World No. 1 Near the Top of Mizuho Americas Open Leaderboard at Halfway Point

JERSEY CITY, N.J. — After months of whispers about her “winless” 2025 season, Nelly Korda is sending a clear message from Liberty National Golf Club: the champion is back.

The world No. 1 fired her second consecutive 4-under 68 on Friday, battling through soggy, chilly conditions to grab a share of the 36-hole lead at the Mizuho Americas Open. Korda now sits tied with Andrea Lee and Somi Lee at 8-under par heading into weekend play.

Battling the Elements

“You just have to know that everyone is dealing with the same thing,” Korda said of the challenging weather that included steady morning rain and temperatures dipping into the 50s. “At the end of the day, you really have to focus 100 percent on the shot that you’re hitting.”

That mental toughness was on full display when Korda faced adversity midway through her round. After building early momentum with birdies at the par-3 11th and 14th holes (she started on the 10th), consecutive bogeys at 17 and 18 threatened to derail her day. Instead, Korda responded with a clutch birdie at the par-5 1st hole.

The Critical Reset

“Obviously, the birdie on No. 1 after bogeying my last two holes was a nice momentum shift,” she explained. “After making two bogeys in a row, you have to reset and know that you have nine more holes to go. So I had a little bit of a mental reset, and it worked.”

Did it ever. Korda caught fire on her second nine, adding three more birdies at the 5th, 6th, and 8th holes to secure her position atop the leaderboard as she defends her 2024 title.

Weather Warrior

The Florida native’s comfort in these conditions shouldn’t come as a surprise. During her record-setting seven-win season last year, Korda claimed at least three victories in cool or wet weather, including the Chevron Championship, her second major title.

Better Than It Appears

While much has been made of Korda’s “winless drought” in 2025, her season has hardly been disappointing by normal standards. She hasn’t finished worse than T28 in six starts, with four top-20 results including a runner-up finish at the season-opening Tournament of Champions. She also leads the tour in scoring average at 68.80.

Now, Korda has positioned herself perfectly to silence any critics and capture her 16th LPGA Tour title – and just the third successful title defense of her career. With her trademark blend of power, precision and mental fortitude on display, the final 36 holes at Liberty National promise to be must-watch golf as Korda looks to separate herself from the pack.