Nelly Korda is on pole position to secure a fourth major championship title of her career on Sunday, with the world number one tied for the lead at the US Women’s Open.
Korda opened up with a round of 73 at Riviera. However, two rounds of 67 have seen the American move to the top of the leaderboard with 18 holes to play.
It is incredibly difficult to back anyone else to get across the line on Sunday in the Pacific Palisades.
Nelly Korda keen to avoid one mistake from last year’s US Women’s Open
Korda has already won three times this year, including at the first major of the season as she lifted the Chevron Championship for a second time with victory at Memorial Park.
Crucially, just one other player has broken 70 in both the second and third rounds at Riviera this week.
Korda is yet to win the US Women’s Open. However, she did finish in a tie for second at Erin Hills last year, proving to be the last person realistically standing between Maja Stark and the trophy.
And after her third round on Saturday, Korda suggested that she had learned plenty from that experience that will benefit her this time around.
“That I want to put myself into that position more and more,” she said, after being asked what she took from last year. “Yeah, I mean, I would definitely say that I’m not going to get too frustrated. I think last year I really, really wanted it, and the more you want it sometimes the more you stiffen up and you get a little bit more nervous.
“So I play my best golf when I’m happy, free Nelly, and I’m kind of joking around out there. So that’s kind of the attitude that I’m going to have tomorrow.”
What has changed for Nelly Korda after the 2025 season
It is one of the most incredible statistics in sport that the LPGA saw 29 different winners during the 2025 season, and none of them were called Nelly Korda.
The 27-year-old is the game’s biggest superstar as she rapidly approaches 20 wins on the LPGA.
Korda has got back to her ruthless best in 2026. She has finished outside the top two on just one occasion so far.
And that disastrous result that ruined her record was tied for eighth at the Kroger Queen City Championship.
Korda went on to explain what has changed for her this season.
“I’ve tried to have a mindset shift. One week it’s a lot easier than others, but I’ve tried to have the attitude of instead of saying, you know, I’m screwed in this position, oh, here we go again, I’m just going to embrace the challenges and I’m not going to walk off the golf course, I’m just going to figure it out,” she said.
“That’s kind of been my attitude this year is like no matter what it throws at me, if I’m just going to get a silly bounce here or there I’ll end up in a divot like I’ll figure it out.
“And that’s kind of been the attitude I’ve tried to change to, because I think the worst thing that you can be, but which I am still, is a perfectionist in this sport. It does drive you nuts when you constantly miss a divot or you’re in a divot by a centimeter here and there, or you hit a great putt and it just lips out.
“Like those frustrations throughout the round can really build when it’s all kind of not going your way. So I’m just going to take on the challenges head on and know that I’m doing my best out there, I’ve prepared the best that I possibly can and I’m just going to try and play free golf.”
Korda would move inside the top 20 for all-time major victories should she triumph on Sunday at Riviera.
On current evidence, it is difficult to see how she can be stopped.
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