Nelly Korda preaching patience as she seeks her first title of the year at US Women's Open
Nelly Korda reacts after finishing on the 18th green during the final round of the Mizuho Americas Open LPGA golf tournament, Sunday, May 11, 2025, in Jersey City, N.J. (AP Photo/Seth Wenig)
ERIN, Wis. (AP) — Nelly Korda says she has learned the value of patience during a season in which titles haven't come as easily as they did for her a year earlier.
That trait is particularly important this week at the U.S. Women's Open, a tournament that hasn't been kind to the world's top-ranked player. Korda never has finished higher than a tie for eighth and has missed the cut three of the last five years.
Advertisement
That history provides plenty of incentive for Korda as she heads into the U.S. Women's Open starting Thursday at Erin Hills. She is seeking her first title of the season.
'I mean, it's the biggest test in golf,' Korda said. 'It definitely has tested me a lot. I love it. At the end of the day, this is why we do what we do, is to play these golf courses in these conditions, to test our games in every aspect.'
Korda, 26, understands that challenge all too well.
Last year, she entered the U.S. Women's Open having won six of her last seven events, then fell out of contention early. She posted a 10 on her third hole of the tournament, carded an 80 in the opening round and missed the cut at Lancaster (Pa.) Country Club.
Advertisement
Her average score of 68.88 leads all LPGA competitors, but her lack of titles this year is notable after a spectacular 2024 season in which she won seven times in 16 starts. She won five straight events at one point last year, tying a record she now shares with Nancy Lopez and Annika Sorenstam.
'It's been a very interesting year for me,' Korda said. 'I definitely have had a bit of good and a bit of bad. Kind of a mix in kind of every event that I've played in. I would say just patience is what I've learned, and kind of going back home and really locking in and practicing hard.'
Korda's lack of championships reflects the balance in women's golf this year, as the LPGA Tour hasn't had a single player win multiple titles through its first 12 events of the season. Korda will seek a breakthrough this week at Erin Hills, a 6,829-yard, par-72 course located less than 40 miles (64 kilometers) northwest of Milwaukee.
Erin Hills' relative lack of trees can make the course particularly difficult on windy days.
Advertisement
'Weather plays a pretty big role out here, especially with kind of no coverage, no trees to block it. It's kind of a very big open field,' Korda said. 'When it gets windy out here, it's really going to play with your golf ball. It's just kind of seeing what the day has in store and having a game plan for it.'
What's at stake
The 80th U.S. Women's Open has a $12 million purse, with the winner earning $2.4 million. That makes it the most lucrative event of the women's golf season.
Saso seeks third title
Yuka Saso is the defending champion and the first person to win titles representing two countries. Saso represented the Philippines for her 2021 title and represented Japan last year. Her mother is Filipina and her dad is Japanese.
Advertisement
Those U.S. Women's Open championships are Saso's only career LPGA Tour titles. She tried to explain this week why she plays her best on this stage.
'I think it's so difficult that I have no time to relax, which I think makes me focus deeper,' Saso said. 'I think that helps.'
Watch out for wind
Erin Hills was a rather forgiving course when the U.S. Open came here in 2017 and Brooks Koepka won at 16-under par to tie the tournament record. The relative lack of wind that week led to low scores.
'Let's face it,' said Shannon Rouillard, the United States Golf Association's senior director of championships. 'The 2017 U.S. Open didn't play how we had hoped it to play because Mother Nature didn't show up.'
Advertisement
Rouillard believes this week should be different.
'Will Mother Nature show up?' Rouillard said. 'Right now she's telling us she's going to show up. That will play a major component into our overall setup plan.'
Ko's video scouting
Lydia Ko took an unusual approach to preparing for Erin Hills.
The world's third-ranked player went on YouTube to watch golf pros Wesley Bryan and George Bryan and YouTube content creator Grant Horvat tackle the course. The Bryan brothers put videos of themselves playing various courses on their Bryan Bros Golf YouTube channel.
'I got into YouTube golf because of my husband, and I won't be shy to say I watch it on my own now,' Ko said. 'It's probably not the preparation that many of the other players did, but it was just a good way for me to kind of see the golf course.'
