A Hollywood Ending for World No. 1 Korda at Riviera

In the shadows of Hollywood, it was the idyllic ending for world No. 1 Nelly Korda. The one championship relationship that she once called “complicated” is no longer.

A year after tying for second at Erin Hills, Korda finally became a USGA champion, winning the 81st U.S. Women’s Open Presented by Ally by a stroke on Sunday at the historic Riviera Country Club.

This one came, perhaps appropriately, with a little drama. Korda never held the outright lead until converting a 9-foot birdie putt – her only one of the back nine and first since the sixth hole – on the par-5 17th hole, and then holed a nervy 3-foot, championship-clinching par putt on No. 18, one that hit the left lip before swirling into the hole.

A final-round, 2-under-par 69 gave the Floridian a 72-hole total of 8-under 276 to edge Charley Hull and Gaby Lopez. Hull posted a weekend total of 132 (65-67), while Lopez birdied the 72nd hole for a Sunday 68. Had Hull won, it would have been the best final 36 holes by a champion since Meg Mallon’s 67-65 performance in 2004.

Korda, 27, has now claimed the first two majors of 2026, becoming the first American since Pat Bradley in 1986 to achieve the feat, and the first to claim consecutive majors since former world No. 1 Lydia Ko at the 2015 Evian Championship and 2016 Chevron Championship. She also owns four majors, needing only the AIG Women’s Open and Evian Championship to complete the LPGA Tour’s “Super Slam.” Korda also won the gold medal at the COVID-19-delayed Summer Olympics in Japan (2021).

Tied for 56th after an opening-round 73, Korda steadily worked her way up the leaderboard with consecutive rounds of 67 before her 68 on Sunday. She is just the second U.S. Women's Open champion to be in 50th or lower position after 18 holes, joining 2017 champ Sung Hyun Park, who was T-58. She is the third American in the last 10 years to hoist the Harton S. Semple Trophy (Allisen Corpuz in 2023 and Brittany Lang in 2016).

The seven-shot deficit she faced after the first round also matches the largest ever overcome to win the championship, a feat also accomplished by Park (2017), Mallon (2004), Susie Berning (1972), and Carol Mann (1965).

“I feel like I'm in a dream,” said Korda, who now owns 19 LPGA titles. “Gosh, I just can't even explain how much this means to me.”

Once the final putt dropped and congratulatory hugs were made with fellow competitor Sei Young Kim (solo 5th) and her longtime caddie Jason McDede, Korda was greeted behind the 18th green by sister Jessica, a six-time LPGA Tour winner, father Petr (1990 Australian Open tennis singles champion), mom Regina (a former professional tennis player), fiancé Casey Gunderson and the rest of her support group. A bottle of champaign was popped before Nelly made the walk up the stairs to sign her scorecard.

“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,” said Korda, who went winless in 2025, including that share of second at Erin Hills. “I play my best golf when I'm happy, free Nelly, and I'm kind of joking around out there. That's kind of the attitude that I need [to play my best].”

For a good portion of the second nine, it looked like Korda might suffer a similar fate to Erin Hills. Putts were not falling and In Gee Chun, the 2015 champion, had reached 9 under following consecutive birdies on 10 and 11. But Chun, seeking a fourth major title, suffered back-to-back bogeys on 12 and 13. And then needing a chip-in birdie from short and left of the 18th green, Chun failed to get up and down for par, shooting a Sunday 70 and solo fourth at 6-under 278).

When Hull, 30, reflects on this Women’s Open, she’ll rue the short 4-foot par putt she missed on No. 14 after a brilliant bunker shot. She also had three-putt bogeys on 9 and 12.

Those mistakes offset some brilliant weekend shotmaking. Her Saturday 65 was the lowest round of the championship. That momentum carried over to the first hole on Sunday when she converted a 12-foot eagle putt, one of three made in the final round on the 512-yard par 5. Consecutive birdies on 10 and 11 put Hull at 8 under. Then on the par-5 17th, she holed a 7-foot birdie putt and later got up and down for par from behind the 18th green with a clutch 10-footer that momentarily kept her tied for the lead.

