On Friday, September 19, 2025, the LPGA Tour faced an unexpected disruption at the Walmart NW Arkansas Championship. The start of Round 2 was delayed due to dangerous weather conditions, forcing players, including Nelly Korda, to remain off the course. The LPGA Media announced the delay on X, stating, “The start of Round 2 @NWAChampionship has been delayed due to dangerous weather conditions. More updates to follow.”

This delay is part of a broader pattern of weather-related disruptions in the 2025 LPGA season. In August, the FM Championship experienced multiple rain delays, with the second round extending into Saturday due to dangerous weather conditions. Similarly, the Women’s PGA Championship faced delays due to inclement weather, affecting the tournament schedule. For Nelly Korda, this delay presents both challenges and opportunities.

Currently ranked No. 2 in the world, Korda has yet to secure a victory in 2025, despite consistent top finishes. Her statistics are strong, with a scoring average of 69.89 and ranking 20th in putting. However, the delays disrupt her rhythm and preparation, potentially impacting her performance. A victory at this event would not only boost her confidence but also improve her standing in the Race to the CME Globe and the Rolex World Rankings.

A victory at the Walmart NW Arkansas Championship carries extra weight for Nelly Korda because it strengthens both her season résumé and her long-term LPGA legacy. With a $3 million purse and valuable Race to the CME Globe points, the win would tighten her grip on the season-long points lead and boost her standing in the Rolex World Rankings, key metrics for year-end awards and Player of the Year honors. But the delays test Nelly Korda’s rhythm and timing. She finished her opening round strongly, but now she must stay ready without knowing when play will resume. Any change in course conditions could help or hurt her chase to glory.

The LPGA has faced similar storms elsewhere. The 2017 Evian Championship wrapped at 54 holes after heavy rain, while the 2013 Bahamas LPGA Classic stretched into Monday and rerouted holes when record flooding swamped the course. These examples remind players that quick adaptation often matters more than pre-tournament form when weather rewrites the script. Fast-forward to 2025, and that precedent hangs in the air as Nelly Korda and a strong field once again face a storm-disrupted week in Rogers, Arkansas.

However, this isn’t the first time Arkansas skies have forced a rewrite. To understand how today’s delay could reshape the tournament, it’s worth revisiting the storm-soaked debut of 2007, when the Walmart NW Arkansas Championship crowned a champion after only one round.

How 2007 Still Shapes the NWA Championship, and Nelly Korda’s fate

Rain has long affected the Walmart NW Arkansas Championship, with its most dramatic moment coming in 2007, the tournament’s debut year. Persistent downpours soaked Pinnacle Country Club from the opening round, forcing officials to repeatedly halt play. By Sunday, flooded fairways and lightning forced the LPGA to make a rare call: reduce the tournament to 18 holes and declare an official champion. Arkansas amateur Stacy Lewis seized the moment, claiming her first LPGA title in a one-round sprint. The decision highlighted the LPGA’s top priority: to protect players, volunteers, and fans, even if it means changing tradition.

Today, tournament directors rely on radar and lightning detection to make weather calls, but the principle remains the same: safety first, competition second. Players and fans in Arkansas know that even high-profile LPGA events can be reshaped by storms. For Nelly Korda and her peers, staying mentally focused and physically ready during delays is essential. Any condensed format could turn a routine round into a decisive sprint, where every shot carries extra weight.

Eighteen years after that inaugural washout, the Walmart NW Arkansas Championship continues to test both skill and adaptability. The forecast, once again, could prove to be the tournament’s fiercest competitor, and Korda’s ability to respond to these challenges may define her path to victory.