___
AP golf: https://apnews.com/hub/golf
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
San Francisco Chronicle
29 minutes ago
- San Francisco Chronicle
Cam Smith's meteoric rise to the majors: A story of dedication and discipline
HOUSTON (AP) — When Cam Smith made his MLB debut on opening day for the Houston Astros, it was the third-fastest that someone had gone from the draft to the majors. Selected 14th overall by the Cubs in last year's draft, Smith played just 32 minor league games, including five at Double-A, before moving to the big leagues. Behind the rookie's meteoric ascent was years of work, preparation and planning coupled with a team working behind the scenes to help him reach the majors in near record time. His mother muses about him being 'too serious.' His hitting coach Aaron Capista says that he's 'built different.' Jason Romano, his longtime adviser and current agent at Excel Sports Management, says that he's unlike anyone he's ever known. Teammate Mauricio Dubon proclaims: 'He's gonna be a big star in the big leagues.' Smith routinely arrives at the ballpark more than six hours before night games, has never had a sip of alcohol and says he hasn't even tried anything with caffeine. 'Everybody's really good at this level,' he explained. 'So, I've got to do something different to get an edge.' 'I don't want to have to rely on anything,' he said. 'I want to keep life as simple as I can." His mother, Stephanie Hocza, encouraged him to let loose in high school and maybe go to a party or two. 'I would tell him he was too serious and he needed to just have a little fun and not just be about baseball,' she said. 'But he really did not take my advice.' Smith, who was part of the trade that sent Kyle Tucker to Chicago, has heated up after a slow start and hit .307 in May to bring his season average entering Tuesday to .255 with three homers, eight doubles and 17 RBIs in 46 games. A performance made more impressive considering the 22-year-old was still playing for Florida State at this time last year. Many in the Astros organization rave about Smith's maturity. That could be traced back to a childhood where he had to grow up fast being raised by a single mother who often worked long hours to keep the family afloat. In middle school, Smith would come home from school and do homework before walking to a grocery store where he'd often buy a sub sandwich for dinner while Hocza worked until 10 p.m. most nights as a cook at a Lake Worth, Florida, bingo hall. 'He had to mature because he had to be responsible for his things,' Hocza said. 'I couldn't be there every night like most parents.' Though it was difficult at the time, Hocza now sees those early days with her son as a blessing. 'The best thing to do for your kids is make them figure it out,' she said. 'It was kind of forced upon him, but he definitely made the most of it and it turned him into who he is.' Baseball wasn't a first love for Smith, but it stuck eventually Smith's grandmother, Pattie Thomas, a lifelong Cubs fan, signed him up for T-ball when he was just 5 years old. The pair often attended spring training and minor league games in Jupiter, Florida. The young Smith was way more into the arcade on the concourse than watching the games. 'It's always funny to talk about how I wasn't too interested and now I do it for a living,' he said. By high school, he'd grown to love the game but still wasn't sure he could make it a career until scouts started coming to his games. 'Then I realized that I can play this for a long time,' he said. His first offer was from Florida Atlantic, and when the longtime Florida State fan got his second offer from the Seminoles, he immediately committed to them. After his freshman season at Florida State, his advisers recognized that he needed help to stop chasing pitches, correct some swing-and-miss issues and adjust his high groundball rate before playing in the Cape Cod League. They knew it was his chance to make an impression with scouts and raise his draft status. To chart his progress, Smith, Capista and Romano met on weekly FaceTime calls where they'd review his at-bats and emphasize the importance of trusting his judgment at the plate. Smith stopped chasing sliders and swinging at weak-contact pitches, and it led to an increase in walks and decrease in strikeouts. He became the top hitter in the league, batting .347 with 14 doubles, four triples, six home runs and 26 RBIs. That propelled him to a great sophomore season where he earned second-team All-America honors and led the Seminoles to the College World Series to help his draft stock rise. A rapid rise through pro ball After being drafted by the Cubs, Smith played 27 games of A ball. It was there that he really heated up, hitting a home run in six consecutive games for Myrtle Beach. That was another boost to his confidence. 