Nelly Korda's U.S. Women's Open triumph sparks massive TV ratings surge

Nelly Korda's long-awaited U.S. Women's Open breakthrough didn't just deliver a career-defining moment — it also helped produce one of the tournament's biggest television audiences in recent memory.

More than two million viewers tuned in as the runaway world number one captured her first U.S. Women's Open title at Riviera Country Club, the major championship she has often described as the one she dreamed of winning most as a child.

Korda, 27, finished the championship on eight-under par, one shot clear of England's Charley Hull and Mexico's Gaby López, securing the fourth major title of her career and finally claiming the one major championship she coveted most growing up.

It was also her second major win of the season having captured the Chevron in April, and her fourth win on the LPGA in 2026. 

According to NBC Sports, Sunday's final round attracted an average audience of 1.3 million viewers, a remarkable 78% increase compared to last year's championship. 

Viewership peaked at 2.2 million during the closing stages as Korda birdied the 17th hole before calmly draining a nerveless par putt at the last to seal victory.

The audience figures rank as the second-highest final-round viewership for the U.S. Women's Open over the past decade, trailing only the 2023 U.S. Women's Open won by Allisen Corpuz at Pebble Beach, which also happened to be another U.S. Women's Open where Hull finished in a tie for second.

After Sunday's agonising near-miss to Korda, England's Hull, now ranked fourth in the world, has chalked up five runner-up finishes in the majors. 

While Korda and Hull's popularity in the game undoubtedly played a key role in the TV ratings boost, so too did the star power of its venue, Riviera. 

One of America's most iconic golf courses hosted a women's major for the first time, creating a historic backdrop for Korda's crowning moment. 

The course famously hosts Tiger Woods' annual Genesis Championship on the PGA Tour. 

The West Coast setting also delivered a prime-time finish for viewers on the East Coast, helping attract a larger national audience.

Hull and Lopez set the clubhouse target of seven-under par, and Korda was left with the prospect of making a two-putt par from 35 feet for the win on 18. 

Korda certainly made things dramatic, as her two-foot par putt narrowly lipped in on the left side. 

The American admitted after the tournament she could barely feel her hands, once again proving just how much this major meant to her. 

The momentum wasn't limited to just Sunday either. 

Saturday's third round also enjoyed a significant boost, averaging one million viewers — up 76% year-on-year — highlighting the growing interest in women's golf and the drawing power of Korda as she chased one of the few major titles missing from her résumé.

For Korda, the victory was far more than another trophy. It completed a lifelong ambition, secured a fourth major title and finally added the U.S. Women's Open crown she had coveted since childhood.

For the sport, it was another powerful reminder that when golf's biggest stars perform on golf's grandest stages, fans are watching.