World No. 1 Nelly Korda made an unexpected equipment change during the opening round of the U.S. Women's Open after struggling early while wearing custom golf shoes gifted by LeBron James.

Korda began Thursday's round at Riviera Country Club wearing a special pair of Nike golf shoes given to her by the NBA star ahead of the major championship. She even shared the shoes on social media before the tournament and thanked James for the gift. James later replied with a message wishing her luck for the week.

Nelly Korda Switches Shoes Mid-Round

According to Fox News, the round started with mixed results for Korda. She opened with a par on the difficult 10th hole and followed with a birdie on No. 11 before running into trouble with back-to-back bogeys. As the round continued, Korda appeared uncomfortable off the tee and struggled with her swing consistency.

After six holes and sitting at 1-over par, Korda decided to make a mid-round switch. Her trainer, Kim Baughman, went back to the locker room to grab Korda's usual golf shoes and delivered them to the 16th tee. Korda changed shoes before continuing the round.

According to reports from Riviera, the custom shoes felt too loose and may have affected her balance and swing mechanics. After the round, Korda explained that she noticed spacing differences in the shoes even though they were technically the same model she normally wears.

"I felt like I had a little too much room," Korda said. "Sometimes when I wear a different color, they just are made a little different, so the spacing is a little different."

Nelly Korda Shaken by Early Issues

The three-time major winner admitted she was frustrated with her overall performance, especially off the tee.

"Just honestly just hit it really poorly off the tee," she said after finishing her round, Yahoo reported.

Korda added that she had been playing well in practice earlier in the week and was surprised by the sudden issues during competition.

Despite the rocky start, Korda managed to steady herself after changing shoes and made par on the 16th hole before making the turn at 1-over. Still, the performance left her searching for answers as she headed directly to the practice range afterward.

Korda entered the tournament as the heavy favorite to win her first US Women's Open title. The 27-year-old has already collected three victories and three runner-up finishes during the 2026 season, making her one of the hottest players in women's golf this year.