Nelly Korda is on the doorstep of winning the first two majors of the 2026 LPGA Tour schedule, shooting a Saturday 67 to jump into a share of the lead with Sei Young Kim at the 2026 US Women's Open at The Riviera Country Club in Pacific Palisades, California.
Korda, who has already won three times this season and finished runner-up three other times, attributes her success to a change in attitude.
"I play my best golf when I'm happy, free Nelly, and I'm kind of joking around out there. So that's kind of the attitude that I'm going to have tomorrow," she said Saturday night.
A year ago at Erin Hills, Korda came up just short of winning the national championship for the first time. In the end, Maja Stark prevailed, but Korda learned something about how to approach these championships.
"I think last year I really, really wanted it, and the more you want it sometimes the more you stiffen up and you get a little bit more nervous," she said.
Korda said she's also tried to fight her urge to be a perfectionist, realizing that golf isn't a perfect game, and it's definitely not a fair one, either.
"That's kind of been my attitude this year is like no matter what it throws at me, if I'm just going to get a silly bounce here or there I'll end up in a divot like I'll figure it out," she said.
"I think the worst thing that you can be, but which I am still, is a perfectionist in this sport. It does drive you nuts when you constantly miss a divot, or you're in a divot by a centimeter here and there, or you hit a great putt and it just lips out. Like those frustrations throughout the round can really build when it's all kind of not going your way."
However, now she faces an 18-hole round, where anything can happen, to win her fourth-career major and a third leg of the career Grand Slam. The world No. 1 believes she is ready to take on whatever unpredictable moments will come her way.
"So I'm just going to take on the challenges head on and know that I'm doing my best out there," she said. "I've prepared the best that I possibly can and I'm just going to try and play free golf."
