“I just need my putter to click a little bit more to make those putts.”
That was Nelly Korda’s honest reflection after a surprising Thursday at the Chevron Championship — and it perfectly sums up the story of her day.
Watching Nelly Korda play can give off the illusion that golf is effortless. She swings with grace, putts with confidence, and moves through tournaments like a seasoned veteran in complete control. But Thursday served as a powerful reminder that golf, like life, has a way of humbling even its brightest stars.
Despite arriving at the Chevron Championship as the defending champion and the undeniable face of women’s professional golf, Korda delivered an unexpectedly rough performance. She carded a 77 in the first round, placing her 118th out of 132 players.
The same player who had dominated the previous season and cemented herself as the sport’s leading figure now found herself scrambling, her usual poise betrayed by a misfiring putter and a course that showed no mercy.
It was a day that captured golf’s dual nature — one moment inspiring awe, the next exposing its relentless difficulty. For Korda, the message was clear: even the best have off days. But with her talent and mindset, the comeback is always just around the corner.