Nelly Korda Struggles in Chevron Championship Opener, Lands 118th Place

THE WOODLANDS, Texas – Nelly Korda, the world’s top-ranked female golfer, faced a tough start at the Chevron Championship on Thursday, shooting a disappointing 77, placing her 118th in a field of 132.

As the reigning champion and last season’s standout, Korda arrived at The Club at Carlton Woods ready to defend her title. Instead, she encountered a challenging day on the course, where she struggled notably with her putting, recording 33 putts—three more than her average of 29.69.

During her pre-tournament press conference, Korda hinted at her putting difficulties. “Just need my putter to click a little bit more to make those putts… I’m just not making as many this year,” she said.

Despite her powerful drives and solid swings, Korda was unable to convert her strokes into lower scores, finishing the round 12 shots off the pace set by the leader, South Korea’s Haeran Ryu.

Ryu, alongside China’s Yan Liu, topped the leaderboard with impressive rounds of 65. Meanwhile, Korda’s opening round left her facing the possibility of missing the cut for the third time in the last year at a major championship.

Korda’s struggles on the green could be attributed to the pressure that comes with being at the top of the sport. “That’s just golf,” Korda remarked. “I’ve gone through waves like this before, and if I just continue working at it, hopefully it does click.”

As the tournament progresses, she has already been spotted experimenting with a different putter in an effort to improve her game. Korda remains optimistic, committed to finding her rhythm as she battles in Texas.