dailyloe.com – HOUSTON — Nelly Korda opened her major championship season with stress and everyone holding their breath. Starting on the par-4 10th at Memorial Park, Korda faced a six-foot sliding putt for par. Missing it would have started the Chevron Championship with an inauspicious bogey. It would have left everyone wondering if a shaky 2025 major season was repeating.
She took a deep breath and calmly rolled it in the heart. Another seven-foot par putt awaited her on the par-3 11th. Once again, Korda answered the bell. Just as the LPGA needed her to.
It is unfair to put the tour on Korda’s shoulders. But she is the biggest star in the women’s game. As the LPGA continues to chase inroads with new audiences, it needs its biggest needle to be a draw on its biggest weeks. The LPGA needed Nelly Korda to provide electricity this week at Memorial Park.
After two gritty par saves to start her championship, Korda delivered. She birdied No. 12 and No. 16 to turn in 2 under. Then, she hit the gas. Korda stuffed a wedge into the par-5 first to get to 3 under.
She then hit a 5 iron on the par-3 second hole to five feet for another birdie. “I hit that one good,” a beaming Korda said after her round. “Those are the shots that you’re like, oh, God, I love golf.” Another birdie followed at the third to get Korda into a tie for the early lead.
After three straight pars, Korda arrived at the par-3 7th hole. She hit a towering 6 iron to five feet for another birdie. A final birdie at the par-5 8th meant Korda signed for an opening round of 7 under. She held a two-shot lead.
It was the second-lowest opening round in a major of Korda’s career. It was her first bogey-free round in a major since the second round of the 2024 AIG Women’s Open. A year ago, Korda was going through the early part of a “weird” and winless 2025 season. It was a campaign that saw her truly contend at only one of the five majors.
It was frustrating but also served as a reminder for Korda. She already has all she needs. She has long held the key to her own success. She has the support system around her to keep her stable in the downturns that naturally arrive in professional golf.
