LeBron James sent professional golfer Nelly Korda a special gift for the U.S. Women’s Open. He personalized a pair of golf shoes for her. Yet, the shoes did not quite meet Korda’s expectations during her first round at Riviera Country Club.
Starting on the back nine, Korda’s performance saw both highs and lows. Her rounds began with a par on the challenging 10th hole, followed by a birdie on the 11th. She then scored consecutive bogeys. Korda donned her custom LeBron shoes for the first six holes and was one over par at the start of the tournament. Observers noticed her changing back to her usual Nike shoes.
Reporter Amy Rodgers from Golf Channel noted that the custom shoes were “a little bit too loose,” potentially affecting Korda’s swing. A detail of her footwear was captured in a photo during a practice round before the official event. Her trainer retrieved her regular shoes from the locker room and swapped them during the 16th hole.
Prior to the tournament, Korda showcased the custom shoes via Instagram. She thanked LeBron James, who wished her well for the championships.
The shoe swap appeared to stabilize her performance. Korda completed the 16th hole with a par, finishing the turn at one over par.
LeBron James has recently shown increased interest in golf, appearing in numerous videos and discussing the sport at NBA events.
Korda arrived at Riviera as a strong contender for her first U.S. Women’s Open victory. She has claimed three victories and secured three second-place finishes in her seven starts in 2026.
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