Nelly Korda, the world No. 1 and favorite to win the U.S. Women’s Open, faced a disastrous first round at Lancaster Country Club. A septuple-bogey 10 on the par-3 12th hole derailed her game, leaving her near the bottom of the leaderboard with a 10-over-par 80.
Korda, who started on the back nine, struggled throughout the day, adding six more bogeys to her card. The difficult 12th hole, which caught several players off guard, saw her hit three shots into the water before finally settling on the green.
Despite her recent streak of victories, including the Chevron Championship, this round left Korda 12 shots off the lead. Yuka Saso leads the tournament with a 2-under 68, followed closely by three other players, including American Andrea Lee.
Reflecting on her performance, Korda said, “I just didn’t play well today. Making a 10 on a par-3 will definitely not do you any good at the U.S. Open. It was just a bad day at the office.”