LPGA Tour: Nelly Korda With a Disastrous Start – Ten On Par 3

In the world of golf, even the best can have days where nothing goes right. Nelly Korda, a dominant force with six victories in her last seven tournaments, experienced such a day during the opening round of the US Women’s Open at Lancaster Country Club. The golf course, known for its challenging layout, claimed an unlikely victim in Korda, who ended her day with a score of 80, twelve shots behind the leader.

Early Trouble for Nelly Korda

The trouble began early for Nelly Korda. By the time she reached the par-3 12th hole, her day had already taken a turn for the worse. A 25-minute wait on the tee didn’t help her rhythm, as she watched players ahead struggle with the hole. Despite her usual confidence, Korda made a interesting club choice, opting for a 6-iron instead of a 7-iron. Her ball took a hard hop into a back bunker, setting off a disastrous sequence. Attempting to escape from the bunker, Korda’s shot came out hot, rolling past the pin, off the false front, and into the penalty area. What followed was a painful series of shots as she struggled to get her ball back onto the green. Each attempt seemed to make matters worse, culminating in a septuple-bogey 10. The frustration was palpable as Korda walked off the green, her score now at +8.

“Making a 10 on a par 3 will definitely not do you any good at a US Open,” Korda remarked, reflecting on her tumultuous start. “Just a bad day in the office.” Despite the rough beginning, Korda’s resilience shone through as she continued to fight her way through the course. However, the golf gods were not in her favor. Missed putts and difficult lies continued to plague her round. Her first birdie didn’t come until her 12th hole. “I’m human,” she said. “I’m going to have bad days. I played some really solid golf up to this point. Today was just a bad day. That’s all I can say.”

"Just a bad day in the office."

Nelly Korda addressed her round after shooting an 80 to begin her 2024 U.S. Women's Open. pic.twitter.com/rpryM7gP8r

— Golf Digest (@GolfDigest) May 30, 2024

Difficult Course at the US Womens Open

The US Women’s Open at Lancaster Country Club proved to be an unexpectedly grueling challenge for the players. The difficult conditions, highlighted by strong winds and tricky course design, left many of the sport’s top athletes struggling to maintain their composure and their scores. By day’s end, the scoring average had soared to over five above par and the number of bogeys-or-worse had more than tripled the number of birdies.

The 12th hole, a deceptively difficult par-3, was the worst offender. Playing at just 161 yards, the hole was further complicated by a frontward slope and a false front leading to a creek. Only 52 percent of the field managed to hit the green in regulation on Thursday and in total 52 golfballs landed in the pond in front of the green. The strong winds forced players to choose between hitting a longer club, risking the back bunker, or using a shorter club and potentially ending up in the water. This led to significant delays, with backups of up to 30 minutes. Only ten players managed to make birdie on this hole. 32 players carded a bogey and 13 players even had to record a double bogey or higher

Mel Reid on the carnage at Lancaster No. 12 today—where Nelly Korda made a 10a—is as good a video breakdown as you’ll see. pic.twitter.com/DW9QG217Rf

— Dan Rapaport (@Daniel_Rapaport) May 31, 2024