Nelly Korda’s opening round of the U.S. Women’s Open got off to a disastrous start Thursday.
After an opening bogey, the world No. 1 came unraveled on the 161-yard 12th hole, her third hole of the day at Lancaster Country Club.
Korda’s tee shot found the back bunker, and her shot from the sand carried a touch too far, rode the back-to-front slope and trickled into the water fronting the green.
Needing to play her fourth shot from the other side of the hazard, Korda proceeded to dump two more shots into the water, with her ball failing to carry the false front. In disbelief, she dropped to her knees and put her head in her hands as she asked her caddie for yet another ball.
After finally getting her eighth shot on the green, she missed her 10-footer and walked off with a septuple-bogey 10, appearing emotional as she walked to the next tee.
Korda added two more bogeys and went out in 10-over 45, sitting in a tie for last place as she made the turn. (Note: She finished with a 10-over 80.)
It was a devastating start to a major week in which Korda, a winner in six of her last seven starts, was the prohibitive favorite. She also captured the year’s first major, the Chevron Championship, in April.
When Lancaster last hosted the U.S. Women’s Open, in 2015, the tricky 12th also wreaked havoc on the field. There were 31 double bogeys made there during the week, more than any other hole. Within the first two hours Thursday, players had already recorded five doubles and three others there.
Earlier this week, Korda sensed that the hole – which plays down from an elevated tee to the shallowest green on the course – would be brutally difficult to navigate.
“From the tee box, you can’t see how sloped of a green that is, but then once you get onto that green you’re like, Oh my gosh, you’re coming in with a 6-iron,” Korda said. “If you’re long, in a sense, you’re kind of screwed. If you’re short, you’re screwed, too.”
Early Thursday, Korda found that out the hard way.