But it wound up being another runner-up showing for Hull, who has now been a bridesmaid in five major championships, the second most by any player without a title (Ayaka Okamoto has six).

It's just frustrating,” said Hull, a charismatic fan favorite who drew plenty of roars on Sunday, especially after the putt on 18. “Yeah, it's pretty annoying, but I played really well the last day. Obviously missed a couple putts on the back nine, but it was quite windy and I hit the ball fantastic, so fair play to Nelly Korda for back-to-back [major] wins.”

Lopez, looking to be the first Mexican-born U.S. Women’s Open champion, started the day two behind 54-hole leaders Korda and Kim, but was stuck in neutral over the first nine holes with all pars. The former University of Arkansas star and three-time LPGA Tour winner got going after the turn with short birdie putts of 6, 4 and 5 feet on Nos. 10, 11 and 13 to get to 7 under.

A bogey on 16 and a missed birdie opportunity on the par-5 17th seemingly ended her chances, but Lopez converted from 15 feet on the par-4 18th to get into a brief share of the lead with Hull and Korda.

“I'll say that at the beginning of the day I felt way more nervous than at the end,” said Lopez. “At the beginning it's all the energy, you're trying to get a run, but the U.S. [Women’s] Open is about waiting and waiting and waiting, and once you get your chance you kind of ride the wave.

“I'm very, very happy with the finish we had and especially all the work that my team and I have put behind the scenes.”

For Korda, the 10 she made on the third hole of the 2024 U.S. Women’s Open is now fully in the rearview mirror. So is the hard-luck second-place finish to Maja Stark at Erin Hills. Sometimes, it just takes a bit longer to achieve dreams.

Even that final putt on Sunday carried a hold-your-breath moment.

“Don't make me relive that,” she told NBC in her post-championship interview. “I'm sure I'll see a lot of videos of that, but a nice ice cream swirl to cap off the day.”

Hollywood loves a good ending. This first women’s major at Riviera had it, and more.

What the Champion Receives

• Mickey Wright Medal
• Custody of the Harton S. Semple Trophy for one year
• First-place check for $2.5 million
• Exemptions into the next 10 U.S. Women’s Opens
• Five-year exemptions into the KPMG Women’s PGA Championship, AIG Women’s Open, Chevron Championship and Amundi Evian Championship
• Name inscribed on the 2026 USGA Champions’ Plaque that will permanently reside in the Hall of Champions inside the USGA Museum and Library in Liberty Corner, N.J.

Notable

• The 82nd U.S. Women’s Open Presented by Ally will be contested June 3-6 at the Inverness Club, in Toledo, Ohio. Although the club has hosted four previous U.S. Opens and a Solheim Cup, this will be the first U.S. Women’s Open conducted at Inverness.
  
  
• Other future first-time U.S. Women’s Open venues include Oakland Hills Country Club (2031), The Los Angeles Country Club (2032), Chicago Golf Club (2033), Merion Golf Club (2034), Shinnecock Hills Golf Club (2036), Oak Hill Country Club (2037) and The Country Club (2045). All of those venues have previously hosted the U.S. Open.
  
  
• The world’s number-one ranked amateur Kiara Romero, an All-American at the University of Oregon and member of the 2026 USA Curtis Cup Team that will compete next week at nearby Bel-Air Country Club, was the low amateur by one stroke over 2026 Augusta National Women’s Amateur champion Maria Jose Marin. Romero carded a 3-under 68 on Sunday for a 72-hole total of 3-under 281. Marin, a University of Arkansas All-American, missed a 7-foot par putt on the 72nd hole.
  
  
• Romero (T-6) and Marin (T-8) each finished among the top 10 and ties to earn exemptions into the 2027 U.S. Women’s Open. It’s the best result by multiple amateurs since Morgan Pressel and future U.S. Women’s Open champion Brittany Lang tied for second in 2005 at Cherry Hills Country Club.
  
