Nelly Korda finally has the major title she always wanted. It might just be the start

Nelly Korda already had established herself as the best in women's golf without argument.

She has beaten all but nine players in eight tournaments this year. Only once has she not played in the final group on Sunday. All she was lacking was the biggest championship on her calendar. The U.S. Women's Open is what inspired her from the time she first played in it at age 14.

“That's where my dream started,” she said.

The pressure was never greater than Sunday at century-old Riviera Country Club when Korda had to chip and putt and grind to win the major she wanted more than all the others.

Korda is the first player since Inbee Park in 2013 to capture the first two legs of the calendar Grand Slam, and there are signs this could be the start of something special.

Park played with masterful control and sublime putting. She didn't overwhelm with style points. She won with remarkable efficiency.

Korda is more reminiscent of the previous player in pursuit of a Grand Slam, Annika Sorenstam in 2005, who won the first two majors by a combined 11 shots. Sorenstam was halfway home to a Grand Slam and miles ahead of everyone else.

Right now, no one is close to Korda.

The next major is three weeks away, the Women's PGA Championship, at Hazeltine National outside Minneapolis. It's a big ballpark, perfectly suited for the 27-year-old American star whose swing is the envy of most every golfer, male or female.

The last time the Women's PGA was at Hazeltine was in 2019. Korda was in her third year on the LPGA Tour with three career wins. She finished three shots behind.

Korda won her first major this year at the Chevron Championship in Houston, another big course, with a dominance not seen at an LPGA major in 35 years. She led the final 57 holes and was ahead by eight shots at one point on the weekend. She probably could have won by any margin if she didn't aim for the fat of the greens with victory in hand.

Equally impressive was the nail-biter at Riviera, where there was a four-way tie for the lead at various points in the final round.

Korda pulled ahead with a 9-foot birdie putt on the 17th hole.

“That putt is the reason why I'm here,” she said with the Women's Trophy at her side.

It won't be remembered as much as the short par putt for the one-shot victory over Gaby Lopez and Charley Hull. It was just inside 3 feet, though it traveled even farther because of the 10 inches the golf ball swirled around the 13-inch circumference of the cup before it disappeared.

She felt pressure, nerves, slight embarrassment and pure joy. On the packed hillside overlooking the 18th green there was a brief moment of panic that gave way to pandemonium. All those emotions took place in a 10-second window Korda will never forget.

“I don’t know if a weight has been lifted off of my shoulders, but I just think I’m just extremely proud of my fight this week and the dream of that little girl that you kind of get to check that off your bucket list,” she said.

That it happened at Riviera, the storied course off Sunset Boulevard, adds to the allure.

A Hollywood finish? Sure. But this was more about big-time players winning on big-time courses. It was the first time Riviera has hosted the Women's Open, giving Korda and other players a preview of the course that will host the 2028 Olympics.

Korda managed to keep it together when her swing, which felt so pure in the practice rounds, deserted her in an opening round of 73 that left her seven shots behind. It wasn't as bad as the 10 she made on her third hole of the 2024 Women's Open at Lancaster Country Club. This time, she had a fighting chance and fought to the finish.

She saved par 24 out of the 30 times she missed the green. She birdied the final three holes Saturday to share the 54-hole lead and get into the final group (again). She never had the lead until that birdie putt on the 17th hole Sunday.

Key to the resurgence was returning to what Korda refers to as her bubble. She won seven times in 2024 and felt the weight of outside expectations when she put together similar statistic in 2025 without a single victory. Now she is back to her bubble, accepting that mistakes will happen, not concerned with much more than the next shot.

She is leaving herself written messages on her bathroom mirror.

“I wrote one today and I said, ‘Whatever happens, happens; just give it a 100%.’ And that’s what I did,” Korda said Sunday.

Another message came from Tiger Woods, whom Korda met for the first time at the PNC Championship in 2021. They have stayed in touch, and Korda said he sent her a text ahead of the final round at Riviera that said, “Finish it off.”

That she did. And there is a feeling she might be just getting started.

