Credit to Nelly Korda: At the most important tournament of the year, she made sure to choose substance over style, even at the risk of embarrassing LeBron James.
Korda opened her US Women’s Open at Riviera Country Club, and midway through the first round, she needed a wardrobe change. The three-time major champion was wearing a pair of spikes gifted to her by James, but she made a midround audible and switched out the LeBrons for a new, more familiar pair of shoes.
Nelly Korda Ditches LeBron James Shoes at US Women’s Open
“I felt like I had a little too much room,” Korda told reporters after the round, per ESPN.com. “I’ve kind of run into this issue. I had that with Jordans, too. Sometimes when I wear a different color, they just are made a little different. It’s the same exact shoe. I just wanted to wear these. I just felt more comfortable in these.”
The new shoes lasted just five holes. Korda made the switch at the sixth tee.
So far, Korda has made more headlines for her sartorial decisions than her actual play, which is never good. In addition to the new kicks, she also showed up at Riviera Country Club this week wearing her own custom U.S. Soccer jersey ahead of the World Cup. She also wore the jersey on the course during a practice round.
“I know that the World Cup is starting next week, right?” Korda said. “So there’s no better place to kind of be patriotic than the U.S. Women’s Open.”
Look good, feel good didn’t translate on the course, though. The opening round was a frustrating one for the 27-year-old. She shot a 2-over 73 at the famous LA course and has some work to do if she wants to get into contention. She found herself seven shots behind leader Jennifer Kupcho by day’s end.
Like HEAVY’s content? Be sure to follow us.
This article was originally published on HEAVY
The post Nelly Korda Ditches Shoes From LeBron James Midround at US Open appeared first on HEAVY.