ERIN, Wis. — “Complicated” is how Nelly Korda has described her relationship with the U.S. Women’s Open presented by Ally.

It’s a frank and fair assessment from the Rolex Women’s World Golf Rankings No. 1, who has now teed it up in 11 editions of this major championship and earned just two top 10s, the best of which is a T8 showing she posted in 2022 at Pine Needles Lodge and Golf Club. Korda missed the cut in this tournament last year at Lancaster Country Club after infamously making a 10 on the par-3 12th hole at that venue, a double-digit disaster that derailed what felt like could finally be her week to win this coveted major title.

So when she started her third round at Erin Hills on Saturday morning after carding a seven-birdie 67 on day two of the U.S. Women’s Open, everyone on property was holding their breath. They were wondering how the 15-time LPGA Tour would handle weekend golf at one of the most difficult tests in the game, a 36-hole battle in which she hadn’t gotten to participate since 2023 at Pebble Beach, where she finished off what was shaping up to be a strong performance with an 80 on the final day.

And to no one’s surprise, Korda ultimately reminded us just why she has been the world No. 1 for 99 career weeks on Moving Day in Dairyland.

It was a tough start right out of the gate, as Korda three-putted for bogey on two to drop back to 4-under for the tournament. She had another three-putt bogey on the par-4 5th hole and then bogeyed again on seven, falling to 2-under and out of the conversation.

She hit a near-perfect tee shot on the par-3 9th hole, but the ball landed and then ran back down off the front of the green and into the fescue lining the greenside bunker. After hitting a take-your-medicine chip with an awkward stance, Korda left her lengthy par try short and tapped in, finishing with a front-nine 40 at Erin Hills.

Korda parred 10, 11 and 12 and nearly birdied 13, knocking it to roughly 15 feet and hitting her birdie putt a little bit more left than she wanted. The two-time major champion then clinically dissected the par-5 14th hole, hitting her second shot to the ridge off the front edge of the green, almost holing her eagle chip and then tapping in for a birdie to finally erase one of her early-round mistakes.

She drove the green on the reachable par-4 15th hole and lagged her 56-foot eagle try to eight feet, a putt she made to get another shot back and move back to 3-under overall. A pair of routine pars on 16 and 17 saw Korda head to 18, hungry for another birdie. She piped her drive down the fairway and then hit her second shot over the green, leaving herself a pretty simple but slippery chip shot that she knocked to five feet.

Korda’s birdie putt looked like it might lip out at first, but it hung on to the edge of the cup and swirled in, much to the relief of the world No. 1. That last birdie left Korda with a 1-over 73, certainly not the score she was hoping for on Moving Day but after a front-nine 40, it was a bounce-back effort that she was overall pleased with.

“I think my mental strength and having people in my corner has something that I do pride myself in,” said Korda. “Some weeks are definitely harder than others. But I hate bogeying. I hate not playing well. Sometimes, that can get me in the gutter, and sometimes, that gets me out of it quickly. But I always kind of look at what's next and where I can improve.”

Korda will begin the final round alone in sixth, three shots back of 54-hole leader Maja Stark, a fairly easily deficit to make up considering how challenging Erin Hills has been playing this week. While most would expect Korda to prefer to be leading heading into the final day of any tournament, she is quite prolific at chasing, winning four of her seven 2024 titles when she was just a few shots off the pace last season.

When it comes to her round-four gameplan, Korda will be focusing on her usual, taking things one shot at a time, knowing that if she tries at all to force her hand or inflict her will upon this golf tournament, the U.S. Women’s Open conditions will jump up and bite you. So, she is putting a premium on patience on Sunday in Wisconsin and will be ready for one last battle with Erin Hills, a fight in which she will be working to once again get the upper hand like she did on Friday.

“Sometimes actually pressing has the reverse effect,” Korda said. “Sometimes, when you press too hard, you start to make more mistakes. So just staying in my own lane, focusing on myself, taking it a shot at a time, being very simple and present.”

Nelly Korda Cards 73 in Third Round of U.S. Women’s Open to Sit Three Behind Maja Stark

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