Can Nelly Korda Win the U.S. Women's Open at Riviera?

There are courses that whisper to you, and then there are courses that speak with the authority of nearly a century of championship golf. Riviera Country Club is decidedly the latter. As the 81st U.S. Women's Open prepares to unfold across these hallowed Los Angeles grounds this week, the question on everyone's lips isn't whether we'll witness great golf—it's whether we're about to watch Nelly Korda complete a career that already borders on legendary.

A Historic First at Riviera

This marks the first time the U.S. Women's Open has graced Riviera's iconic layout, and walking these fairways, you can feel the weight of history pressing down on every blade of grass. The barranca that bisects the sixth hole, the infamous kikuyu rough, that postage-stamp par-3 sixth green—Riviera has humbled the greatest players in history. Now it opens its arms to the women's game, and the stage couldn't be more perfectly set.

Korda arrives here having already claimed a major title this season, and her form has been nothing short of breathtaking. In seven events this year, she's won three times and finished runner-up on three other occasions. Her worst result? A tie for eighth. For most players, that would be a career highlight. For Korda, it's an aberration.

The Numbers That Tell the Story

What makes this moment feel different from her dominant 2024 stretch—when she won six times in seven starts before famously shooting 80 and missing the cut at Lancaster Country Club—is the sustained brilliance. Her strokes gained this season sits at a staggering 4.03, a nearly 1.2-shot improvement over her 2024 figure of 2.86. She's also averaging 10 yards longer off the tee than she was two years ago.

Let that sink in: the best player in the world got meaningfully better.

Riviera rewards length, but it also punishes waywardness with a severity that can break spirits. The kikuyu rough grabs at the club like an unwanted houseguest refusing to leave. Yet Korda's ball-striking prowess suggests she'll find more fairways than most, and her added distance means shorter approaches into greens that reward precision.

The Ghost of Lancaster

We cannot discuss Korda's U.S. Women's Open aspirations without acknowledging what happened in 2024. She entered Lancaster Country Club as the overwhelming favorite, riding a wave of dominance that seemed destined to crest with a major championship. Instead, she shot 80 and missed the cut, then proceeded to miss cuts in her next two tournaments.

That kind of collapse would haunt most players. But Korda has spoken about it as a learning experience, and her performance since suggests she's internalized whatever lessons that brutal week offered. The mental battle at a U.S. Women's Open is as demanding as the physical one—the USGA setups are designed to test every facet of a player's game and psyche.

Why Riviera Could Be Different

Having walked Riviera's fairways countless times, I've always felt it rewards creativity alongside power. The course asks questions that have multiple correct answers, and Korda possesses the imagination to find them. The only relative weakness in her game right now is her putting, and Riviera's poa annua greens have been known to betray even the most confident strokers.

But if she can get the flat stick working—even moderately well—this championship could be decided before Sunday's back nine. Her talent is that immense, her current form that commanding.

The Supporting Cast

Of course, Korda won't be alone in contention. The U.S. Women's Open always produces compelling storylines, and this field is stacked with players capable of rising to the occasion. But the spotlight burns brightest on the world number one, and at Riviera, with its Hollywood backdrop and championship pedigree, Korda has the opportunity to write a chapter that cements her place among the game's all-time greats.

Key Takeaways

Korda enters Riviera with three wins and three runner-ups in seven 2026 starts
Her strokes gained of 4.03 represents a massive improvement over her 2024 dominance
This is the first U.S. Women's Open held at Riviera Country Club
The 2024 Lancaster collapse may have provided valuable experience for major pressure
Putting remains her only relative weakness heading into the championship