At the 2025 U.S. Women’s Open held at Erin Hills, Wisconsin, Nelly Korda delivered her best-ever round in the prestigious tournament, placing herself firmly in contention. The American golf star, known for her exceptional skills, shot a 5-under-par 67 in the second round on Friday, an achievement that highlights her resilience and determination despite some costly putting mistakes. This breakthrough is a significant milestone in Nelly Korda’s U.S. Women’s Open performance highlights as she now finds herself among the tournament leaders for the first time in her career.
Korda’s round included an impressive seven birdies, demonstrating her strong play off the tee and solid iron shots. She finished tied for second place, just three strokes behind the leader, producing a score that energized her fans and ignited hope that she could finally capture the elusive U.S. Women’s Open title. Throughout the day, she hit 11 of 14 fairways and reached 15 of 18 greens in regulation, setting up multiple scoring opportunities. Still, her putting woes prevented an even lower score, including a missed 18-inch putt on the 15th hole and a five-foot par putt on the second hole, both of which led to bogeys.
The Challenge of Putting: Setbacks on the Greens
Despite her excellent approach shots, Nelly Korda’s putting remained inconsistent in the early rounds, which kept her from closing the gap on the tournament leader. During interviews, she acknowledged her struggles, particularly on the par-4 15th hole. Reflecting on her three-putt bogey there, she said,
“Yeah. No comments. I am not commenting… honestly, it’s just a poor putt. Yeah.”
—Nelly Korda, golfer
She also laughed about missing a par putt on the second hole, stating,
“The par on the… second. Yeah, that was great. Why are you guys showing me this?”
—Nelly Korda, golfer
Her putting stats from the first round were a clear indication of where improvement was needed, as she required 33 strokes on the greens, which left her tied for 103rd in putting performance. However, she showed growth in the second round by reducing putts to 30, improving her position among the field to tied for 30th in putting. These adjustments are vital as she pushes forward to contend this weekend.
Historic Breakthrough: First Time Inside Top Five at the U.S. Women’s Open
Before this event, no round in Nelly Korda’s 36 previous U.S. Women’s Open appearances placed her inside the top five on the leaderboard after any round. This time, she overcame that trend with her second-round performance.
Nelly Korda has never been inside the top 5 of the U.S. Women’s Open leader board after any of her 36 career rounds.Until today!@Ally pic.twitter.com/TJSGIdLHf3
—U.S. Women’s Open (@uswomensopen)
This breakthrough marks an important step for Korda as she continues to develop her reputation as one of the LPGA Tour’s strongest competitors. Ranking second on the LPGA Tour in total strokes gained (2.40) and off the tee (1.03), she demonstrates consistent power and precision driving. Additionally, she ranks ninth in strokes gained tee-to-green (1.59) and maintains strong numbers in approach shots (0.65) and putting (0.86), underscoring her all-around game.
Strong History on Tour Amplifies Expectations
Korda’s career features multiple major titles, making her a top contender whenever she tees off. Despite this, the U.S. Women’s Open has previously been a challenging tournament, with three missed cuts, a tie for eighth place, and a tie for 64th in earlier appearances. Her current form at Erin Hills suggests a positive turnaround, perhaps fueled by lessons learned from past disappointments.
With her exceptional ball-striking and newfound confidence on the greens, she is well-positioned to vie for her third major championship this weekend, adding pressure not only on herself but also ramping up excitement among her supporters.
The Early Days: A Humorous and Nervous First Victory Experience
Nelly Korda’s golfing journey began long before her professional stardom. She won her very first tournament at just nine years old while in the Czech Republic, an event marked by a memorable and amusing nervous episode. During her stay at a friend’s house, she enjoyed fresh peaches from a backyard tree on a warm summer day but soon found herself overwhelmed with nerves as her tee time approached.
Recalling the experience in a 2024 interview, Korda shared,
“I started puking up all the peaches,”
—Nelly Korda, golfer
She laughed as she described the incident:
“It was just like a beautiful summer’s day, and I was just picking the peaches off of the tree.”
—Nelly Korda, golfer
Despite the uneasy start, her nerves did not ruin her performance. Instead, she managed to channel the anxiety into focus on the course and won the tournament. Korda recounted the pre-shot moment saying,
“I had a bucket on the range and I was just puking into the bucket before my first tee shot. I was so nervous,”
—Nelly Korda, golfer
Her victory included a bottle of champagne, which she generously gave to her parents, a fact she remembered with a smile:
“I won a bottle of champagne, which obviously I gave to my parents,”
—Nelly Korda, golfer
This story not only reveals Korda’s early challenges with nerves but also serves as a reminder that every champion experiences growth through both triumphs and setbacks. As she sets her sights on conquering the U.S. Women’s Open, these moments of vulnerability provide a humanizing context to her impressive performance at Erin Hills.
Looking Ahead: Will Nelly Korda Capture the Coveted U.S. Women’s Open Title?
With her renewed confidence and career-best round on the leaderboard, Nelly Korda has positioned herself as a serious threat to claim her first U.S. Women’s Open victory. Her excellence with tee shots, iron play, and scoring ability makes her one of the brightest stars in the field. Should her putting continue to improve over the weekend, there is a strong possibility she could finally overcome the historical hurdles she has faced in this tournament.
The coming days will test her mental strength and technical consistency amid fierce competition, but Nelly Korda’s determined and confident performance has already made this edition of the U.S. Women’s Open a defining chapter in her career. Fans and analysts alike will be watching closely to see if she can turn promise into a major championship victory at Erin Hills. The hopeful momentum builds as Korda pursues the title she was poised to win for years.