  
• None of the 14 qualifiers who survived the 36-hole cut managed to sneak into the top 10, with Minji Kang (1-over 285) posting the best finish among the group (T-19).
  
  
• Kaleiya Romero, the older sister of Kiara who has made the cut in all eight events since turning professional earlier this year, finished tied for 49th, good enough for a check of $35,501. That is $2,000 more than she’s earned in seven Epson Tour events in 2026 ($33,478). She currently ranks 15th in the Race for the Card; the top 15 at the end of the season earn 2027 LPGA Tour cards.
  
  
• Defending champion Maja Stark, who began her title defense with a 3-over-par 39 over her first nine holes, finished tied for eighth at 2-under 282. Since Karrie Webb successfully defended her title in 2001 at Pine Needles, only two other reigning champions had finished in the top 10 before Stark: Jeongeun Lee6 (T-6 in 2020) and Juli Inkster (T-8 in 2003).
  
  
• The tees on No. 10 were again moved up for Sunday’s final round to play 270 yards.
  
  
• Xiyu Janet Lin, one of two moms to make the 36-hole cut, registered the 35th known hole-in-one in championship history on Sunday. She aced the 173-yard 6th hole with a 5-iron. Sophia Popov had the last hole-in-one in 2024 on No. 8 at Lancaster (Pa.) Country Club.
  
  
• Four members of the eight-woman 2026 USA Curtis Cup Team who are not competing this week came out to Riviera on Sunday with Captain Meghan Stasi to cheer on fellow teammates Kiara Romero, Asterisk Talley and Farah O’Keefe. The Curtis Cup Match will take place June 12-14 at nearby Bel-Air Country Club. The four competitors in attendance were Kary Hollenbaugh, Avery Weed, Kelly Xu, and Anna Davis. Davis, Hollenbaugh and Xu have previously qualified for the U.S. Women’s Open.

Quotable

“I always felt like I emphasize the Women's Open so much like that's where my dream started of playing on the LPGA. Every year I like never played well. I was always over par or I made a mess of a hole at Lancaster, and I just felt like that dream was almost kind of like slipping away. But it was still keeping me very much so motivated.” – Nelly Korda

“I just love playing in the majors. Like, I pretty much only get up for the majors. It's really weird I just love playing in majors like if it's a normal week-to-week [tournament] I struggle sometimes getting the motivation [to compete]. If I just even just make the cut on the weekend I can make a massive charge. I loved it out there. It was so much fun. The crowds were great and it was nice to see so many young kids around.” – Charley Hull

“I feel amazing, honestly. I mean I'm not disappointed at all. I am so happy. I realize that I can win a major championship. I realize that I can put myself in a position that down the stretch on the back nine of a major championship I can still deliver. There's not one thing that I regret. I'm proud, and I'm looking forward to KPMG. Nelly Korda played spectacular golf, she's been [great] week in week out. We just have to be a little tighter in a couple weeks and hopefully one day it's our chance.” – Gaby Lopez

“I had a great week. To be honest, I mean, with my team and playing together this week means a lot for me, because everything was kind of a little bit of pressure before, but I think I can say I truly enjoyed all the pressure and my golf game this week.” – In Gee Chun

“I'm just really proud of myself for doing that and not putting any pressure out there when I was playing. I didn't think about any of this. I kind of just went out there for the experience and just tried to have as much fun as I could. It was a great time with my [college] coach [Derek Radley] on the bag. We're always having fun out there. It was really cool.” – Kiara Romero on being the low amateur

“I just love U.S. Opens. It's all so special. Coming in and defending I thought obviously would have loved to do that, but what are the odds of that happening again? I did feel very nervous on the first day, so I'm really happy with the way I played since then and I've just really enjoyed the week.” – Maja Stark on finishing tied for eighth in her title defense

David Shefter is a senior staff writer at the USGA. Email him at dshefter@usga.org.