Nelly Korda won the US Women's Open on Sunday with one of the most dramatic finishes of the season, holding off Charley Hull and Gaby Lopez by a single stroke after her second putt on the 18th green curled halfway around the cup before dropping in.
The American's putt from just over two feet caught the edge and traveled nearly the full circumference of the hole before falling. Korda covered her mouth in disbelief, then laughed at the improbable ending that secured her fourth career major and second consecutive major title.
Korda finished at eight-under for the tournament, carding a steady two-under 69 in the final round at Riviera Country Club, the first venue to host the Women's Open in its history. She collected the $2.5 million first prize from a record $12.5 million purse.
The 27-year-old spoke to the gallery immediately after her victory. "I feel like I'm in a dream," she said. "I just can't even explain how much this means to me with all of you here cheering me on."
Hull, the English challenger, came closest to denying Korda. Starting three shots back, Hull surged into the lead before Pacific winds kicked up and derailed the scoring. Lopez, playing from Mexico, made her own charge but also came up one stroke short in a bid for her first major.
The final round unfolded as a tightening battle among the contenders. Seven players began within two strokes of the lead, and four shared the lead as the back nine approached. Korda made the crucial move on the 17th, draining a nine-foot birdie putt to break the tie among herself, Hull, Lopez, and three-time major champion In Gee Chun. From there, she avoided the bogeys that plagued the rest of the field down the stretch.
Korda's victory caps a remarkable turnaround. She won The Chevron Championship in April, then recorded three wins and three runner-up finishes in her first seven starts of 2026 after going winless throughout 2025. After an uneven opening 73 at Riviera, she steadied herself with consecutive rounds of 67 to reach the final day within striking distance.
The champion played with marked composure Sunday, recording just three birdies and one bogey to grind out the victory. She has spoken publicly about prioritizing mental resilience and positivity following her blank 2025, a philosophy that appears to be yielding one of the strongest season starts in women's golf history.
Author James Rodriguez: "A putt that takes a tour around the cup and falls anyway is the definition of major championship luck, and Korda earned every bit of it after showing the steady play down the stretch when it mattered most."
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