U.S. WOMEN'S OPEN

June 7, 2026

Nelly Korda

The Riviera Country Club

Press Conference

THE MODERATOR: We would like to welcome the winner of the 2026 U.S. Women's Open presented by ally, Nelly Korda to the interview room. Nelly Korda, you talked a lot about what this moment would and could mean to you; just try to put it into words.

NELLY KORDA: I really don't have any. I mean, that 14 year old girl that stepped on the range at Sebonack in 2013, I mean, her dream has just come true sitting next to this trophy right now.

It's really hard to put into words. This week was definitely a grind. I don't even feel like I had my B game (laughing). I was just grinding out there. And that's what I guess major championships are all about, right? It doesn't matter if you have your B or C game, you have to be there mentally.

And I have a great support system off the golf course, on the golf course, and I literally would not be standing here without millions of pep talks I just got on the golf course from Jay.

THE MODERATOR: It's been talked about a little in here that maybe you left Erin Hills with a renewed belief that you could win this one. Was it something you learned last year?

NELLY KORDA: Yeah, I always felt like I emphasize the Women's Open so much like that's where my dream started of playing on the LPGA.

Every year I like never played well. I was always over par or I made a mess of a hole at Lancaster, and I just felt like that dream was almost kind of like slipping away. But it was still keeping me very much so motivated.

Being in the chase at Erin Hills, I kind of turned the corner of, okay, like can I be in the hunt, I can do this, I can play and I can contend at a U.S. Women's Open. I can put the dream aside and focus on what's right in front of me. I really tried to focus on that today.

When I entered the back nine all Jay and I were talking about was one shot at a time. Not getting too ahead of myself. Not looking at the leaderboard, seeing what other people were doing. It was just a shot at a time.

THE MODERATOR: We'll open it up to questions.

Q. I know it just happened, but what do you think this says about the legacy of your career having gotten this one or what do you hope it means that you won the U.S. Open?

NELLY KORDA: For me, I mean I'm motivated obviously by -- I've never really thought about the legacy of my career, if I'm being completely honest. I just really love competing and I love being in this position of having a -- sometimes having a big lead going into Sunday and/or being tied for the lead and having to absolutely grind it out.

Like I didn't feel my best on the back nine. I had a lot of emotions kind of swirling in my stomach. I would say it's just a dream come true. I have dreamt about this moment since I was a little girl. I watched my sister compete in the Women's Open from a really young age. I mean, she started at the age of 15.

So it's just been, it's honestly just a dream come true sitting next to this trophy.

Q. What were you thinking before that final putt and then seeing it just sneak it?

NELLY KORDA: I was like, why did I leave myself such a long putt (laughing). It was like, a left-to-righter, the wind off of my left. I was like, good lord. I was just, yeah, pretty much like why did I leave myself such a long putt to make par.

But when that -- I knew that I didn't want to miss it right, so I like maybe had aimed a little bit too far left and pulled it. I mean, your heart rate is going. I wish I had my WHOOP like showcase my heart rate, because it was definitely high.

Q. Historically speaking, it's quite a comeback from where you finished on Thursday to where you are now. Can you take us back to Thursday, to your most stressful moment on the golf course and then how proud you are of where you are now?

NELLY KORDA: My most stressful part of the golf course on Thursday, I mean, how long you got? I would say I was just -- I just kept hitting these drives out right, out right, and out right, and I kept telling Jay, like I can't compete on this golf course if I'm not in the fairway. Like you cannot stop it on these greens.

Am I just going to continuously just depend on my short game, which I did throughout the whole week. I did depend on my short game. But I would say the most stressful thing was like I had no idea what happened from Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday to Thursday where it was -- I was drawing it beautifully, hitting it pure, and then all of a sudden like I was just sending it 20 yards right of my target.

So I think that was the most stressful part of the round. I'm really grateful to have my sister out here this week. Like even though it wasn't perfect from Friday to Sunday, I just really grinded it out. I felt like there were a couple shots here and there where I saw my old strikes and gave myself the chances that I needed to to propel.

You know, I think major championships are about grinding it out and also having that little window where you can be aggressive. I think I just did a really good job of staying patient and making those up and downs and then knowing that when I had that little window I was going to be aggressive.

Q. And then the putt on 17, did you know where you stood at that point on the leaderboard?

NELLY KORDA: Yeah, I mean it's right there in front of me. I was looking right at it. It was right there. I knew I needed to make it.

Q. Can you take us through what was going through your mind on that putt and what it felt like?

NELLY KORDA: Yeah, honestly what I've been doing with my putting is just really looking at my intermediate target right in front of the ball where I want to roll it over.

And I knew that I needed to make it. I knew it was going to be a really fast putt so I needed to put decent pace on it with how much I was playing it left-to-right.

And I was just -- I don't really throw out fist pumps too often, but I did this weekend. I threw out a couple fist pumps here and there and I threw out a double fist pump on that hole because I knew what it meant.

Q. Where does that putt rank in your career?

NELLY KORDA: One of the top moments. I mean, I can't -- I've had so many amazing moments in my career. I mean, but I'm just grateful to be sitting right here. I mean that putt is the reason why I'm here.

