ERIN, Wisc. — She was 9, her sister sneaking her into the U.S. Open locker room to show her the world that would soon be hers.
She was 14, playing in her first U.S. Open, walking practice rounds with Michelle Wie West and hitting balls on the range next to Lydia Ko and Inbee Park. This was the dream. It was that week Nelly Korda truly decided this was what she wanted to do with her life, to chase major championships.
She was 25, on top of the world, a two-time major winner, winning her sixth tournament in seven starts, and one of the first things she said was how badly she wanted to win the big one, this one.
“There has definitely been some heartbreaking times where I just haven’t competed well in the U.S. Women’s Open, where I feel like I put a little bit more pressure on myself, because I do love the event, and I feel like out of all the events that’s, like, the event for me.”
Three holes in, the air was sucked out of the balloon that day. She shot a 10 — ten — on Lancaster Country Club’s 12th hole at the 2024 U.S. Open to eject with an 80.
Korda is the No. 1 player in the world, and she really, really wants to win the U.S. Open. Yet in 10 tries, she’s missed three of her last five cuts and finished better than 39th just twice. Often, she is out of it within…
