Nelly Korda, the world No. 1 golfer and favorite to win the U.S. Women's Open at Lancaster Country Club, suffered a disastrous first round on May 30, 2024. Korda carded an overall score of 80 after a series of unfortunate events on the par-3 hole No. 12.
According to multiple sources, Nelly Korda's day at the U.S. Women's Open began with a septuple bogey on hole No. 12, which left her in shock and out of contention for the tournament. The New York Times reported that Korda took three penalty drops and made seven strokes to get out of the bunker on the 12th hole, resulting in a septuple bogey.
The Associated Press also confirmed this unfortunate incident, adding that Korda chose a 6-iron instead of a more common 7-iron for her shot on the 12th hole. This decision ultimately led to her ball landing in the bunker and starting the chain reaction of events that resulted in her septuple bogey.
Fox News reported that Korda's first shot on No. 12 landed in a bunker, and she took multiple penalty drops after hitting the bank twice while trying to get out of it. She missed a putt for par and finished with a score of 10 on the hole.
Despite her recent impressive performance, winning six tournaments in seven starts including the Chevron Championship, Korda's first round at the U.S. Women's Open was far from perfect.
The Washington Post reported that Korda shot an 80 to finish the day T129 and demolished her chances of becoming just the third player in LPGA history to capture the U.S. Women's Open title as the No. 1 ranked player.
However, it is important to note that golf is a fickle and maddening game that can be unpredictable even for the best players, as evidenced by Korda's unfortunate experience on hole No. 12.
Sources: The New York Times: https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/5530663/․/05/‰/nelly-korda-us-womens-open-first-round/ The Associated Press: https://apnews.com/article/₻b₻b₻b₻b5893c368e0b1a58c3d35b46f7a7 Fox News: https://www.foxnews.com/sports/nelly-korda-suffers-unbelievable-meltdown-us-womens-open’sopencmsisgolf/ The Washington Post: https://www.washingtonpost.com/sports/․/05/‰/nelly-korda-❯us-open/