Nelly Korda's first day at the 2026 U.S. Women's Open included an unexpected equipment change. After beginning the round on June 4, 2026, in a pair of shoes gifted by LeBron James, the world No. 1 switched back to her usual footwear.

Following the round, she explained the reason behind swapping shoes on her sixth hole of the day. Golf.com posted a video on X on June 5, in which Korda elaborated on the decision.

"I felt like I had a little too much room. It's honestly kind of, I've run into this issue. I had that with the Jordans, too. Sometimes when I wear a different color, they just are made a little different, just the spacing is a little different. It's the exact same shoe. I just wanted to wear these."

The 2026 Chevron champion winner started the opening round in a pair of shoes gifted to her by LeBron James.

James has followed Korda's performances on the golf course and publicly supported her during her Chevron Championship victory earlier this season.

The shoes were based on Nike's Victory Pro 4 golf model but incorporated elements from James' basketball line. Their design drew inspiration from his "Old Glory" Nike LeBron 23 sneakers, bringing features from one sport into another.

The pair included LeBron's crown logo, gold Nike Swooshes, an American flag pin, and custom details created specifically for Korda.

It was made exclusively for the world No. 1 golfer, making it different from the standard version available to players and consumers.

However, after a few holes, she felt they had more room than she preferred. Consequently, her trainer went to her locker to get her usual golf shoes, and Korda changed into them before continuing her round.

Nelly Korda Reveals Whether the Shoe Change Affected Her Round

While the conversation centered on Korda's mid-round shoe swap, the bigger story was unfolding on the scorecard. 

With three victories already on her 2026 resume, Korda entered the U.S. Women's Open among the players to watch. By the end of Thursday, however, she was looking up at the leaderboard and searching for ground to make up.

Korda finished the opening round with a 2-over-par 73, placing her in a tie for 61st and six shots behind leader Sei Young Kim. She was asked if the change of shoes affected her play, which she laughed off.

“No, apparently not (laughter). I just felt more comfortable in these,” the 2026 Riviera Maya Open winner.

Starting on the 10th hole, she recorded three bogeys and one birdie, with driving accuracy proving costly at several points during the round.

Do you think equipment comfort can make a difference during a major championship? Let us know in the comments!

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Written by

Aditi Singh

Edited by

Surjo Ray