Nelly Korda's 34-inch par putt on the 18th hole circled the back lip, hung for a moment, and dropped in—the final punctuation on her maiden US Women's Open title at Riviera Country Club in Los Angeles. The world number one closed with a two-under 69 to finish eight under par, edging England's Charley Hull by a single shot in a tournament that proved both triumphant and heartbreaking depending on which side of that narrow margin you stood.
For Korda, 27, the victory marks her fourth major championship and caps a dominant stretch of form that included reclaiming the Chevron Championship title just four months earlier. She delivered when it mattered most, striking a crucial birdie on the 17th hole—a decisive moment that would prove the difference in a tightly contested final round. The American's composure down the stretch underscored why she holds the world's top ranking, and her words in the aftermath captured the weight of the moment: "The golf course holds so much history and to have my name alongside so many great champions is a dream come true."
Hull's second-place finish, at seven under par, represented a remarkable recovery from a position of apparent hopelessness. Seven strokes behind at the halfway mark, she posted consecutive rounds of 65 and 67 in the final two days, equaling the lowest 36-hole total in US Women's Open history. That resilience and skill made the outcome no less painful for the Englishwoman, who has now finished as runner-up at a major five times in her career—four of those since the start of 2023. Two of those near-misses came within her past three tournaments. "Another second place. It's pretty annoying," Hull said with the raw honesty of someone who knows she played the golf required to win. "I hit the ball fantastic, so fair play to Nelly Korda for back-to-back wins."
Hull shared second place with Mexico's Gaby Lopez, while South Korea's In-Gee Chun finished one shot further back at six under. Sei-Young Kim, who had started the final day tied with Korda atop the leaderboard, faded to five under.
The setting itself—Riviera Country Club, one of golf's storied venues steeped in championship tradition—lent gravitas to Korda's breakthrough moment at this particular major. The course's history and prestige hang over every shot, and Korda's ability to deliver under that weight, particularly down the stretch and on that final putt that seemed to defy gravity, speaks to a player operating at the height of her powers. For Hull, the pain of falling just short again will sting, but her performance serves as a reminder of her own championship caliber—and perhaps suggests that a major title isn't far away for the resilient Englishwoman.