By: Max Bechtoldt
Defending gold medalist Nelly Korda couldn’t get anything going early in her first round at the Paris Olympics. Her tee shots were fine, her approaches average and her putter terrible. Through seven holes she shot at +3, and was in danger of taking herself out of it already.
Then the putts started falling. She got a birdie on the par 5 ninth hole, allowing her to escape the front nine with a decent +2 score. After a few pars she made birdies on 13 and 14. She reached the par 5 18th hole in two shots, but like many players, she finished with a three-putt bogey to shoot even par.
Even will be a decent score for the opening round of the 2024 Olympic games. Scores were relatively high compared to your average tournament. Korda hasn’t usually had her best stuff in opening rounds this season, even in her dominant streak it was generally Friday and Saturday she did her damage.
Korda was predictably strong in the ball-striking categories, particularly on her approach shot, where she was gaining 2.2 strokes. Her chipping was masterful as usual, but the putter let her down. At the time of writing she ranked No. 54 out of 60 in the field in putting. But when you hit 14 greens in regulation, that putting gets covered up.
Korda will tee it up at tomorrow at a more reasonable time in the second wave of players, on Golf Channel.
