By: Max Bechtoldt
The image is instantly iconic. The most dominant athlete in the world, Nelly Korda, crouching down with her head in her hands as another ball goes in the water. A few moments later, she is tapping in a putt for a +7 10. Its only her third hole of a major championship.
Golf is complicated for anyone who loves watching or playing it. Even the greatest to ever play are not immune to the low moments the sport brings.
Nelly Korda is undeniably one of the greats to ever play. That statement is no longer hyperbole with how she has taken the women’s golf world by storm in 2024. She has looked so unfazed throughout much of the season, terminating her competition on a weekly basis.
Her collapse on the 12th hole likely had an impact on the group behind her, standing on the tee watching. That group went +7 on the hole after Korda tapped in. It is such a shock to see this happen to the unstoppable Nelly of all people.
Golf is weird. On this incredibly difficult day, the first player to sign for an under par round happened at about 2:30 local time. And it was an amateur, Adela Cernousek at -1, who is fresh off winning the Division I Individual National Championship.
One of the most popular memes in the golf world is Zach Johnson at Shinnecock saying the USGA has “lost the course.” So, has the USGA lost Lancaster Country Club? No. The course is playing like a traditional U.S. Open test, historically the hardest golf tournament in the world. It requires straight hitting, precise approach shots and not compounding mistakes.
Unfortunately for Korda, a comeback will be difficult. It is tough to make pars on Lancaster this weekend, let alone birdies. In almost 9,000 rounds of golf, the 10 on hole 12 is the worst score of Korda’s career. It overshadows a round that was solid otherwise. She rallied for an even par second nine, with three birdies and three bogeys. Few will talk about the high scores of other LPGA stars this week, they will focus on this round from Korda. The burden of being the best in the world.