Q. You said a couple times you dreamt of this since were you a little girl. At this property with Greyson, Jess, Casey, your family here, does it taste as sweet as you thought it would all those years ago?

NELLY KORDA: Even sweeter, yeah, especially with the ice cream swirl on the last hole (laughing). Even sweeter. Just having everyone here is just such a cherry on top of like this whole feeling.

Q. What are your thoughts on the crowds out there this week? Could you feel them rooting you on throughout the week?

NELLY KORDA: Definitely. It's been so fun to play in front of them. L.A. definitely showed up and it was a lot of fun to play in front of amazing crowds.

Even starting Friday I think being in the afternoon wave we saw a lot of people come out. It's amazing to see how much our Tour has grown in that standpoint of dads, parents, coming out with their little kids. I mean, that's kind of what makes what we get to do so much sweeter.

And getting those fist pumps and people being kind of in my shoes, I was in their shoes growing up too. Like someone inspired me to pick up the game of golf. I looked up to a bunch of different athletes. For me to hold that spot for these little girls, these little boys, means the world to me, and I hope that they get to hoist though trophy one day too.

Q. Playing Riv and winning this one here, okay, talk about what that means in the big picture for you. And also, Arnold Palmer once told me at a U.S. Open, you need to be hungry, you need to be -- you need to grind and you need to be humble. How much did that come into play for what you had to do this week?

NELLY KORDA: Yeah, every week those three are definitely kind of the pillars to what I believe in my game and my personality of you have to be hungry and you definitely have to be humble out here, because golf will humble you.

I mean, the amount of times golf has humbled me throughout my years is crazy. But it has with everyone. And to get to win at this amazing venue with so much rich history and to -- every morning I walked in and I saw all the history on the walls, all the great champions, and to be part of that is just so special.

Q. We talked all week about how big this one is for you. Could you describe a little bit like what the weight of that is like and does it feel relieving at all right now?

NELLY KORDA: Yeah, I mean obviously I've had doubts of like even mid round I was like, well, will I ever win it, right? I mean you always have those doubts. But I think you're just a human being if you have them. Like everyone will have them eventually at some parts of their career.

But I don't know if a weight has been lifted off of my shoulders, but I just think I'm just extremely proud of my fight this week and the dream of that little girl that you kind of get to check that off your bucket list.

Q. And then as golfers we all know a grip change is like the worst possible thing you could do in the middle of a tournament, let alone -- what was that like for you to battle that physical change?

NELLY KORDA: The worst. It was honestly the worst. I kept telling -- my sister was like, I barely could sleep. I just literally told you to change your grip during a major championship (laughing). But it is so uncomfortable. I think it's the hardest thing in the game of golf is to change your grip because you're always like -- I was fiddling with it so much even on the range my sister was like, I just saw you regrip your grip four times before you hit that one shot, and I'm like, yeah, because it feels awful.

I feel like I'm going to hook this thing 30 yards left. And just like being able to trust that, I think that's why I had those shots out right too, because I didn't trust it and I didn't want to snap hook it left, so I was also kind of like battling that.

But I don't recommend it. I do not recommend changing your grip during a major championship. (Laughing).

Q. You had a lot of great up-and-downs this week, but how about the one today on 14, and how crucial that turned out to be for keeping the round going and because a lot of players weren't able to do that on that hole this week?

NELLY KORDA: Every up-and-down was very crucial. I would not be sitting here if it wasn't for my lovely wedge and my lovely putter. Yeah, sometimes it's just hard. You want to be aggressive and it was definitely windier out there today, but I just kept putting my head down and trying to give myself the best opportunity.

I mean, the only thing I was always hoping for was if I was in a bunker I was like, please don't plug, please don't plug. And then after I kind of saw my lie I was like, okay, I'm just going to give myself the best opportunity I can, and if it happens, it happens.

I mean, I'm just going to go in and commit to the shot that I need to hit.

Q. Describe the walk up the 18th, what you were thinking and then the amphitheater setting.

NELLY KORDA: I was like, oh, gosh, I wish that putt was closer (laughing). It's really amazing to see. I mean, especially with the hole. It kind of gave me vibes of like in Paris where it was just a very great golf course for fans to watch, where there's not a bad seat in the house, and it makes it really cool to walk up to see the iconic golf, the clubhouse and everyone sitting around cheering me on.

I had to honestly a couple times tell myself, okay, stay in the moment, stay in the moment, because I was dreaming, I was dreaming of hoisting the trophy a little too early. And I kept reverting back, I'm like the job's not done, the job's not done, yeah.

Q. I heard you had a moment with 1980 U.S. Open winner Amy Alcott and Riv member. What did she say to you if you don't mind sharing as you walked to the first tee?

NELLY KORDA: She's the best. She's welcomed me almost every day on the first tee with a massive hug and some sort of inspiration. And she's -- she was just telling me to stay positive and to grind out there.

THE MODERATOR: Appreciate the time, Nelly, congratulations.

NELLY KORDA: Thank you.