Nelly Korda stumbles again in first event since US Women's Open, shooting 76 at Meijer LPGA Classic

GRAND RAPIDS Michigan (AP) — Nelly Korda stumbled again Thursday in her first event since missing the cut at the U.S. Women's Open, losing four strokes over the first three holes in a 4-over 76 at the windy Meijer LPGA Classic.

Top-ranked Korda was tied for 133rd out of 144 players, 11 shots behind leader Alison Lee of Blythefield Country Club.

Korda shot 80-70 — make a 10 on a hole in the first round – two weeks ago at the US Women’s Open in Pennsylvania. She came into the Women's Open with six wins in her last seven tournaments, including a major that tied an LPGA Tour record for five straight wins.

On Thursday at Blythefield, where she won in 2021 with a tournament-record 25 under, Korda opened with double bogey-bogey-bogey. Playing in the afternoon in a group with her former champions Brooke Henderson and Leona Maguire, Korda was even tied until the end, making up for three bogeys with three birdies.

Lee shot 65. Winless on tour, she made an eagle at the par-5 eighth and had seven birdies and one bogey.

“It feels really good to hit a low shot today,” Lee said. “I definitely give a lot of credit to my putter. Even I made a lot of really, really good par saves and a lot of good birdies.

Henderson, the Canadian who competed in the event in 2017 and 2019, was two shots behind at 67 with 2022 champion Jennifer Kupcho, Lizette Salas, Benedetta Moresco, Narin An, Carlota Ciganda, Ssu-Chia Cheng, Lauren Hartlage and Daniela Darquea.

“It was extremely windy,” Henderson said. “It was really difficult to judge. I feel like the first few holes I didn't hit a fairway and I was really going up and down, I made a lot of clutch stops which really kept the momentum and the flow of the round.

Lilia Vu, a former No. 1 player and two-time major winner last year, opened with a 69 – playing alongside Lee – on her return from a back injury that has sidelined her since the championship Ford in Arizona at the end of March.

“I played with my good friend Alison,” Vu said. “It was fun. She played really well, so she kept me in check.

Lexi Thompson, the 2015 winner, shot 71. She went more than five years without winning. Thompson said this will be his last year playing with a full schedule.

Defending champion Maguire carded the par-5 18th for a 72.

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