Top-ranked Nelly Korda stumbled to a nightmare 10 at the par-3 12th hole early in Thursday’s opening round of the US Women’s Open to all-but doom her victory hopes.
Korda arrived at Lancaster Country Club in Pennsylvania as a heavy favorite after winning six of her past seven starts, including the year’s first major tournament at the Chevron Championship in April.
But the 25-year-old American, the daughter of former Australian Open tennis champion Petr Korda, was undone after starting her first round with a bogey at the 10th hole followed by a par at 11.
Korda’s tee shot at the 161-yard 12th went over the green and into a bunker 53 feet beyond the hole. She pitched onto the green but her second shot rolled off the far edge and into a creek fronting the green.
After dropping into the penalty area, Korda sent her next two shots into the water as well, leaving her back in the penalty area attempting her eighth shot.
From there, she landed the ball just outside eight feet from the hole and two-putted for 10.
The disaster hole left her eight-over for the round after three holes and 10 strokes out of the lead.
She added bogeys at the par-4 15th and par-3 17th, making the turn at 10-over 45, before a birdie at the par-4 third and bogey at the par-4 fifth.
Korda won her sixth LPGA title of the year earlier this month at the Americas Open at Liberty National.
Korda, the reigning Olympic champion, won her first major crown at the 2021 Women’s PGA Championship.
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