Nelly Korda won the U.S. Women's Open on Sunday, June 7, and interestingly, millions tuned in to watch Korda’s victory unfold. The numbers tell a story of their own.

NBC Sports announced that Sunday's final round at Riviera Country Club drew a peak of 2.2 million viewers, as reported by NUCLR GOLF on X on June 11.

The network's final-round TV audience was 78% higher than last year. The broadcast averaged 1.3 million viewers from start to finish. 

The highest TV audience tuned in during the final 15 minutes of the broadcast. During that time, Korda made a birdie on the 17th hole and then sank an exciting par putt on the 18th to win her first U.S. Women's Open title.

"To be hoisting this trophy, to hold it high and at such an iconic venue, is just a dream come true," Korda said.

It was the second-largest Sunday audience for the U.S. Women's Open in the past decade since Michelle Wie’s 2014 victory at Pinehurst No. 2, which attracted 2 million viewers. Only the 2023 edition at Pebble Beach, when Allisen Corpuz won, drew 1.6 million viewers.

Both tournaments were played in the Pacific time zone, so the final hours of coverage were shown during prime-time television on the East Coast.

The third round on Saturday, June 6, also attracted a large audience. It averaged 1 million viewers, which was 76% higher than the viewership from the previous year.

Riviera Country Club actually hosted the women's major championship for the first time. As reported by Golfweek, the famous course likely helped attract more attention because it is one of the most well-known golf courses in the United States. 

The win was Korda's fourth victory in eight tournaments in 2026 and the fourth major championship of her career. She became the first American golfer since Juli Inkster in 1999 to win back-to-back major titles.

The final holes at Riviera saw a very close battle, making it one of the most exciting finishes of the women's major season.

Nelly Korda's Win Came After a Four-Way Tie at the Top With Three Holes Left

Korda was tied for the lead with three other players on the back nine. Along with her, England's Charley Hull, Mexico's Gaby Lopez, and South Korea's In Gee Chun were all at 7-under par. 

She took the lead with a long birdie putt on the 17th hole. On the 18th, she made a short par putt of 2 feet 10 inches. The ball nearly missed on the left side but rolled into the hole. That putt secured the title and the $2.5 million winner's prize. 

Hull and Lopez finished tied for second place, one shot behind Korda. Hull shot 67 in the final round after scoring 65 in the third round, the lowest round of the tournament. Lopez made a birdie on the 18th hole to tie for the lead for a short time, but Korda took the lead back and went on to win the title.

"It's frustrating," Hull said. "Another second place."

No player had won the U.S. Women's Open in the last 20 years while hitting fewer greens in regulation than Korda. Even so, she saved par 24 times out of 30 chances by playing excellent short-game shots around the greens. 

So do you think the record viewership will help grow women's golf in the long run? Let us know in the comments.

Read more at Club Golf.

Written by

Sneha Abraham

Edited by

Soheli Tarafdar