Just when it looked like Nelly Korda was about to mount one of her signature comebacks, golf reminded us all that momentum can vanish faster than a missed tap-in.
The Chevron Championship was heating up, and Nelly Korda, golf’s golden girl and current World No. 1, was making a serious charge up the leaderboard. After a sluggish start to the tournament, she had found her groove—dialing in her irons, sinking birdie putts with ease, and flashing that confident smirk that usually signals something special is brewing. For a moment, it felt like the Chevron stage was setting itself for another Korda masterclass.
Then came the heartbreak.
In a brutal two-hole stretch that could haunt her highlight reels for all the wrong reasons, Korda made back-to-back double bogeys. That’s four strokes lost in a flash, and just like that, her chances at clinching another major title dissolved faster than a snack in a bunker breeze. The golf gods can be cruel, and they chose this moment to remind everyone that no lead—or comeback—is ever safe.
The first double came after a tee shot that wandered into no man’s land, forcing Korda into scramble mode. A duffed chip and a lip-out putt sealed the deal. The next hole? A water ball. Cue the groans, the dropped shoulders, and the quiet disbelief from fans and commentators alike. She went from charging to collapsing in a matter of minutes.
It’s a tough pill to swallow for someone who’s had an otherwise stellar season. With multiple wins under her belt this year, Korda was widely seen as the favorite heading into the Chevron. And for a while, she was living up to the hype. But golf, as ever, doesn’t care about form or reputation. It only rewards perfection—or something close to it.
Still, don’t count her out for long. If there’s one thing Nelly Korda has proven time and again, it’s that she knows how to bounce back. A couple of errant holes won’t define her, but they certainly reshaped this weekend’s storyline. Chevron will crown a new champion, and Korda will go back to the drawing board—but don’t be surprised if she comes roaring back in the next major.
Because if there’s one truth in golf, it’s this: stars stumble. But champions? They always rise again.
