👋 {{readername | Hey, golf fans}},

Yesterday, Alexander Zverev collapsed onto Court Philippe-Chatrier and kissed the red dirt. The German with type 1 diabetes had just won Roland Garros, his first Grand Slam—13 years after turning pro. Tears, sweat, and more tears soaked into that clay court that saw him exit in a wheelchair just four years back. At this point, you might wonder why we are talking about tennis in a golf newsletter. Because there are victories that transcend the sport.

Zverev’s was one such. So was Nelly Korda’s.

In 2013, a 14-year-old Korda, with braces on her teeth, stepped into Sebonack for her first U.S. Women’s Open. She made the cut, but little did she know she would have to endure a 13-year wait to finally hoist the trophy. Yesterday, she conquered Riviera to become the first female champion at the historic venue and claim her first U.S. Women’s Open.

Meanwhile, J.T. Poston went through a marathon of 33 holes before winning the Memorial Tournament. We’ll talk about both tournaments, highlight great shots, some behind-the-scenes moments, and more in today’s edition.

Oh, if you want to read more about Zverev’s victory, our colleagues at Break Point have got you covered. Make sure to keep yourself updated here.

Let’s get started…

U.S. Women’s Open: The World No. 1 curse at the U.S. Women’s Open survived only until it had to face Nelly Korda. Yesterday, she became the first reigning World No. 1 in 13 years to hoist the Harton S. Semple Trophy. But it came so dramatically that it nearly gave us all a panic attack.

On the 18th, her par putt was ‘only’ 2 feet, 10 inches. But it definitely felt longer. When it found the cup, the ball teased the rim with an almost 360-degree slow swirl, kissed the lip, then finally dropped. It was an agonizing few seconds. And you could see it on her face the moment the putt dropped.

The awe, the relief, the joy, and the tears all came in succession. Relish the moment here; it will give you goosebumps.

Reaching there had not been easy. After R1 (73), Nelly changed her grip on the advice of her sister Jessica and then posted back-to-back 67s. She was co-leading after 54 holes. But by the turn, she was in a four-way tie. Charley Hull (T2/-7) surged early but could not keep up; neither could Gaby Lopez (T2/-7).

On the 17th, Nelly needed to break the tie. She drained a 9-footer for birdie, stepping out from the pack. Then came the 18th, the putt, and her all-too-relatable “oh” of relief. Plus, multiple records. According to Justin Ray, Korda is the

Nelly started the season writing positive notes to herself and pasting them on her bathroom mirror. Looks like that served the purpose.

Memorial Tournament: Saturday storms reduced J.T. Poston’s and Ryan Gerard’s R3 to just five holes, which forced them into a 33-hole marathon on Sunday to finish the event. Poston’s calendar looked especially brutal.

He was slated to play a 36-hole U.S. Open qualifier the next day. Not anymore. Sure, the two extra holes at Memorial were nowhere close to the stressful qualifier, but Poston considered the playoff a qualifier in its own right. And true to his word (or the spirit), with the victory on Sunday, he has punched his ticket to both remaining majors of the season.

He also checked off another dream, shaking hands with Jack Nicklaus. Watch him cradle his daughter while Nicklaus offers his congratulations here.

Poston began R4 with a four-shot cushion but had lost the lead by the 13th. And by the 18th, Gerard and he were deadlocked at 12-under, so they returned to the 18th tee for a playoff. Both made par the first time through, forcing another go. In the second playoff hole, Gerard bogeyed, and Poston drained the par putt for his fourth PGA Tour win.

Meanwhile, Wyndham Clark (-11) bagged a solo third, while Rory McIlroy and Scottie Scheffler finished tied for 12th at 4-under.

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Bonkers: Yes, Jordan Spieth (+6) missed the cut, but not before giving us the most insane putt of the year. On the sixth, his ball rested on the right side of the green, with the pin 62 feet away on the left. Guess what he did? Spieth turned his back toward the flag with no view of the hole and still rolled it into the cup. You need to watch it twice to fully appreciate it.

Sweet: Rory McIlroy (T12/-4) met a toddler holding a sign that said she was McIlroy’s namesake. The moment the Ulsterman spotted the little girl, he walked up to her. Here is your cue for 14 seconds of pure joy.

Boss move: A spectator shouted, "Get in the bunker,” right after Ryan Gerard’s 18th hole tee shot. The ball landed in the fairway, and Gerard delivered a life lesson to the heckler—watch it here.

Mother: Michelle Wie West (MC/+7) finished her week on the ninth green and immediately began scanning the crowd for her daughter, Makenna. The little girl tore through the crowd to find comfort in her mother’s arms.

Lucky? In R4 on the 15th, Kristoffer Reitan’s (T6/-8) second shot bounced on the cart path to end up near the right rough. Yet, from that unforgivable lie, he made a birdie—just check out the entire sequence here.

Elsewhere:

Last Poll Result: 58.46% of you said you like the tough conditions at Muirfield the most.

BMW Charity Pro-Am: Ben Kohles (1st/-15) became just the 14th player in history to record five KFT titles. He closed it out with a four-shot victory over Logan McAllister (2nd/-11). Mid-celebration, his two children came charging toward him, and thanks to that, we’ve another adorable dad moment this week.

DP World Tour officials find a creative solution after climate activists start a protest on the final hole.

LIV Golf star earns a late exemption into The Open despite coming short of victory. It will be his seventh start here.

Jim Nantz is in mourning after a CBS colleague passed away in a car accident. The 31-year-old had been working at the Memorial Tournament.

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