World No. 2 Nelly Korda's remarkable comeback bid at the Fortinet Founders Cup came to a heartbreaking end Sunday when a missed 3-foot putt on the 17th hole cost her a potential victory.
Korda entered the final round five shots behind leader Hyo Joo Kim but mounted one of the most impressive charges of her recent career. After an early bogey at the second hole, she fired five birdies on the front nine and added another at the par-5 10th to completely erase her deficit.
With eight holes remaining, Korda and Kim were tied at 17-under par. The battle intensified as both players jockeyed for position down the stretch at Sharon Heights Golf and Country Club.
Kim managed to build a one-shot lead by the time the final pairing reached the par-3 17th hole, despite making a bogey at the 16th. That's when the tournament's decisive moment arrived.
After missing her birdie attempt, Korda faced what should have been a routine 3-foot par putt. Kim stepped up first from a similar distance and drained her par-saving attempt after a heroic chip from the rough.
When Korda's turn came, her ball slid by the low side of the cup without finding the bottom, drawing an audible gasp from Golf Channel analysts. The shocking miss resulted in a three-putt bogey that dropped her two shots behind with one hole to play.
Kim made bogey on the closing par-5, but Korda could only manage par, sealing Kim's one-shot victory and another painful near-miss for the American star.
"Obviously, something like 17 stings, so it is what it is. I felt great all day. I just kind of made one stupid mistake, and that was 17 (and then) 18," Korda said Sunday night.
The former World No. 1 tried to maintain perspective despite the crushing disappointment of the missed opportunity.
"I wish I could have hit that drive into the fairway and given myself a better opportunity to press a little bit more," Korda continued. "That's just golf. Those are sports. Sometimes it's on your side, and sometimes it's not."
Korda did technically end a win drought with a victory in her first start of the season, though that came in controversial circumstances in a rain-shortened event. The Fortinet Founders Cup represented a chance to prove herself in a complete tournament format.
The result continues Korda's pattern of brilliant play undermined by crucial mistakes at pivotal moments. Her five-shot comeback demonstrated the form that made her a dominant force, but the 17th-hole collapse showed the fine margins that separate victory from heartbreak at golf's highest level.
As Korda begins her 2026 season, she'll look to build on the positive aspects of her performance while working to eliminate the mental lapses that have cost her in pressure situations. The talent remains elite – it's the execution in crunch time that needs refinement.