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Trade In Intermediate
Nelly Korda’s U.S. Women’s Open Win Reveals the 6-Step Secret to Lower Scores
By Brendon Elliott, PGA
Published on
When Nelly Korda wins, golfers usually want to study the obvious things.
The tempo. The balance. The finish. The driver swing that looks almost impossible to copy.
But the most useful lesson from Korda’s U.S. Women’s Open win is not that your swing should look like hers.
The better lesson is this: Korda knows how to build a round that can recover.
She won because she kept giving herself a chance to respond. A difficult stretch did not become a lost round. A mistake did not become three mistakes. A tough course did not make her impatient.
Most average players do not need a prettier swing first. They need a better recovery system.
Here is how to build one.
Step 1: Decide What Your “Messy Round” Rule Is
Before your next round, ask yourself one question:
What usually ruins my score?
For some golfers, it is a slice that turns into penalty shots. For others, it is three-putting, chunking wedges, trying hero shots or losing focus after one bad hole.
Pick one problem and create a rule around it.
- If you miss a fairway, your rule might be: take the easiest route back to safety.
- If you are short-sided, your rule might be: play to the middle of the green.
- If you make double bogey, your rule might be: treat the next hole as its own match.
Great players are not shocked when golf gets difficult. They expect it. Your job is to decide ahead of time how you will respond.
Step 2: Break the Round Into Six Small Matches
One of the biggest mistakes I see from everyday golfers is scoreboard panic.
They know their full 18-hole score too early. Then they start calculating what they “need” to shoot and get tight, impatient or careless.
Instead, break your round into six three-hole matches.
Try this format:
- Holes 1-3: Settle in
- Holes 4-6: Find rhythm
- Holes 7-9: Finish the side
- Holes 10-12: Restart
- Holes 13-15: Stay patient
- Holes 16-18: Commit
After each three-hole stretch, take 20 seconds and reset.
Ask yourself:
- Did I stay committed?
- Did I avoid the big number?
- What is the smartest plan for the next three holes?
This keeps one bad swing from infecting the entire scorecard.
Step 3: Trade One Hero Shot for One Smart Shot
Korda has the talent to hit shots most golfers should never try. But that does not mean her game is built on recklessness.
The best players are aggressive to smart targets, not reckless to tucked pins.
Average golfers lose too many shots by trying to recover all at once. They hit one poor tee shot, then try the low hook through trees, over a bunker, to a back-right pin from a bad lie.
That is not courage. That is bad math.
The next time you are in trouble, give yourself three options:
- Option 1: The hero shot
- Option 2: The safe shot
- Option 3: The boring shot
Most of the time, choose Option 2 or Option 3.
Boring golf is often scoring golf.
Punch back to the fairway. Aim at the fat side of the green. Take your medicine. Two-putt. Move on.
A bogey that stays a bogey can save your round.
Step 4: Build a Green-Light List
Not every hole deserves the same mindset.
Before you play, pick three green-light holes. These are holes where you can be a little more assertive because they fit your game.
Maybe it is a short par 4 where driver gives you a wedge, a par 5 you can reach in regulation or a par 3 with no serious trouble long.
Now pick three yellow-light holes. These are holes where par or bogey is perfectly fine.
Long forced carry? Tight tee shot? Water near your common miss? Deep bunkers around the green?
Play those holes with patience. You do not need to attack everything. You need to know when the course is giving you permission.
Step 5: Practice the Comeback
I call this practice game the Comeback Card.
Play nine holes and start yourself at 3 over before you hit the first shot.
Your goal is not to shoot a miracle score. Your goal is to respond like a golfer who still has a plan.
Use these rules:
- No penalty shots from poor decisions.
- No short-sided misses when aiming at the middle was available.
- No rushed putts inside four feet.
- No emotional club choices after a bad hole.
- No trying to get two shots back with one swing.
This teaches you to play golf from a realistic place. Most rounds ask you to recover, adjust and keep going.
Step 6: Use a Closing Routine
The last few holes are where many golfers drift.
They get tired. They count their score. They protect a good round or give up on a poor one.
Create a closing routine for holes 16, 17 and 18.
Before each tee shot, say this to yourself:
- Pick the target.
- Commit to the club.
- Finish the swing.
That is it.
You do not need a motivational speech. You need a clear job.
The Real Takeaway
The average golfer does not need to chase beautiful golf.
You need to chase functional golf.
- Can you recover after a bad start?
- Can you make one smart decision from trouble?
- Can you stop turning bogey into double?
- Can you stay patient long enough for one good stretch to show up?
That is where scores change.
The lesson from Korda’s U.S. Women’s Open win is not that golf has to be perfect. It is that your round is not over just because it got messy.
Build a plan that can recover, and you will give yourself a better chance every time you play.
PGA of America Golf Professional Brendon Elliott is an award-winning coach and golf writer. Read his recent “The Starter” on R.org and his stories on Athlon Sports. To stay updated on his latest work, sign up for his newsletter and visit OneMoreRollGolf.com.