'Yeah, 100% because I didn't know I could ever do that,' he said. Capista wasn't surprised at the success Smith was having because of the kind of person he is. 'When you get the response and the feedback of someone like Cam, you quickly learn that he's built different, he's wired different,' Capista said. 'It's so cliche to say you want to be great ... but when you hear it and you get to know someone like Cam, you quickly learn that he means it, and he does the work, he does the stuff in the background that no one sees.' Before spring training Smith visited the Maven Baseball Lab, where they helped him refine his swing path so he could take another step forward. 'I could see a video that my bat was getting pretty flat early before I would go to swing and I'm just glad I had somebody like them to explain it to me,' he said. 'Break it down like: 'Hey, you're dumping the water out of the cup too early. Let's keep that upright a little longer.'' After the trade to Houston, Smith quickly impressed. He hit .342 with four homers and 11 RBIs this spring while navigating the move from third base to right field to make the opening day roster. 'He was not overwhelmed by the spots we put him in,' manager Joe Espada said. 'He's mentally tough. He can deal with the obstacles and ups and downs of a season.' Now that Smith's made it to the majors, he's hoping to inspire others like him to do it. Smith, whose mother is white and father is Black, hopes to get more Black kids involved in the game. 'I didn't really have somebody to look up to or who was able to talk to me about being African American and playing baseball,' he said. 'So, I wanted to be that influence on other young players to inspire them to know that it's possible and to know that they can do it.' He doesn't have a relationship with his father, but he has connected with his paternal grandmother, an aunt and other relatives on that side of the family in recent years. His mother said not knowing a lot about them as a child spurred him to learn more about his culture and who he was. 'It's more of just wanting a piece of that and wanting to just cherish that side of him,' she said. 'Even though he didn't have that in his life, that's still part of who he is.'
San Francisco Chronicle
29 minutes ago
- San Francisco Chronicle
Panthers look to even the Stanley Cup Final against the Oilers in Game 2
EDMONTON, Alberta (AP) — Trailing the Stanley Cup Final after losing the opener in overtime, the defending champion Florida Panthers look to even things up in Game 2 at the Edmonton Oilers on Friday night. Winning on the road has not been a problem for them so far, going 8-3 away from home, the third loss coming Wednesday on Leon Draisatl's power-play goal following a puck-over-the-glass penalty on Tomas Nosek. The task of going into a packed, loud arena is just another challenge the Panthers are embracing. 'It's that 'us against the world' mindset, but you really feel it especially being down in a series,' winger Matthew Tkachuk said. 'Us against the 20-plus guys you're playing against, the 20,000 that are in the rink, the 20,000 that are outside the rink. It's just us against everybody. That's what makes playing on the road so fun and rewarding when you can get a win.' If they do, it will wrestle home-ice advantage away from the Oilers with play shifting to Sunrise for Games 3 and 4 next week. One of the toughest parts of being on the road is trying to defend Draisaitl and Connor McDavid when they're on the ice together. Coach Kris Knoblauch did that some late in Game 1, and it's difficult for Paul Maurice to counter without the last line change to control matchups. 'When they play together, they're obviously very creative players and they'll make everyone around them better,' Florida defenseman Seth Jones said. 'They like to look for each other, especially when they play together, little give-and-goes, things like that, and then they're dangerous off the rush, too. Whether they're playing together or apart, it's a five-man unit defending.' The Oilers remain without Zach Hyman, out for the remainder of the playoffs after his right wrist got dislocated on a hit during the last round. The Panthers could be close to full strength if A.J. Greer can return, and Maurice said fourth-liner Jonah Gadjovich is good to go after missing part of Game 1. ___
Yahoo
40 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Cristiano Ronaldo by the numbers as he auditions for the Club World Cup
