PACIFIC PALISADES, Calif. — Nelly Korda will arrive at the first tee Sunday at Riviera Country Club facing her best chance yet to win the U.S. Women’s Open.
As long shadows stretched across Riviera’s fairways Saturday evening, the world No. 1 surged firmly into contention with three consecutive birdies to close out her round. She shot a 4-under-par 67 and sits atop the leaderboard, tied with Sei Young Kim despite a shaky start to the tournament.
Korda will play in the final pairing of this championship for the first time in her career.
“It’s always amazing to be in this position. That’s what we work so hard for, to be in this spot. So whatever happens tomorrow happens, but I’m going to give it my all and see what the outcome is,” she said.
Korda’s scorecard on Saturday included two early birdies, via a chip-in on No. 3 and an 18-foot putt on No. 6, followed by a bogey on the split-fairway 8th hole. She then carded seven consecutive pars before rattling off the trio of birdies that defined her day.
NELLY IS YOUR CLUBHOUSE LEADER!
She birdies 18 to get to six-under par at the U.S. Women’s Open!
📺 NBC pic.twitter.com/M9Hokw3DDj
— Golf Channel (@GolfChannel) June 7, 2026
She hit an 8-iron into the par-3 16th within five feet and sank the putt. Then, on No. 17, she hit her longest drive on the par-5 yet — 289 yards down the right side of the fairway — and smoked a hybrid just long of the green, reaching in two and setting up an up-and-down for birdie. And on No. 18, she hit a 276-yard drive, allowing her to stick her 9-iron to four feet from 154 yards.
Korda’s final putt of the day curled in the right side of the cup to solidify her second consecutive round of 67 at Riviera after beginning the championship with a frustrating 2-over 73. On Friday, Korda credited her sister, Jessica, a six-time LPGA Tour winner, for giving her a tip that course-corrected her ballstriking. Korda made a grip change, a notoriously difficult element of the golf swing to adjust, before her second round. She moved her left hand to a stronger position on the club.
“It felt super funky today, but I just trusted it and went with it,” she said on Friday.
The mid-tournament tweak seems to be working. Korda gained 2.61 shots in approach on Saturday, compared to a loss of 0.65 shots in the same category on Thursday.
As a result, Korda is in the best position she’s ever been going into the final round of a U.S. Women’s Open. At last year’s championship at Erin Hills, she stood in sixth place after 54 holes and ultimately finished tied for second, her highest finish in the championship since a T8 finish in 2022.
The 18-time LPGA Tour champion, who won five consecutive tournaments in 2024 but did not win at all on tour in 2025, said that an active shift in her on-course attitude has helped her thrive under pressure. Korda will look to avoid perfection, instead embracing the fun in the challenge of a test like the U.S. Women’s Open.
“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,” she said Saturday. “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.”
