Nelly Korda Bounces Back with Sister's Help at U.S. Women’s Open

LOS ANGELES — Nelly Korda, currently ranked as the world’s top female golfer, faced challenges during her opening round at the U.S. Women’s Open. Unsatisfied with her performance, she sought advice from her sister, Jessica, at the driving range. This collaboration proved beneficial, as Korda shot a remarkable four-under 67 in the second round at Riviera Country Club, placing her in a tie for ninth, just two strokes behind co-leaders Alison Lee and Ruoning Yin.

Jessica Korda, who is expecting her second child, was present to cheer on her sister as she navigated the course. “Actually, a big shout out to my sister because she helped me. I just tried to strengthen my grip a little bit,” Nelly shared, reflecting on the adjustments made during their time together. She acknowledged her struggle with her swing, stating, “I just keep laying it off at the top, and I've been working on it, gosh, grinding on it for five weeks.” Despite the initial discomfort of the grip change, she embraced it and saw immediate results.

The adjustment was not only effective but also led Korda to achieve the best round of the day. After a disappointing two-over 73 in her first round, where she had to switch shoes mid-game, Korda returned to form with a refreshed mindset. “Just tried to have a really easygoing attitude [Friday],” she explained. “I was definitely going to leave it all out there and grind as much as I could, but I was not going to emphasize on my mistakes too much and just kind of play relaxed golf.”

As Korda aims to maintain this momentum, she reflects on her past performance, having tied for second in last year’s U.S. Women’s Open at Erin Hills. With three major titles under her belt, including the Chevron Championship earlier this year, she is eager to claim this prestigious event, noting her consistent form with top-10 finishes in all seven tournaments she has played this season.

Her putting game was also a highlight, requiring only 25 putts during her second round, contributing to a strokes gained metric of 2.22. “My putting? Very happy with it. Made some solid par putts or even bogey putts [Thursday] that kept me in it,” she commented, emphasizing the importance of capitalizing on shorter putts to secure a potential victory. Should Korda triumph, a nod to her sister’s influence may be in order during her celebratory remarks.