Regardless of inspiring rally, Nelly Korda, 5 different stars miss reduce at U.S. Ladies’s Open

Nelly Korda arrived on the tee of Lancaster Nation Membership’s par-4 18th realizing she wanted birdie to make the reduce.

That’s not the place anybody anticipated her to be coming into the week; Korda arrived in Pennsylvania on a historic heater, with wins in six of her earlier seven begins. It felt extra doubtless that she’d raise the trophy than miss the weekend.

Nonetheless, after what had occurred Thursday — a stunning septuple-bogey 10 on the third gap of an opening-round 80 — it took an inspiring cost simply to get this shut. Korda had begun her second spherical with bogey however had performed splendidly since then, reeling off birdies at 7-8-9 to make the weekend a practical risk. A birdie at No. 18 would cap off a outstanding comeback. Get to Saturday and who is aware of what may occur subsequent?

However Korda’s tee shot went left instantly off the membership face. She turned away in disgust, turning again solely to shout “Fore!” (props for that, by the best way) because the ball tumbled towards the group. There’s no excellent news in that shaggy left tough, in order that was successfully it. Her U.S. Ladies’s Open was over. By the point she tapped in for bogey, it was official: She received’t win this occasion and even play the ultimate two days. Her made-cut streak is over, too, after practically a yr. Ladies’s golf’s greatest weekend will probably be with out its greatest star.

And Korda will hardly be the one star lacking.

It’s no shock that a number of good gamers are headed house on the midway level. That’s an inevitability of chopping from 156 to only the highest 60 and ties. However it’s a shock simply what number of huge names ended up on the unsuitable facet of the quantity, which settled at eight-over par.

Listed here are 5 extra of ’em.

U.S. Ladies’s Open: 5 extra shocking gamers to overlook the reduce

Rose Zhang

Shocking as a result of: She’s No. 6 on the earth and received in her second-to-last begin. After Korda, Zhang is likely one of the greatest sights on the LPGA; her presence will probably be missed. And like Korda, she did her injury on Thursday en path to a 79-72 week.

Brooke Henderson

Shocking as a result of: Henderson by no means misses cuts! Her final MC got here final summer time on the AIG Ladies’s Open. And he or she’s completed inside the highest 10 in 5 of her 10 begins in 2024. However Henderson shot 80-72 to overlook the reduce by 4, which suggests Canada’s finest hope is headed house, too.

Lexi Thompson

Shocking as a result of: Thompson’s case is barely totally different. It’s not stunning that Thompson missed a reduce; she entered the week off three MCs in a row. Nevertheless it’s jarring to not see her on the weekend as a result of this week was the week she selected to announce her upcoming retirement from full-time aggressive golf. We’ve simply develop into so accustomed to seeing her on the weekend at this event specifically. A missed reduce means two fewer probabilities to bid farewell.

Lydia Ko

Shocking as a result of: The World No. 14 kicked off her 2024 with a win and a runner-up end in her first two begins, and she or he hadn’t missed a reduce till her most up-to-date begin. However now she’s missed two in a row after going 80-73.

Allisen Corpuz

Shocking as a result of: She’s the defending champ. Corpuz received final yr’s USWO at Pebble Seashore however received’t repeat after taking pictures 75-77 to overlook the reduce by 4.

Higher information for…

One last observe: This record may have been twice as lengthy had the reduce slipped a shot or two decrease. Three of the world’s high eight gamers (Charley Hull, Celine Boutier and Hannah Inexperienced) completed at seven-over par, whereas a handful extra of high execs (Jin Younger Ko, Gabi Ruffels, Hyo Joo Kim, Megan Khang, Alison Lee, Madelene Sagstrom) completed at eight over.

They’ll every want a cost to get into competition. However at the very least they’ve made it to the weekend to have that likelihood.

Dylan Dethier

Golf.com Editor

Dylan Dethier is a senior author for GOLF Journal/GOLF.com. The Williamstown, Mass. native joined GOLF in 2017 after two years scuffling on the mini-tours. Dethier is a graduate of Williams School, the place he majored in English, and he’s the creator of 18 in America, which particulars the yr he spent as an 18-year-old dwelling from his automotive and taking part in a spherical of golf in each state.