The 19-time LPGA winner, Nelly Korda, remains on edge as she fights on a links course. Rightfully so, the links course has never been her favorite examination, and she admitted as much at the pre-round conference. Firm fairways, unpredictable bounces, and ever-changing winds demand patience over precision.

As a result, the American has learned that trying to control every shot only adds to her frustration. She came to the course determined to embrace the unpredictability rather than fight it. Even so, the World No. 1 opened the AIG Women’s Open with a 2-over 71, suggesting the links once again had the upper hand.

Here’s how the World No. 1 navigated a difficult opening day at Royal Lytham and St. Annes.

🤔 golf trivia

This Should Be an Easy One, Right?

01/10

How Old Is Jackson Koivun?

20192118

Oops, bogey!

But don’t worry, there’s still the back 9 to prove your high golf IQ

PLAY GOLF TRIVIA

Nelly Korda’s performance on the front nine

She started her round slow, making par on the first hole. But she followed it with two straight bogeys on the par-4 2nd and 3rd. The turf links course gave her some trouble as her second shot on the third hole found a green-side bunker, but she hit it straight and found the fairway. On the plus side, this was the only sand bunker she had to face and kept herself away from the other two.

However, she made two saves with two consecutive pars. More so, she caught up in speed by making birdies on the par-5 6th and par-4 8th. Her highlight of the day was making a stellar birdie putt on her third shot on the eighth hole. However, she made one more par on the 9th, turning in at 35

Nelly Korda’s performance on the back nine

The back nine was even slower for Nelly Korda; she made two bogeys. Her first costly bogey came on the par-5 11th, followed by the par-4 15th. That bogey turned out to be a costly one as she didn’t make any birdies on the back nine, and it pushed her to two over. Korda finished her round at 2-over 71.

The four-time major champion’s round unfolded almost exactly as she had predicted earlier, almost like a self-fulfilling prophecy. She shared, knowing how quickly a well-struck shot can turn into a disappointing result.

“I would say I have a little bit of a love-hate relationship with it, depending on the bounces that I get,” she said. “It can get a lot sometimes when you feel like you’re hitting it well and then you kind of get really bad bounces.”

Moreover, the challenge here is as much mental as it is technical. After the highs of 2025, she admits expectations surrounding every major have only grown. With the AIG Women’s Open representing both the season’s fifth major and her chance to complete a career Grand Slam, the emotional toll sometimes becomes harder to ignore.

“I feel like sometimes with it being the fifth major and coming off a lot of condensed majors in the packed schedule, I feel like you are a little bit more on the edge. So I always feel like maybe I’m a little more tired, so the bad bounces get to me a little bit more mentally.”

Another reason Nelly remains on edge with the Links golf course has to be the pressure it puts on her, physically too. She shared that the tough, firmer fairways put higher pressure on her wrists. The reason why she focuses on putting in clear effort, rest, and taking care of her body.

Moreover, her tough test at the Links course isn’t an unfamiliar story. In 2024 in St. Andrews, Korda led for 36 holes before a rough closing stretch cost her. She finished runner-up to Lydia Ko. Last year, at Royal Porthcawl in Wales, a tied 36th finish ended her 17-month run atop the world rankings. This year, she has lost two major opportunities to Haeran Ryu. And now, the lone true link poses a big question for her.

That said, Nelly Korda is clear with her mindset, as she understands the importance of just giving her best rather than trying to control every shot. Whether she can apply that mindset with this new setback and lift the third major title this year remains the story of this week.