Nelly Korda’s Chevron Championship defense quickly took a turn for the worse.

Nelly Korda’s title defense at the Chevron Championship began on shaky ground, with the world No. 1 carding a five-over 77 in Thursday’s opening round. A string of early bogeys and struggles from tee to green left her four shots outside the projected cutline and 12 back of the lead.

Korda, who has seen success this season with multiple top-10 finishes, was visibly frustrated after the round, citing poor ball-striking and a tough putting day.
Despite switching to a blade putter, she needed 33 putts and hit just 11 greens in regulation—a rare off day for the usually consistent star.

Still, Korda stayed true to her reputation off the course, signing autographs and smiling for photos with fans, including two newborns. While her weekend status is in jeopardy, her impact beyond the scorecard continues to shine. She’ll return to the range in hopes of salvaging her tournament in Friday’s round.