"She's gotten herself in trouble": Brandel Chamblee discusses Nelly Korda's poor start at the US Open Women's Major
If Nelly Korda is to win her second major of the season, she's going to have to put in one of the greatest comebacks of all time. She is currently 10 over par after one round of the Women's US Open, which is certainly not a good sign.
Korda had been playing really well lately, but on Thursday afternoon, that all changed. She now runs the risk of not just losing but also failing to make the cut. Here's what Brandel Chamblee had to say about the development:
"She's played in nine of them [US Opens]... When you look at what she's done in US Opens, she's gotten herself in trouble. In US Opens, she's almost averaged three double bogeys or higher per championship," he said on Golf Central. (Via NBC Sports)
He examined every winner since 2000 and found that they had an average of fewer than one double bogey. He stated that Korda needs to find a way to get out of trouble.
"You get it in the rough, you gotta get out of the rough... As we look at Nelly Korda, when she does get in trouble, she's got to get out of trouble. She's got so many skills... Get back in play, make the bogey and move on."
Unfortunately, Korda couldn't manage to do that in round 1. After launching three balls into the water, she is now 13 shots behind the leader, Megan Schofill. With this performance, her chances of winning have seen a dip, and it might take a miracle for her to make it to round three.
This season, Nelly Korda has been extraordinary. She has barely had a bad round and has won six of her eight starts. Sadly, this weekend the law of averages applied, which could cost her a chance to win another Major.
Nelly Korda no longer a favorite to win US Women's Open
At the beginning of play, Nelly Korda was the clear favorite to win the trophy. The world number one is favored in almost every start she makes because of her outstanding play throughout the season.
However, everything came crashing down in the very first round. It's very early to predict what the cut line will be, but the top 72 players in the field are par or better. This means that Korda will have to shoot a historic -10 in round two to reach that figure. Even if the cut line moves a little, she would still have to put in one of the best rounds of her career to bounce back.