AP golf: https://apnews.com/hub/golf

Nelly Korda reacts after winning the U.S. Women's Open golf tournament Sunday, June 7, 2026, in the Pacific Palisades area of Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Ashley Landis)

Nelly Korda holds the trophy after winning the U.S. Women's Open golf tournament Sunday, June 7, 2026, in the Pacific Palisades area of Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Ashley Landis)

Nelly Korda hits off the 9th tee during the final round of the U.S. Women's Open golf tournament Sunday, June 7, 2026, in the Pacific Palisades area of Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Ashley Landis)

Nelly Korda reacts after winning the U.S. Women's Open golf tournament Sunday, June 7, 2026, in the Pacific Palisades area of Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Ashley Landis)

Nelly Korda holds up the trophy after winning the U.S. Women's Open golf tournament Sunday, June 7, 2026, in the Pacific Palisades area of Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Ashley Landis)

NEW YORK (AP) — Donald Trump was booed loudly by fans inside Madison Square Garden when he was shown on video screens during the national anthem prior to Game 3 of the NBA Finals on Monday night.

Trump was shown for several seconds giving a military salute. The boos ended when the U.S. flag followed him on the screens, and fans cheered when New York Knicks players were shown. Mentions of the San Antonio Spurs also elicited loud boos.

Trump is watching from Knicks owner James Dolan’s suite, along with granddaughter Kai, personal adviser Boris Epshteyn and Cabinet secretaries Lee Zeldin, Sean Duffy and Doug Burgum. He is the first sitting president to attend an NBA Finals game.

Trump’s Marine One helicopter flew from his home in New Jersey and landed near Wall Street before his motorcade made its way up through Manhattan and to the arena roughly an hour before tipoff. He encountered a handful of people making rude gestures, and outside the area, one group held signs saying “Trump must go.”

He settled into Dolan's suite shortly afterward.

During the afternoon before Trump's arrival, the New York Police Department and the U.S. Secret Service set up a large perimeter surrounding Madison Square Garden. Fans lined up to get inside the arena more than four hours before tipoff, in a scene more closely resembling New Year’s Eve in Times Square than the usual leadup to a basketball game.

They were required to provide a ticket or pass to get past various checkpoints, along with going through a Transportation Security Administration-style magnetometer. Secret Service personnel and police were positioned at every corner and in large numbers. Daily commuters, tourists visiting Manhattan and fans were all confounded at various times as they tried to maneuver the security.

After traveling from his new home in Florida for the game, Knicks fan Greg Weldon said the main inconvenience faced so far has been the lack of information.

“We’ve asked so many cops, secret service, guys with machine guns, what to do, where should we go,” he said. “Nobody knows.”

Knicks coach Mike Brown and Spurs counterpart Mitch Johnson downplayed any concept of being inconvenienced by the closures and enhanced security because of Trump.

“There’s a lot going on, and I’d much rather be a part of it than not,” Johnson said.

With security stepped up, a watch party outside was canceled, and ticket-holders were not allowed to bring bags inside the Garden. Fans had gathered near the arena to watch games during this playoff run, during which the Knicks have won 13 games in a row to reach the final for the first time since 1999 and move two victories from their first NBA title since 1973.

“We are looking forward to bringing back watch parties for Game 4,” Police Commissioner Jessica Tisch said at a news conference Monday. "But I think New Yorkers are used to presidents coming to town, and they understand that that generally means lockdowns of areas and that’s what you’re going to see tonight at the Garden.”

This is the latest major sporting event Trump has attended during his time as president, and the security measures have created major hassles for fans.

Thousands of fans missed the start of last year’s U.S. Open men’s singles final between Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner because of lengthy security lines. Even though the U.S. Tennis Association pushed back the start of the match by a half-hour, many fans still couldn’t get in because added measures meant that they had to go through screening not only when they arrived at the Billie Jean King National Tennis Center but again in front of the steps into Arthur Ashe Stadium, where Trump watched from a suite.

Federal law enforcement officials have been reexamining Trump’s security in light of three incidents in the past two years: a shooting at a 2024 rally in Butler, Pennsylvania; the discovery of a man armed with a rifle as Trump played golf in West Palm Beach, Florida, later that year; and the recent shooting at the White House Correspondents’ Association dinner.

Asked Sunday his thoughts on Trump attending, Knicks center Mitchell Robinson said: “Cool, I guess. We can still get out there and play (no matter) who’s here and who’s not.”

Mayor Zohran Mamdani and other dignitaries were also at the game.

