‘I messed up’: Nelly Korda’s brutal finish costs her Women’s Open title shot at St. Andrews

Nelly Korda covers face following her final-round 72 at the 2024 AIG Women’s Open.

Nelly Korda following her final-round 72 at the 2024 AIG Women’s Open.

Ross Parker/R&A/R&A via Getty Images

World No. 1 Nelly Korda was poised to cap off an historic season with a second major victory at St. Andrews’ iconic Old Course, but it all unraveled in just a few holes when a brutal finish on Sunday dashed her hopes.

Korda’s volatile final day at the 2024 AIG Women’s open was preceded by a volatile first three rounds, and a roller-coaster of a season in general.

Earlier this year, Korda went on an incredible stretch where she won six of seven LPGA events, including her second-career major at the Chevron Championship in April.

Following that torrid stretch, Korda cooled down in a big way, missing cuts with frequency, including at the next two majors. Then a late charge at Olympic gold in Paris was stifled by an untimely shank on the 15th hole in the final round.

But when the year’s final major began this week at the Old Course, Korda, still the World No. 1, looked like she would conquer her demons and get back in the winner’s circle after all, opening with back-to-back 68s in unrelenting winds to take the 36-hole lead.

Korda’s Scottish roller-coaster ride then took its first dip, when she shot a three-over 75 in round 3 to surrender the lead to Jiyai Shin. But the drama wasn’t over for the American star.

On Sunday, Korda made birdies at 5, 7, 9 and 10 to vault past everyone and take a two-shot lead, with fellow Americans Lydia Ko and Lilia Vu trailing behind and on the verge of falling out of contention.

Then at the par-5 14th hole, disaster struck for Korda. The hole should have been a great opportunity to add a fifth birdie to her scorecard and set her up for a waltz to the winner’s circle. A layup attempt on her second shot ended up in the long grass, where she caught a flyer to send her third shot over the green. Then Korda came up short with her chip, which rolled back off the green.

With her fifth shot, she successfully chipped to four feet, leaving her a great look at bogey which would have left her in the lead by one. But Korda’s short bogey try missed, giving her a devastating double-bogey to fall into a tie for the lead.

“I had 58-degree and it just shot on me. The wedge shot that I had over the green was kind of sitting a little bit in a hole with some of the — whatever you call it, the ‘hay’ or whatever you call it behind it,” Korda said Sunday after her round, explaining her double-bogey on 14. “I just can’t catch it cleanly and then obviously didn’t make the putt for bogey.”