Golfers Nelly Korda and Lexi Thompson both fail to make the cut at the US Women's Open.
Heading into the tournament, Korda – on a quest for her seventh win of the year – was the clear favorite to take home her second major title of 2024, having had a standout start to the season.
Unfortunately, she fell short with a disappointing opening round 10-over 80 and a more modest par score of 70 in the second, eliminating any hope of progressing past Lancaster Country Club in Pennsylvania. She finished just two shots away from the eight-over cut.
Although birdies on the sixth, seventh, and eighth holes on Friday offered a glimmer of hope for a turnaround, a bogey on the par-four ninth proved difficult to recover from. The day ended with another bogey on the par-four 18th.
In a candid conversation with press, Korda expressed her disappointment: "I knew it was going to be a hard day, so I just tried my best. No matter what, I always give it my all. After a tough start, I had nothing to lose and decided to go for it."
Earlier in the week, Thompson had confirmed her plans to retire from professional golf after this current season.
The 29-year-old, who had made it through to her 18th consecutive US Women’s Open, cumulatively had a score of 13-over for the tournament. Afterwards, while fielding questions from reporters, she was emotional.
"Apart from the golf, the entire experience was wonderful," Thompson, who qualified for her first US Women’s Open at age 12, shared. "I didn’t perform the way I hoped, but being able to hear the fans cheer me on, even as I kept bogeying, made me smile. It meant the world to me."
She continued with added gratitude: "I’m so thankful for the support from my family and friends, and the incredible turnout from fans this week. I knew it would be a significant week, and I'm just overjoyed to have shared it with them."
Only four players managed to stay under par after two rounds, with Wichanee Meechai of Thailand leading the tournament at four-under par. Andrea Lee followed closely behind as second, and Minjee Lee and Yuka Saso shared third with scores of one-under par.
