U.S. WOMEN'S OPEN

May 30, 2025

Nelly Korda

Erin Hills GC

Flash Interview

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THE MODERATOR: We'd like to welcome back Nelly Korda, 5-under 67. Seemed like you were in control of your game out there. Can you talk us through the round.

NELLY KORDA: Yeah, definitely felt a little bit more confident on the putting green today. Made some putts. Made two kind of silly bogeys. Other than that, felt really good out there.

Q. You made over 100 feet of putts; what did you find from yesterday to today?

NELLY KORDA: Honestly, I was hitting really good putts yesterday. I was hitting it exactly where I wanted to and they just weren't falling. It was one of those days. Today I did the same thing; I didn't really try to do anything different, tried to roll it over an intermediate target. My distance control has been really good on the putting green, so hopefully I can keep trending in the right direction heading into the weekend.

Q. Does winning a U.S. Women's Open require a different skill set than winning regular LPGA Tour events?

NELLY KORDA: I mean, I would say that it's very demanding in every part of your game, off the tee, into the greens, on the green, too. You never can feel like you can take a deep breath like you can relax because something is always next. It's a very demanding shot.

Same thing with mental. At the end of the day that's just major championship golf. That's why we do what we do is to play these types of golf courses in this type of scenery where it just tests every part of your game.

Q. You said you were more confident with your putting today. What gave you more confidence in that part of your game going into the day?

NELLY KORDA: All week I was hitting putts really well. I wasn't discouraged by all the missed putts or the close calls that I had yesterday. I just tried to build on that because I was hitting really good putts.

Q. You did look a little frustrated with the first missed putt on 15. Was it important to kind of come back and make birdie on 17, or where was your mindset at that point?

NELLY KORDA: Yeah, it's not my first, and it definitely won't be my last. That's kind of the mindset that you have to have, that there are some opportunities out there, and I'm hitting it well off the tee, into the greens and putting. I think if I'm confident, then I know that I can bounce back.

Q. You've won so much in your career; when you go to the weekend of a major tournament like this with a good chance among the leaders, does your mindset shift some to think you're no longer just trying to get up there but you've got a real shot to do something?

NELLY KORDA: No, I'm just trying to stick to my process, do the same warmup I've been doing every single day and approach every shot the way I've been doing the past two days and not trying to think about anything other than that.

Q. Would a U.S. Women's Open validate your career?

NELLY KORDA: You can ask me that on Sunday.

Q. You've made the weekend seven times in a U.S. Open. What have you learned from those experiences, the positives and negatives, that can aid you this weekend?

NELLY KORDA: It just keeps getting tougher. The pins get tougher. The golf course, if the weather allows, gets firmer. Just it tests you more, and also it just gets a little bit more mentally demanding in a sense because it is playing a little harder out here.

Q. Obviously there's been a premium on your putting but you've got to get to that point. How important have the lines off the tees and the approach shots been?

NELLY KORDA: Yeah, I've been really focused on my starting and finishing targets this week, especially off the tees with some of the blind tee shots, and then same thing with my irons. Really just focusing in on my targets.

Q. This is your best score at the U.S. Open; would you say it's your best round in the U.S. Open?

NELLY KORDA: Yes, probably. Yes. Yeah, I feel like I've had a very complicated relationship with U.S. Opens. But I'm happy to be in the position I am heading into the weekend.

Q. You'll have a pretty big break -- it's only 1:20 now -- before your round tomorrow. What will the next 24 hours or so look like for you?

NELLY KORDA: Might sprinkle in a nap. Maybe some reading. My parents are here, so maybe play some ping-pong with my dad. We have a ping-pong table at the house. Yeah, just chill.

Q. Just a fun group for you. What was the atmosphere like out there? It's a big golf course, but did you feel the galleries present?

NELLY KORDA: Yeah, it was great. I love playing in front of a crowd like this, and playing alongside Lexi and Charley was so much fun. I always enjoy playing with them. I'm excited to see everyone come out on the weekend, but so far Thursday and Friday did not disappoint crowd-wise.

Q. Earlier in the week you talked about having patience out here. How have you been able to manage the patience, especially going in and through today's round?

NELLY KORDA: Yeah, I've been pretty good with it. I'm not riding the roller coaster like sometimes I do. I've been just trying to be very level-headed and just know if I make a mistake that I can bounce back.

Q. You talked about really picking your starting lines and paying a lot of attention to that. Is that almost harder out here at Erin Hills even though there is the width when there's not really much to aim and at point at than something that's nor narrow?

NELLY KORDA: Well, thankfully there's TV towers that you can kind of pick during Monday through Wednesday practice rounds, so that's -- mainly my starting targets are poles or TV towers.

Q. Your ball-striking stats are fantastic. Are you good are you hitting it this week?

NELLY KORDA: Yeah, I feel really good. Hopefully I can continue that on into the weekend. It's golf; sometimes you don't know what kind of player shows up.

But I'm very focused on my process before my shots and my warmups.

Q. I know sometimes you have a word of the day or mantra of the day. What was it today and what will it be for the weekend?

NELLY KORDA: I didn't have a mantra today. It was just one shot at a time is usually my go-to.