a little one club length back. I hit a 6-iron and it just kind of penetrated through the wind and it went into the back bunker.
“I kind of had a leaf under my ball, so when I hit it kind of rocketed through. Couldn’t really do anything about that. Yeah, just hit some really bad chips over and over again.”
Korda would make the turn in 10-over 45. She offset a trio of birdies with three more bogeys on her back nine to card a 10-over 80.
“Not a lot of positive thoughts, honestly,” she said. “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.”
After winning six of her past seven events, including her second career major title at the Chevron Championship, Korda will need an outstanding second round on Friday to have a chance at making the cut this week.
“I’m human. I’m going to have bad days,” she said. “I played some really solid golf up to this point. Today was just a bad day.
“That’s all I can say.”
–Field Level Media
