U.S. Women's Open 2021

In U.S. Women's Open, Korda sisters finally paired together in a major

May 31, 2021
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Jessica Korda (left) and sister Nelly Korda will be paired together in the fiirst two rounds of the U.S. Women's Open.

Sam Greenwood

SAN FRANCISCO — It’s one of those occasions when you wonder, “Why didn’t anybody think of this before?” Remarkably, the Korda sisters of the LPGA Tour, Jessica and Nelly, had never been grouped together in the first round of a major championship. That will change come Thursday, when they will play alongside each other and former U.S. Women’s Open champion So Yeon Ryu in the first round of the U.S. Women’s Open at Olympic Club.

The USGA announced tee times for the first and second rounds on Monday. The Korda group will go off on the Lake Course at 11:28 a.m. ET in the first round. Neither Korda has won a major, with Nelly, 22, who has four LPGA wins, having come closest with a playoff loss at the 2020 ANA Inspiration. In her six previous U.S. Women’s Open starts, Nelly's best finish is a tie for 10th in 2018.

A six-time winner on the LPGA, Jessica, 28, has top-10 finishes in all five of the LPGA majors, and her best U.S. Women’s Open result is a T-7 in 2013.

In what could be considered a veteran super group, Paula Creamer, the 2010 U.S. Women’s Open winner, and Cristie Kerr, 2007 winner are grouped with the championship’s 2014 winner, Michelle Wie West. Creamer and Kerr are both playing this week on special exemptions from the USGA.

In another grouping of major champions, Lexi Thompson, Brooke Henderson and this year's ANA winner, Patty Tavatanakit, will play together.

World No. 1 Jin Young Ko will play with Danielle Kang and Hannah Green, while the reigning U.S. Women’s Open champ, A Lim Kim, is grouped with 2020 Women’s British Open winner Sophia Popov and No. 1-ranked amateur Rose Zhang.