When Nelly Korda descended upon Erin Hills for the U.S. Women’s Open, the only question fans could ask was: “Will Nelly Korda finally win the tournament she was born to defeat?” The answer lies in her opening round. After shouldering her career-best U.S. Open Friday score, an excited Nelly Korda said, “I feel like I’ve had a very complicated relationship with U.S. Opens. But I’m happy to be in the position I am heading into the weekend.” Of course, she is now one of the leaders at the U.S. Women’s Open, but this result did not come without a few embarrassing shots along the way.
Nelly Korda played exceptionally well on Friday at the 2025 U.S. Women’s Open, placing herself in a great position to compete for her third major championship this weekend. As the top player in the world, she had an exciting round, finishing with a score of 67, her best score ever in this tournament. Korda made seven birdies, finishing at 5-under 67. When she signed her scorecard, she stood tied for second place, just three strokes behind the leader. However, this didn’t come without a few blips, namely missing an 18-inch par putt on No. 15 and a 5-footer for par on No. 2
Talking about her par-4 15th where she made a three-putt bogey, which included missed par saves from inside 3 feet, Korda said during a post-round interview, “Yeah. No comments. I am not commenting… honestly, it’s just a poor putt. Yeah.” Talking about the par on the 2nd hole, a laughing Korda exclaimed, “The par on the… second. Yeah, that was great. Why are you guys showing me this?”
Nelly Korda has never been inside the top 5 of the U.S. Women’s Open leader board after any of her 36 career rounds.
Until today!@Ally pic.twitter.com/TJSGIdLHf3
— U.S. Women’s Open (@uswomensopen) May 30, 2025
Had she hit better shots, she would have added two more birdies to her 7-second round birdies. Result? A little closer to the leader at the U.S. Women’s Open. Korda struggled with her putting in the first round, needing 33 strokes, which left her tied for 103rd. She improved in the second round, using only 30 strokes and tying for 30th. Given her mixed history at the U.S. Women’s Open—three missed cuts, a tie for eighth, and a tie for 64th—Korda is performing much better this time. She hit 11 of 14 fairways and 15 of 18 greens, creating good birdie opportunities.
Despite making seven birdies, she missed chances from 2, 9, 10, and 12 feet. Korda ranks second on the LPGA Tour in total strokes gained (2.40) and off the tee (1.03), and she is ninth in strokes gained tee to green (1.59), also placing in the top 25 for approach (0.65) and putting (0.86). What’s even more impressive about Korda’s performance is that after her round, she placed in the top 5, marking the first time she has accomplished this in the U.S. Women’s Open. However, considering Korda’s first win came with an embarrassing twist, she should be fine at Erin Hills! Probably.
Nelly Korda’s first win as a golfer was more embarrassing
Nelly Korda won her first tournament at the young age of nine, and it came with a funny and memorable story while she was in the Czech Republic. While she stayed at a friend’s house, she enjoyed tasty peaches from a tree in the backyard on a lovely summer day. However, as her tee time approached, she began to feel very nervous. “I started puking up all the peaches,” Korda laughed as she remembered in a 2024 interview. “It was just like a beautiful summer’s day, and I was just picking the peaches off of the tree.” The pressure increased, and she ended up vomiting into a bucket on the practice range just before her first shot.
Even with this “Nervous Nellie” moment, Korda managed to channel her anxiety into a strong performance on the course. “I had a bucket on the range and I was just puking into the bucket before my first tee shot. I was so nervous,” she confessed. Luckily, her nerves didn’t stop her from competing well, and she played well enough to win her first tournament, earning a bottle of champagne, which she humorously decided to give to her parents. “I won a bottle of champagne, which obviously I gave to my parents,” she said with a smile.
This early experience highlights that even future stars like Korda have their own embarrassing moments. “I definitely have had a bit of good and a bit of bad,” she reflected, pointing out that every champion starts somewhere, often facing a mix of talent and the common challenges of being young. So, maybe the U.S. Open Friday round wasn’t all bad?
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