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06/07 21:14 CDT Nelly Korda wins U.S. Women's Open title with perilous final
putt, claiming her 2nd straight major
Nelly Korda wins U.S. Women's Open title with perilous final putt, claiming her
2nd straight major
By GREG BEACHAM
AP Sports Writer
LOS ANGELES (AP) --- Although Nelly Korda is deep in one of the most dominant
seasons in recent golf history, her first U.S. Women's Open title still hung on
the rim of the 18th hole at Riviera for one heart-stopping moment.
Her 2 1/2-foot putt to win caught the left edge, and it toured half the
circumference of the hole while the gallery watched in disbelief. When it
finally fell amid an outburst of gasps and roars, Korda put her hand over her
open mouth before she laughed at the absurdity of her sport.
"It's even sweeter, especially with that ice cream swirl on the last hole," the
world's top-ranked player said.
This trophy was the cool treat Korda wanted more than anything: She won the
81st U.S. Women's Open on Sunday for her second consecutive major victory,
holding off Charley Hull and Gaby Lopez by one shot.
The 27-year-old Korda claimed her fourth major overall with a steady 2-under 69
in the final round --- but only after her second putt on the 18th came
perilously close to a spin-out that would have forced a three-way playoff. When
it dropped, Korda had her fourth LPGA Tour victory already from a season in
which she also has three second-place finishes in just eight starts.
She finished at 8-under 276 and celebrated with a tear-streaked face after
sharing the lead with multiple competitors throughout the windy finale of the
first Women's Open ever held at this venerated 100-year-old country club in
Pacific Palisades.
This victory was nothing like Korda's major win at The Chevron Championship in
April, when she streaked away from the field. Korda was seven shots off the
lead after the opening round before fighting her way back to a third-round
co-lead, and she never separated from Sunday's competitive pack at Riviera ---
but she was the only one among the top seven finishers without a bogey on the
back nine.
"I didn't feel my best on the back nine," Korda said. "I had a lot of emotions
swirling in my stomach, (but) it's a dream come true. I've dreamt about this
moment since I was a little girl."
Korda said she'll remember her 9-foot birdie putt on the 17th meant much longer
than her frightening final shot because it broke her out of a four-way tie for
the lead with Lopez, the hard-charging Hull and three-time major champion In
Gee Chun.
"I don't really throw out fist pumps too often, but I did this weekend," Korda
said. "I threw out a double fist-pump on that (17th) hole, because I knew what
it meant."
The champion made just three birdies and a bogey Sunday, playing steadily and
comfortably with her improved competitive mentality. Korda has stressed
positivity and steadiness after her inexplicably winless 2025.
And after the hair-raising finish, Korda claimed the $2.5 million winner's
share of this Open's record $12.5 million purse.
"This week was definitely a grind," Korda said. "I don't even feel like I had
my B game. I was just grinding out there, and that's what I guess major
championships are all about, right? It doesn't matter if you have your B or C
game. You have to be there mentally."
Korda arrived at Riviera as the favorite, but the entire Open was a challenge
she met splendidly.
After a rough opening-round 73 during which she changed out of a pair of Nike
shoes given to her by LeBron James, she took the extraordinary step of altering
her grip --- per the suggestion of her big sister, Jessica --- and coolly put
together back-to-back 67s to take a share of the lead into the final round.
The leaderboard only separated late Sunday after seven players began within two
strokes of the lead.
Korda fended off excellent final rounds from England's Hull and Mexico's Lopez,
who both narrowly missed out on their first major victories. Hull finished
second at a major for the fifth time in her career.
Chun finished two shots back at 6-under 278, while third-round co-leader Sei
Young Kim carded a 1-over 72 to finish at 279.
Hull played her first two rounds at 3 over, squeezing under the cut by one
stroke and beginning Sunday three shots back, but she charged into the lead
before the wind picked up off the Pacific. Starting three groups ahead of the
leaders and hunting flagsticks all day, Hull finished the final two rounds at
10 under with a 65-67.
"It was quite windy and I hit the ball fantastic, so fair play to Nelly Korda
for back-to-back wins," Hull said. "But I just love playing in the majors. I
pretty much only get up for the major. It's really weird, I just love playing
in majors. Like if it's a normal week-to-week, I struggle sometimes getting the
motivation, but when it comes to major week, I just love it."
Hull's bogey on the 14th left Lopez, Chun, Kim and Korda all tied for the lead
at 7 under. While Kim and Lopez fell back with bogeys, Korda added to a string
of nine consecutive pars. But after Hull made a 7-foot birdie putt on the 17th
to regain a share of the lead, Korda barely missed a 22-foot birdie putt on the
16th.
Hull ended with a 9 1/2-foot par putt for her 67. A few minutes later, Lopez
made her 15-foot putt to join the pack of leaders, but Korda pulled ahead
moments later with her gutsy birdie on the 17th.
Korda dropped her approach shot squarely on the 18th green and two-putted to a
victory that immediately made her think about how far she has traveled since
her first U.S. Open as a precocious teen at Sebonack in 2013.
"Obviously, I've had doubts," Korda said. "Even mid-round I was like, ?Well,
will I ever win it?' You always have those doubts, but I think you're just a
human being if you have them. ... I don't know if a weight has been lifted off
of my shoulders, but I just think I'm just extremely proud of my fight this
week, and (fulfilling) the dream of that little girl."
___
AP golf: https://apnews.com/golf
