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.
Six players were on the course at one-under par overall to share the lead with the clubhouse lead at level par 70 shared by South Korean Kim Sei-young, Germany’s Alexandra Forsterling, Japan’s Chisato Iwai and US amateur Megan Schofill.
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.”
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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.”
Korda, the reigning Olympic champion, won her first major crown at the 2021 Women’s PGA Championship.