Is The U.S. Women's Open Nelly Korda's Masters?

PACIFIC PALISADES, Ca. — There isn't a championship that means more to women's golf than the U.S. Open.

Once upon a time, The Chevron Championship (which has undergone many names in its day) was considered the "Ladies Masters", largely due to its iconic location out in Palm Springs and its timing on the schedule in April. Mission Hills a.k.a Dinah's Place was the crown jewel of the LPGA majors; the lush green oasis in the middle of the California desert was a thing to behold. But since the tournament moved to the greater Houston area and away from the place that had such a rich history, the U.S. Women's Open has awakened as the biggest week in women's golf each year.

The United States Open for both the women and the men are held at some of golf's greatest cathedrals—think Pebble Beach, Oakmont, Riviera—and are set up to play notoriously difficult. It's called golf's greatest test for a reason because you know these players are about to be challenged to their absolute limit.

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But for World No. 1 Nelly Korda, the U.S. Women's Open has been the one tournament that has humanized her. Over the last several years, we've grown accustomed to seeing Korda navigate, and subsequently dominate courses, winning in emphatic fashion—most recently at this year's Chevron where she went wire-to-wire to capture her third major title.

Yet, for some reason, when the early summer rolls around, the USWO has bested women's golf's top-ranked player. She was just a teen when she teed it up in her first Open at Sebonack in 2013, where she finished T-64, and her track record since then hasn't improved by much.

In 11 starts, she's made 8 cuts, and has only finished under par twice!

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Last year at Erin Hills, which is a behemoth of a golf course, with towering hills, vast fairways, and more undulation than you would believe, Korda experienced a breakthrough. She entered the final round in prime position to win this championship, and fell just short to winner Maja Stark.

For just a moment, the 27-year-old allowed her frustration boil over. But it wasn't because she played poorly, it was because she had come so close for the first time ever, his coveted title was well within her grasp, and under the disappoint was hope.

"That I was just hungry for more," Korda said ahead of this year's competition at Riviera about her performance in 2025. "Last year was just a weird year of kind of not necessarily playing my best, but also when I did, not getting the bounces or just missing by a centimeter here and there. But I also learned a lot about myself. It made me hungrier to be in those positions."

You can just tell that this one means more to her and to the world of golf. As the top-ranked American and modern face of women's golf, who is better than Nelly to hoist the trophy? When I watch her play this event it feels a little bit like Rory and the Masters. Because there are these moments, these little pockets where they look like they figure it out and then suddenly they lose it. It's both bizarre and unsettling to see two great champions of this game just look out of sorts.

Before Rory finally slayed his Augusta National demons, Gabby Herzig of The Athletic coined his struggles as "scar tissue" of his past, and I think the same happens for Nelly. We're all expecting it, waiting for her turn, and that takes a toll on a player. The highs, the lows, the mental strain that a major causes you can make the very best crumble.

"This is - - obviously I played this event when I was 14 years old, so maybe a little bit more emotional about it. I mean, definitely it's gotten my heart broken a couple times, especially last year with coming off the season I was coming off of. To have that showing last year definitely put a dagger into my heart," Korda said at Erin Hills after her final putt dropped.

"You're going to lose more than you win a majority of the time. I feel like I actually learn a lot about myself and my game and where I need to improve playing the U.S. Women's Open because it does test every part of your game."

Korda has every key on her key chain ready to open the door, it's just about finding the right one to unlock her biggest feat.

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She left Erin Hills with new found confidence, and what I believe to be faith in herself to win this thing. Conquering this championship would be the career defining moment for Korda. There's no doubt that she is one of the most formidable players of her generation, but to be able to call herself a U.S. Open champion would be the what sets her apart. And how she will be able to get it done is by playing exactly the way she has the first five months this season.

It was a dream start for Korda after going winless in 2025. She got out to a fast start winning the season opening event in Orlando. She then had three consecutive second place finishes before going back to back weeks with wins at Chevron and the Riviera Maya Open in Mexico. And the primary difference between this year and last is the freedom and lack of fear she's playing with.

Her dominant performance in Houston back in April was the most complete and holistic I've seen her play. There was an easiness, a steadiness to her game that was palpable, and she's going to need to tune into that same channel in order to be successful this week.

It's all too easy for the scar tissue to harden, for her to revert back to the Nelly of U.S. Women's Open past, where she's trying to play defense instead of offense. The only way she'll get it done is to keep doing what she's already done so well.

You don't win majors by tensing up and playing scared, but at the same time Riviera is a very cerebral course that challenges your ball striking and will serve you a dose of humble pie on the greens if you aren't careful. As one of the longer players on Tour and a premier ball-striker, this test should suit her well on paper, but her success will be hinged upon if she can keep her mind steady.

The Riviera script would be all too perfect. The venue is as historic as it gets, the caliber of talent exceeds any other week on Tour, and with a win she moves that much closer to the Hall of Fame and the Career Grand Slam.

Nobody wants this more than her, and she said as much this week ahead of Thursday's competition start. "There's no better place to be in than in the hunt on a back nine on Sunday at a major championship, especially at the Women's Open. It would have been a lifelong dream, but there's more chances."

All eyes are on Nelly, because it's not if with her, but rather when.