Sekolapedia – 24 July 2026 | World No. 1 nelly korda stepped onto the pristine grounds of Dundonald Links right on schedule on Thursday, headlining a blockbuster featured group at the 2026 ISPS Handa Women’s Scottish Open. Accompanied by fellow English stars Charley Hull and defending champion Lottie Woad, nelly korda drew massive galleries as the marquee trio kicked off their opening rounds in what has quickly become one of the most talked-about events on the LPGA Tour calendar.
Coming into the tournament, nelly korda faced a unique storyline. The American superstar arrived in Scotland attempting to rebound from a rare missed cut at the Amundi Evian Championship—her first early exit in two years. Despite that minor hiccup, her 2026 campaign has been nothing short of extraordinary. With four victories already secured on the LPGA schedule this season, including a grueling and hard-fought US Open triumph, nelly korda remains the ultimate player to beat every time she tees it up.
While the world number one navigated her opening round with steady composure, her playing partner Charley Hull endured a disastrous day on the course that quickly became the central talking point of the tournament. Hull, who has historically resisted links golf, arrived in Scotland with a renewed mindset. Embracing the firmer course conditions rather than fighting against them, the 30-year-old Brit was aiming to prove that links golf could suit her playing style.
However, those aspirations unraveled in devastating fashion on the par-5 fifth hole. Attempting to reach the reachable 255-yard green in two shots with a hybrid, Hull failed to cleanly strike the ball and found the deep rough short of the putting surface. After recovering nicely with a delicate pitch to roughly 15 feet under the hole, a routine birdie opportunity spiraled completely out of control.
What followed was an agonizing short-game nightmare. Hull’s initial birdie putt raced aggressively past the cup, caught a sharp slope on the tricky green, and rolled entirely off the back surface. As on-site commentators and analysts noted, the green complex was operating with severe undulations that made recovery shots nearly impossible to judge. Hull’s subsequent chip failed to hold the putting surface, rolling right back to her feet. Miraculously—or rather, agonizingly—she repeated the exact same result on her second and third chip attempts, leaving onlookers and broadcasters stunned as her score climbed higher and higher.
With frustration visibly mounting, Hull eventually switched to a club with less loft to alter her trajectory. After four separate chip attempts and a lost count from the bewildered broadcast booth, she finally managed to stop a shot on the green and converted the remaining putt for a catastrophic quadruple-bogey nine. That single hole derailed her entire round, culminating in a humbling opening-round score of 78 that included just a single birdie.
Meanwhile, defending champion Lottie Woad enjoyed a much more stable start as she prepares to defend her crown. Winning the tournament last year in her professional debut by three shots, Woad secured a coveted tour card through 2027. Reflecting on her remarkable journey over the past year, the young star admitted she appreciates the magnitude of the event much more now that she competes regularly against the world’s best players.
As the 2026 ISPS Handa Women’s Scottish Open continues through July 26, fans watching live on Golf Channel can expect plenty of shifting drama. While early disasters have already tested the mental resolve of competitors like Hull, the resilience shown across the field highlights the relentless challenges of links golf. With the AIG Women’s British Open looming on the horizon, every stroke this week carries immense weight for the world’s elite players.
Ultimately, the opening days of the Scottish Open have delivered a dramatic juxtaposition of golf narratives. From nelly korda maintaining her elite status near the top of the leaderboard to Charley Hull’s unprecedented short-game heartbreak, the tournament continues to showcase the unpredictable nature of professional sports. As the weekend approaches, players will need to master both their emotions and the unpredictable Scottish winds to hoist the prestigious trophy.
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