Nelly Korda’s Epic Comeback After Putter Swap to Make Chevron Championship Cut

Faith, birdies, and a new flat stick got the job done. Nelly Korda isn’t done yet at the Chevron Championship — but it took a wild Friday rally to keep her title defense alive.

After a brutal opening 77 that left her flirting with a missed cut, Korda made the switch from her trusty blade putter back to a mallet and dug deep. The result? Six birdies in her final 10 holes, a 4-under 68, and a ticket to the weekend at The Club at Carlton Woods.

Nelly Korda: From Panic to Patience
Korda came out Friday and immediately bogeyed two of her first three holes, sinking to 7-over-par and staring at a quick exit. After some steady par saves, though, the birdie train finally left the station — and it didn’t stop for the next few hours.

She birdied 17, 18, and 1 in quick succession, then tacked on two more at 4 and 6, thanks to some ridiculous iron play, including a dart from a fairway bunker to just a few feet.

Needing one more big moment to officially punch her weekend ticket, Korda reached the green in two at the par-5 eighth and coasted to a two-putt birdie. She closed it out with a clutch up-and-down on 9, draining a five-footer to save par.

A Mental Battle
Korda said the key Friday was simple — faith. “Very up and down. Just my word today was have faith. That was my motto,” she said after the round. “I didn’t really have much after I made two bogeys, but I just kept repeating it to myself: grind and keep your head down. Have faith.”

It paid off. Nelly Korda finished 1-over-par heading into Saturday, safely inside the projected cut line of +2 when play was suspended due to darkness.

The mallet made the difference, even if it didn’t pay immediate dividends. After a Thursday disaster that featured 33 putts and endless frustration, Korda decided to ditch the blade she’d been trying to make work.

She previously rolled the mallet for much of late 2024 and early 2025, before temporarily switching back last week in LA. After a brutal putting session Thursday night, the decision to switch was made — and eventually, it saved her tournament.

Nelly Korda will need two monster rounds to catch Yan Liu, who currently leads at 7-under, but she’s alive — and that’s all that matters for now.

Meanwhile, several big names are packing their bags early, including Jennifer Kupcho, Madelene Sagstrom, Charley Hull, Hannah Green, and Yuka Saso — all of whom missed the cut.