Korda Struggles, Ryu Soars on Day One at Royal Lytham
World No. 1 Nelly Korda opened the AIG Women’s Open with a one-over-par 73 at Royal Lytham & St Annes on Thursday, while her playing partner Haeran Ryu — winner of the last two majors — fired a five-under 66 to seize an early place on the leaderboard. The contrasting rounds underscore the shifting dynamics in women’s golf as the season’s final major gets underway. Ryu, seeking to become the fifth player in LPGA history to win three straight majors, sits three shots behind clubhouse leader Jeeno Thitikul (64). American Yealimi Noh posted a 67. Former champion Lydia Ko, the third member of the marquee group, carded an even-par 71.
Korda, who turned 28 on Tuesday, struggled with the vagaries of links golf that she had warned about earlier in the week. “My attitude this week is control what you can control,” she said in pre-tournament remarks. “Sometimes with links golf you can kind of get pretty agitated with the bounces that you get.” Her round included erratic iron play and a cold putter, leaving her eight shots adrift of Thitikul and facing an uphill climb to claim her third major of the season.
The Summer of Nelly Hits a Speed Bump
Korda’s opening 73 is the latest sign of a cooling-off period after a historically dominant stretch. She began 2026 with wins at the Chevron Championship and the U.S. Women’s Open, becoming the first American to capture the first two majors of the year since Pat Bradley in 1986. The LPGA had hoped to capitalize on her star power with a “Summer of Nelly” marketing push, mirroring the rivalries that transformed the NBA in the 1980s and the PGA Tour in the Tiger Woods era. But since her tense one-shot victory at Riviera Country Club in June, Korda has finished runner-up at the Women’s PGA Championship, missed the cut at the Evian Championship, and posted only a T16 at last week’s Scottish Open.
Scottie Scheffler, the PGA Tour’s world No. 1, recently offered an apt comparison when discussing his own mid-season fatigue. “It’s never the best thing to miss a cut, but like I said, sometimes having a couple days off, resetting … You get a little tired. Reset the mind. Reset the body,” he said after missing his first cut in 78 events. Korda has acknowledged the emotional toll of her high-stakes season, telling reporters, “Just because you’re playing well doesn’t mean you’re invincible.”
Ryu’s Bid for History
While Korda searches for form, Haeran Ryu is playing the best golf of her life. The 25-year-old South Korean broke through at the Women’s PGA Championship at Hazeltine, then won the Evian Championship with a record-breaking round of 60 before beating Brooke Henderson in a playoff. Asked about her hot streak, Ryu said simply, “Yeah, my golf is pretty good.”
A third consecutive major victory would place her in the company of legends. Only five players have won three straight majors in LPGA history; the last was Inbee Park in 2013. “Could honestly be a once-in-a-lifetime kind of thing,” said Lydia Ko of the Korda-Ryu duopoly that has captured every major in 2026. Ryu and Korda have accounted for all four major titles this year, and the Women’s Open will determine whether the season belongs to a single dominant figure or a changing of the guard.
What’s at Stake for Korda
For Korda, a win at Royal Lytham would not only banish the memory of her runner-up finish at the 2024 Women’s Open at St Andrews but also move her to within one major of completing a career Grand Slam. She already owns four major titles and 24 professional wins, and qualification for the LPGA Hall of Fame is within reach. A victory would also put her one step closer to the “super” career Grand Slam (winning all five women’s majors), a feat only achieved by Karrie Webb. The opening-round 73, however, makes that path far more difficult.
The Bigger Picture: Rivalry or Dynasty?
The LPGA has long sought its breakthrough moment — a era-defining rivalry akin to Bird vs. Magic or Woods vs. Mickelson. Commissioner Craig Kessler, who took over last summer, has leaned into Korda’s surge as a marketing catalyst. But the emergence of Ryu as a genuine foil provides the kind of competitive narrative that captures wider public attention. If Ryu wins at Lytham, the conversation shifts from Korda’s dominance to a genuine two-player rivalry. If Korda stages a weekend charge, the narrative of resilience and control — themes she has emphasized all week — will dominate.
“I feel like I’ve done this long enough where I’ve missed enough cuts that it’s just about the bounceback,” Korda said earlier this week. With 54 holes remaining, the stage is set for precisely that kind of rebound.
For more on the opening rounds of the championship, see our coverage of the 2026 AIG Women's Open: Hull, Korda Lead Major Chase at Royal Lytham.
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