Nelly Korda has claimed the US Open for the first time in her career – a statement the golf world won't soon forget! The 27-year-old American delivered one stellar round after another at the iconic Riviera Country Club in Pacific Palisades, California, ultimately triumphing with a magnificent 276 strokes.
Trailing her, Charley Hull from England and Gaby Lopez from Mexico had to settle for a shared second place, both finishing with 277 strokes. For Korda, this was not only her first US Open title but already the fourth Major victory of her career and her second this year. Back in April, she had already made her mark at the LPGA Chevron Championship in Houston, demonstrating her dominance. Unfortunately, there was only one German participant: Esther Henseleit from Hamburg, our Olympic silver medalist, who finished the tournament with 291 strokes in a tie for 49th place.
Korda herself, visibly moved and with tears in her eyes, perfectly summed it up after the victory: "I feel like I'm dreaming. I can't put into words how much this means to me." She stated the week had been a real battle, but she had "done a really good job" and "stayed patient." No easy feat for the Olympic champion from Tokyo, who admits to having a "complicated" relationship with the US Open – she missed the cut three times at her home tournament. But this time, she remained mentally strong until the very last tee shot. By the way: Gold will be awarded on this very course in Pacific Palisades again in 2028, during the Olympic Games. Let's hope Korda will be in top form once more then!
