Nelly Korda, with six bogeys, turns in 42 in Round 2 of KPMG Women’s PGA

Instead of one giant disaster, it was a steady stream of mistakes that cost Nelly Korda Friday at the KPMG Women’s PGA Championship.

Korda, who was one off the first-round lead, bogeyed five of her first six holes in the second round to turn in 42. She was nine off the pace beginning her back nine at Sahalee Country Club in Sammamish, Washington.

A few weeks ago at the U.S. Women’s Open, Korda made a 10 on her third hole of the championship and never recovered, missing the cut at Lancaster Country Club.

She started this major by making nearly 110 feet of putts in shooting 69. The putter, however, was uncooperative in Round 2. In fact, she played more like someone who has missed back-to-back cuts (which she has) than someone who has won six times this season (which she also has).

The trouble began immediately Friday, when Korda hit her tee shot at the first into a fairway bunker and played her second shot to a short-sided position. A poor pitch led to two putts and a bogey.

She then missed a 3-footer for par at the second, missed a 12-footer for par after going long at the par-3 third, and then missed another 3-footer for par at the fourth.

Four holes, four bogeys. She seemed to have righted the ship at the par-3 fifth, hitting her tee shot to 5 feet.

She missed the birdie putt.

Korda then found the left rough off the tee at the par-5 sixth and had trouble escaping. Her second shot, with a fairway wood, only traveled 85 feet and her third shot went 103 yards. After finally finding the putting surface, she missed the par save from 11 feet.

Five over on the day, 2 over for the championship and eight shots off the lead, Korda coaxed in par putts from inside 7 feet on Nos. 7 and 8. But after going long of the green at the par-3 ninth, her par save from 15 feet clung to the lip and didn’t fall.

Her tap-in for her sixth bogey of the round was her 18th putt on the inward half.

The world No. 1 won this championship in 2021. She claimed her second major earlier this year at the Chevron Championship, one of six victories in ’24. After opening in 80 at the U.S. Women’s Open and missing the cut, she missed the cut in her follow-up start, last week’s Meijer LPGA Classic.