PACIFIC PALISADES, Calif. – Golfers are crazy. That’s what Nelly Korda told ESPN’s Pat McAfee after she mentioned that a key change she’d made in 2026 was to wear higher shoes.
“It’s literally, like, the smallest of things,” she said.
Soon after Korda half-shanked a bunker shot on the 13th at Riviera Country Club, she changed her shoes mid-round. The three-time major winner was 1 over in the opening round of the 81st U.S. Women’s Open and battling a case of the rights off the tee. The shoes she began the round with on Thursday were gifted to her by LeBron James. Her trainer, Kim Baughman, grabbed another pair out of Korda’s locker and rushed them out to the 16th tee.
“I felt like I had a little too much room,” Korda explained after the round. “It’s honestly, I’ve kind of run into this issue. I had that with the Jordans, too. Sometimes when I wear a different color, they just are made a little different, so the spacing is a little different. It’s the exact same shoe. I just wanted to wear these.”
Korda seemed bewildered about the round as she met with a small group of reporters outside the clubhouse. She had grabbed an apple and was heading straight to the range when she agreed to stop for a quick chat.
“Just honestly just hit it really poorly off the tee,” said Korda, who leads the tour in strokes gained off the tee. “Found myself in a lot of trouble on the wrong sides of a lot of these pins. I just felt like I was kind of just grinding to make safe pars.
“It wasn’t a great day. I hit it really good Monday through Wednesday, so I have honestly no idea where this came from. So I’m going to go to the range.”
Korda said she was sending it right in Cincinnati last month, where she placed outside the top 2 for the first time all season, finishing in a tie for 8th. The world No. 1 said she feels stuck in her swing and is unable to release it.
“I put in a lot of hours on the range,” she said, “and I can’t seem to really figure it out.”
Korda, 27, comes into this week the undisputed favorite, having lost to only nine people all season. Midway through the first day in L.A., she’s in a share of 80th. The last time the reigning world No. 1 won the U.S. Women’s Open was Inbee Park in 2013.
South Korea’s Sei Young Kim, a 13-time winner on the LPGA and major champion, paces the field at 4 under.
Beth Ann Nichols is a senior writer covering the LPGA for Golfweek.
