Nelly Korda’s bid for a third major title ended in disappointment at the US Women’s Open on Friday after the world number one missed the cut.
Korda had been left with a mountain to climb after a disastrous 10-over-par 80 in Thursday’s first round at Lancaster Country Club in Pennsylvania.
Although the 25-year-old American fared better in her second round, carding a level-par 70 to finish at 10 over, it was not enough to get her inside the 36-hole cut line, projected to fall at eight-over.
Korda started this week’s Open as the pre-tournament favorite after a dazzling start to the 2024 season which saw her win six of her past seven starts.
However, her hopes of adding the US Women’s Open to her collection of majors went up in smoke after she shot a 10 on the par-three 12th hole on Thursday, where she hit three balls into the water.
Korda narrowly escaped the water on the 12th again on Friday, her under-hit 8-iron off the tee rolling back before nestling on the edge of the moat at the front of the green.
Korda chipped on and rolled in a long putt to save par to applause from the gallery.
Lexi Thompson said she still has the ladybug earrings she wore as a 12-year-old in her U.S. Women’s Open debut, 17 years ago.
“It’s meant the world to me,” Thompson said Friday of this major championship.
“I cherished every moment that I had.”
There were many and they were varied. Thompson, who announced earlier this week that she will no longer play a full-time LPGA schedule, missed the cut in what might have been her final U.S. Women’s Open appearance.
Thompson shot 75 in the second round at Lancaster Country Club, to go along with her opening 78. At 13 over par, she was well outside the projected cut line when she signed off.
“Minus the golf, it was amazing. Yeah, it wasn’t the golf that I wanted to play, obviously, but it was a special week,” she said.
“To see all the fans out there and just to hear their chants and “Go Lexis!” made me smile every single shot, even if I kept on bogeying. But it was a special week, for sure.”
At 29 years old, this was Thompson’s 18th USWO start. Her results include five top-10s and five missed cuts. Her best finish was a tie for second in 2019, when she entered the final round one off the lead but bogeyed three of her first four holes on Sunday.
Two years later, she held a five-stroke lead on the back nine but played her final eight holes in 5 over and missed out on a playoff.
The tears Thompson shed this week were not because of what was lost. They were because of who supported her during those very public times and during any private struggles.
“I’m so blessed and grateful for the family I have,” and emotional Thompson said. “Just to have my family and friends and the amount of fans that were out there this week, that’s what we want. That’s what we want, for the game of golf to grow.”
This isn’t it for Thompson in ’24. She very much wants to make the U.S. Solheim Cup team and plans on playing “10 or 12 more times” this year.
But after that?
“I have no plans right now,” she said.
