In the city of stars, Nelly Korda shone the brightest last weekend as the American claimed the 2026 U.S. Women’s Open in dramatic fashion at Riviera Country Club. Signing for a final round 2-under 69, Korda posted a tournament total of 8 under, good for a one-stroke victory over Charley Hull and Gaby Lopez.
The win came courtesy of a heroic short-game performance where Korda went an astounding 24 of 30 in scrambling for the tournament and a perfect 7 of7 on Sunday, including a chip and a putt for birdie on the par-5 17th that proved to be the difference.
Despite having what she described as her “B” or “C” game, Korda made clear, with the triumph, that she is a star, if that was not already known.
“I really don’t have any [words],” Korda said. “I mean, that 14-year-old girl that stepped on the range at Sebonack in 2013, I mean, her dream has just come true sitting next to this trophy right now. It’s really hard to put into words. This week was definitely a grind. I don’t even feel like I had my ‘B’ game. I was just grinding out there.
“And that’s what I guess major championships are all about, right? It doesn’t matter if you have your ‘B’ or ‘C’ game, you have to be there mentally. And I have a great support system off the golf course, on the golf course, and I literally would not be standing here without millions of pep talks I just got on the golf course from Jay.”
The victory marked Korda’s first U.S. Women’s Open title, one year after she finished runner-up to Maja Stark at Erin Hills, and her second straight major victory as she has gone two-for-two this season when combined with her dominating showing at the Chevron Championship.
In total, Korda has four majors on a résumé that seems to add bullet points by the week. The 27-year-old has become the youngest American since Mickey Wright in 1960 to win four majors, and she is the first player since 2013 to claim the first two majors of the LPGA season.
Korda’s victory stretches beyond just her list of accomplishments and those in the women’s game, however, and into the broader sports world. Amid a busy weekend that consisted of the NBA Finals and the Stanley Cup, in large part due to her presence, the U.S. Women’s Open more than held its own.
It was one part golf course, one part quality of play and one part the champion. Have those three ingredients, and golf fans will buy in, which in part makes the wider sports audience do the same.
At first glance, sports fans see the effortless swing of Korda. How could they not? It’s hard to miss. Then, they see the rare combination of grace and power coupled with the shot-making expertise. Her presence is ever steady, as is her name, regularly found on the first pages of the leaderboard this season.
What Korda can do with the golf ball seems so foreign to us regulars most of the time, but at other times, she is incredibly relatable.
Whether it was her win at the Chevron Championship and constant influx of short misses on the greens, the heart-stopping manner in which she won this tournament via a lipped-in putt on the 72nd hole or her Instagram caption celebrating her triumph in which she ended it by saying, “What a time for a pimple to pop up between my brows!”
It may not seem like it, but those moments are every bit as crucial in being a star. They’re just as important as the big drives, crafty chips and pitches to save par. Winning golf tournaments is only half the game; winning the masses is the other, and it just so happens Korda is dominating in both.
As the men’s version of the U.S. Open approaches this week with Scottie Scheffler eyeing his career grand slam, Korda is similarly one major away from accomplishing the feat herself. Already holding the 2021 Women’s PGA Championship title, all she needs is to win either the Women’s Open or the Evian Championship, both of which will transpire by mid-August.
Might the sport be looking at not one but two more grand slam winners on the back of Rory McIlroy accomplishing the feat just over a year ago?