Nelly Korda ditches shoes LeBron James gave her, surges into U.S. Women's Open lead

Nelly Korda changed what's on her feet. More important, she changed what's in her head.

Now, with one round remaining in the U.S. Women's Open, the world's No. 1 player is in prime position to check off the biggest item on her to-do list.

Korda matched her Friday score with another 67 on Saturday, deftly navigating around Riviera Country Club and up to the top of the leaderboard, putting herself one great round away from her first Open title.

Thursday seems like ancient history, back when she stumbled to an opening-round 73 and had to switch shoes six holes in. The Nike Victory Pro 4s that LeBron James gifted her were a tad too loose, and that might have had something to do with her spraying her tee shots.

Regardless, her spectacular finish Saturday - three consecutive birdies in the fading sunlight - left her in a tie for first with South Korea's Sei Young Kim and moving through a narrow path of roped-off autograph seekers holding hats, pin flags and oversized golf balls.

If there was a lesson Korda took away from her runner-up finish at Erin Hills last year, it's that she can't expect perfection and instead, like a well-placed draw, she just needs to roll with it.

"I've tried to have a mindset shift," she said. "I've tried to have the attitude of instead of saying, 'I'm screwed in this position. Oh, here we go again,' I'm just going to embrace the challenges, and I'm not going to walk off the golf course. I'm just going to figure it out."

Part of that is pumping herself up by writing encouraging affirmations to herself when she's not on the course. She brings sticky notes on the road with her and posts them on her hotel mirror. Maybe it looks like "Homeland" in her room, she didn't say. And she cheerfully declined when asked what exactly she scribbles. Either way, it seems to be working.

This marks the fourth time in her career that Korda will play in the final group at a major. According to Elias Sports Bureau, that matches Minjee Lee for the highest such total over the past 10 years.

What's more, Elias said, this is the first U.S. Women's Open in 30 years in which each player among the top three and ties after 54 holes are all major champions.

That encompasses co-leader Kim (Women's PGA in 2020), Jennifer Kupcho (Chevron 2022) and Chun (PGA in 2022, Open in 2015).

Former UCLA standout Alison Lee, who led after the second round, dropped into a three-way tie for eighth after her 72 on Saturday.

There's an interesting wrinkle involving Kupcho and Allisen Corpuz, who is four shots off the lead. Kupcho's husband, Jay Monahan, caddies for Corpuz.

Monahan, who is not related to the former PGA Tour chairman of the same name, conceded he glances up at the leaderboard occasionally to see how his wife is playing, "But I've still got to focus on my primary job first."

Mexico's Gaby Lopez is in a cluster two shots off the lead and in search of her first major victory. She has been even-keeled, shooting 68, 71 and 70 over the first three rounds.

Like Korda, Lopez leans on some written encouragement. That's evident by the yardage book that's prominently displayed in her back pocket.

"Yeah, my yardage book," she said. "It says 'Chingona' on the back side, and it's a funny word for badass in Spanish. And when I was growing up, I did gymnastics and my dream was to become an Olympic gymnast, and my mom [in] the crowds would just yell, 'Vamos, Chingona.' My mom is from the north side of the country and that's what - they curse a little bit more than in the South and in central Mexico, so it just stuck to me.

"And she's always been the one, the biggest cheerleader I have, and I give her all the credit and strength I have as a woman."

A woman of strength will win this tournament. With one round to go, that will be one of many.

This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.

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This story was originally published June 6, 2026 at 4:52 PM.