Portugal's Cristiano Ronaldo, second right, celebrates after scoring his side's second goal during the Nations League semifinal soccer match between Portugal and Germany in Munich, Germany, Wednesday, June 4, 2025. (Peter Kneffel/dpa via AP) Portugal's Cristiano Ronaldo, left, scores his side's second goal during the Nations League semifinal soccer match between Portugal and Germany in Munich, Germany, Wednesday, June 4, 2025. (Peter Kneffel/dpa via AP) Portugal's Cristiano Ronaldo reacts after missing an opportunity to score during the Nations League semifinal soccer match between Portugal and Germany at the Munich Football Arena, in Munich, Germany, Wednesday, June 4, 2025. (AP Photo/Matthias Schrader) Portugal's Cristiano Ronaldo reacts after missing an opportunity to score during the Nations League semifinal soccer match between Portugal and Germany at the Munich Football Arena, in Munich, Germany, Wednesday, June 4, 2025. (AP Photo/Matthias Schrader) Portugal's Cristiano Ronaldo, second right, celebrates after scoring his side's second goal during the Nations League semifinal soccer match between Portugal and Germany in Munich, Germany, Wednesday, June 4, 2025. (Peter Kneffel/dpa via AP) Portugal's Cristiano Ronaldo, left, scores his side's second goal during the Nations League semifinal soccer match between Portugal and Germany in Munich, Germany, Wednesday, June 4, 2025. (Peter Kneffel/dpa via AP) Portugal's Cristiano Ronaldo reacts after missing an opportunity to score during the Nations League semifinal soccer match between Portugal and Germany at the Munich Football Arena, in Munich, Germany, Wednesday, June 4, 2025. (AP Photo/Matthias Schrader) Evergreen and still setting records at 40 years of age. Cristiano Ronaldo continues to deliver at the highest levels of international soccer after guiding Portugal to the final of the Nations League. Ronaldo captained the team and scored the winning goal in a 2-1 victory over Germany in their semifinal on Wednesday to set up a showdown Sunday with Spain. Advertisement The goal – Ronaldo's 137th for Portugal – extended his record as the leading scorer in men's international soccer. He broke the record as a 36-year-old by scoring twice in a European qualifier against Ireland in September 2021. That took his tally to 111 goals in 180 games for Portugal, surpassing the previous mark by Iran's Ali Daei. Before tucking away Nuno Mendes' cross for a tap-in against Germany, Ronaldo had gone close with a header, while he was also just inches from breaking the deadlock after the halftime break. His performance was a timely reminder for any teams playing at the Club World Cup that he's potentially available to join them for the tournament starting in the United States on June 14. FIFA president Gianni Infantino previously suggested Ronaldo could switch to one of the 32 participating clubs because of a unique transfer window created for the tournament. Advertisement Ronaldo, who's still contracted to Saudi team Al-Nassr until the end of June, has been linked with several of the particpating clubs, including Brazil's Palmeiras and Wydad of Morocco, even though that club is banned by FIFA from registering new signings. A switch to Al-Nassr's bitter Riyadh rival Al-Hilal – the one Saudi club that qualified – has been mooted as a short-term solution to having Ronaldo play at the Club World Cup, where his great rival Lionel Messi will be playing with Inter Miami. FIFA would welcome the boost Ronaldo's presence can provide for ticket sales at the tournament, but such a switch to a bitter local rival for a short period would be unthinkable for players in Europe's leagues. Both Al-Nassr and Al-Hilal are among the four big Saudi clubs backed by the country's Public Investment Fund, which has a 75% stake in each. The PIF may put the national interest above that of Al-Nassr and strive to keep Ronaldo representing Saudi interests at the Club World Cup. Advertisement On Thursday, FIFA announced PIF as an ' official partner ' of the Club World Cup. Saudi state money is also effectively funding the tournament's broadcasting deal that has largely backed its $1 billion prize fund being shared among the participants. Ronaldo didn't just add to his record goals-tally against Germany. Just by playing on Thursday he made his record-extending 220th international appearance. Ronaldo's records by the numbers 137 – International goals scored 220 – International games played 6 – European Championship tournaments played 5 – European Championship tournaments scored (2004, 2008, 2012, 2016, 2020) Advertisement 30 – European Championship match appearances 74 – European Championship appearances including qualifying 14 – European Championship goals 55 – European Championship goals including qualifying 5 – World Cup tournaments scored (2006, 2010, 2014, 2018, 2022) 52 – European Championship and World Cup appearances combined 22 – European Championship and World Cup goals combined 197 – UEFA club competition appearances 145 – UEFA club competition goals 140 – Champions League goals 67 – Most goals in Champions League knockout games 17 – Most goals in a Champions League season (2013/14) 183 – Champions League appearances 11 – Consecutive Champions League games scored 3 – Champions League finals scored ___ AP soccer:
