On Sunday at iconic Riviera Country Club, World No. 1 Nelly Korda is on a hunt for history.
A late birdie run on Saturday has her tied for the lead and 18 holes away from capturing her first U.S. Women’s Open title. If she’s successful, she’ll also accomplish a feat no American woman has in over 60 years. (UPDATE: Korda shot a final-round 69 to win the 2026 U.S. Women’s Open by one shot.)
One key to Korda’s recent success, as she explained in her press conference Saturday night, was a “mindset shift” that has her dialed into one of the great runs in golf history.
But Korda also revealed the secret that helped her successfully change her attitude. It’s a habit she goes through every morning in the bathroom, a trick inspired by other pro athletes, and one that could see her summit the mountaintop on Sunday.
Korda’s bathroom post-it notes have her eyeing history at U.S. Women’s Open
At last year’s U.S. Women’s Open, Korda came tantalizingly close to getting the job done. But she faltered on the back nine to finish T2, a common pattern in her career to that point.
On Saturday, she explained that last year she “really, really wanted it,” but that became an issue, because “the more you want it sometimes the more you stiffen up and you get a little bit more nervous.”
In the offseason, she pinpointed the source of the problem: her attitude. She explained that frustrations often got the better of her on the course, leading to poor play down the stretch at big tournaments.
The fix? To foster a positive, easygoing attitude on the course.
“That’s kind of been my attitude this year is like no matter what it throws at me, if I’m just going to get a silly bounce here or there I’ll end up in a divot like I’ll figure it out…” Korda said. “Because I think the worst thing that you can be, but which I am still, is a perfectionist in this sport. It does drive you nuts when you constantly miss a divot or you’re in a divot by a centimeter here and there, or you hit a great putt and it just lips out.”
She continued: “Like those frustrations throughout the round can really build when it’s all kind of not going your way.”
Korda explained that she talked to many people close to her to help with her attitude change. Some tough love from her fiancé was also crucial, “He always tells me, ‘You need to be a little bit more positive,'” Korda said while laughing on Saturday.
But while others can help her with an attitude shift, Korda explained that “the only person at the end of the day that can change that is myself.”
To make the new positive outlook stick, Korda started a new bathroom routine this year. She writes positive notes to herself on post-it notes and sticks them on the bathroom mirror when she’s getting ready.