It was already hard enough for Knicks fans to get inside Madison Square Garden because of astronomical ticket prices. The get-in price for a ticket is higher than the average cost of monthly rent in New York, surging over $5,000. The best seats are tens of thousands of dollars. Mamdani said he bought his ticket, which he said was standing-room-only, for about $1,000 directly from Madison Square Garden.

The difficulty of seeing the game in-person has prompted fans to crowd bars, streets and watch parties all over the city. The watch party near the Garden has become a major event all through the playoffs, but with Trump attending, that event was moved a few blocks away outside the security perimeter, at Bryant Park.

“We improvise,” said Knicks guard Jose Alvarado, who is a New York native. "We're New Yorkers. We’re going to find a way to watch a game, and that’s what we’re doing.”

AP Basketball Writer Brian Mahoney contributed to this report.

AP NBA: https://apnews.com/hub/NBA

U.S. Secret Service agents and a U.S. Marine brace against the downdraft as a support helicopter lands before Marine One with President Donald Trump aboard, at the Downtown Manhattan Heliport at Pier 6 in New York, Monday, June 8, 2026. (AP Photo/Mark Schiefelbein)

President Donald Trump gestures during the National Anthem as he attends an NBA Finals playoff basketball game between the New York Knicks and the San Antonio Spurs at Madison Square Garden in New York, Monday, June 8, 2026, with Kai Trump, left. (AP Photo/Mark Schiefelbein)

President Donald Trump gestures during the National Anthem as he attends an NBA Finals playoff basketball game between the New York Knicks and the San Antonio Spurs at Madison Square Garden in New York, Monday, June 8, 2026, with Kai Trump, left, Knicks owner James Dolan and Interior Secretary Doug Burgum, right. (AP Photo/Mark Schiefelbein)

NYPD officers escort the motorcade of President Donald Trump outside of Madison Square Garden ahead of Game 3 of the NBA Finals basketball series, Monday, June 8, 2026, in New York. (AP Photo/Ryan Murphy)

New York Knicks fans wait in line to enter Madison Square Garden ahead of Game 3 of the NBA Finals, Monday, June 8, 2026, in New York. (AP Photo/Ryan Murphy)

Madison Square Garden ahead of Game 3 of the NBA Finals, Monday, June 8, 2026, in New York. (AP Photo/Ryan Murphy)

Secret Service agents stand guard in front of Madison Square Garden ahead of Game 3 of the NBA Finals, Monday, June 8, 2026, in New York. (AP Photo/Ryan Murphy)

The motorcade of President Donald Trump arrives to Madison Square Garden ahead of Game 3 of the NBA Finals basketball series, Monday, June 8, 2026, in New York. (AP Photo/Ryan Murphy)

A Secret Service agent stands watch outside Madison Square Garden in New York, Monday, June 8, 2026, as President Donald Trump is set to attend Game 3 of the NBA Finals basketball series between the New York Knicks and the San Antonio Spurs. (AP Photo/Ted Shaffrey)

Security fencing is set up outside of Madison Square Garden in New York, Monday, June 8, 2026, as President Donald Trump is set to attend Game 3 of the NBA Finals basketball series between the New York Knicks and the San Antonio Spurs. (AP Photo/Ted Shaffrey)

Security is set up outside of Madison Square Garden in New York, Monday, June 8, 2026, as President Donald Trump is set to attend Game 3 of the NBA Finals basketball series between the New York Knicks and the San Antonio Spurs. (AP Photo/Ted Shaffrey)

FILE - President Donald Trump, center, attends the men's singles final at the U.S. Open tennis tournament, Sept. 7, 2025, in New York. (AP Photo/Manuel Balce Ceneta, File)

A traveler tries to navigate the area as stringent security measures are set up outside of Madison Square Garden in New York, Monday, June 8, 2026, as President Donald Trump is set to attend Game 3 of the NBA Finals basketball series between the New York Knicks and the San Antonio Spurs. (AP Photo/Ted Shaffrey)

FILE - Donald Trump, right, talks to an unidentified man from the stands at Madison Square Garden during the New York Knicks game against the Dallas Mavericks on Jan. 11, 2006, in New York. (AP Photo/Kathy Willens, File)

President Donald Trump speaks at Custer Farms in Chippewa Falls, Wis., Friday, June 5, 2026. (AP Photo/Glen Stubbe)