Chevron Championship
Defending champion Nelly Korda fights to reach weekend in Chevron Championship
Nelly Korda watches her drive on the 11th tee during the second round of the Chevron Championship.
Katelyn Mulcahy
THE WOODLANDS, Texas — World No. 1 Nelly Korda had a rough first round in the Chevron Championship and an even tougher start on Friday.
Korda bogeyed two of the first three holes at The Club at Carlton Woods and was seven over with 16 holes to play. And then, the world’s best player—and defending champion here—played like the woman who won six times last season. She went back to a mallet putter after using a blade putter in the first round and shot a four-under 68 to make the cut.
It should go down as one of the gutsiest rounds she’s ever had. Playing the front nine last, Korda birdied six of the last 11 holes and parred the rest. The horn blew to suspend play due to darkness just after Korda signed her scorecard and started talking to reporters.
“At one point I was seven over, so grinded a lot on the two birdies on my eighth and ninth hole, which really helped kind of boost it,” Korda said. “Then knew that there were some gettable par 5s on the back nine. Just a crazy day. Go from win a tournament to just make the cut.”
At darkness on Friday in the tournament delayed by thunderstorms on Thursday and fog on Friday, the projected cut line was two over par, with nine players still needing to finish on Saturday morning and three golfers who could affect the cut number. The top 65 and ties make the cut, and if at least one of those three players makes birdie, the cut would come at one over. Jenny Bae, Benedetta Moresco and Sophia Popov all can affect the cut line. Popov still has three holes to play and Bae one as they finish on the front nine. Moresco, who started at 1, has the 17th and potential birdie opportunity at the par-5 18th.
After reaching the par-5 eighth green in two shots and two-putting for birdie to get to one over, Korda was in the bunker at 9 and made a par putt to be comfortably inside the cut bubble. She had barely enough light to finish but, clearly, with the momentum she had, finishing was the best option.
“It's tough. Obviously [darkness] plays a really big role in the game of golf, and sometimes you just have to grind it out even when it's a little dark out,” Korda said.
Korda signed autographs in darkness for children who waited for her to finish. She undoubtedly expended plenty of energy over an emotionally charged two days. After her five-over 77 on Thursday, she seemed on the verge of tears.
“Very up and down,” Korda said of her emotions the last two days. “Just my word today was have faith. That was my motto. So, yeah, I didn't really have much, though, after when I made two bogeys, but I just kept repeating it to myself.”
It worked, and now Korda—who is eight shots behind leader Yan Liu—will have more work to do, but she’s got 36 holes to do it.
World No. 2 Jeeno Thitikul, who is seeking her first major win, shot three-over 75 and is among those in danger at plus two. She hasn’t missed a cut since the Amundi Evan Championship last July and has seven top-10 finishes in 24 majors. Allisen Corpuz, the 2023 U.S. Women’s Open winner at Pebble Beach, also is at two over.
Major winners who will miss the cut are current European Solheim Cup captain Anna Nordqvist, past Chevron champion Jennifer Kupcho and former Evian winner Celine Boutier. World No. 10 Charley Hull will miss the cut at four over and is still searching for her first major win.
Florida State star Lottie Woad will miss the cut at four over, as will teenager Asterisk Talley (11 over).