New Delhi, June 8 -- The putt circled the rim of the cup, defied logic for one agonizing revolution, and then fell. That was the moment Nelly Korda became a U.S. Women's Open champion.

the involuntary, bewildered laughter of someone who cannot quite believe her sport had done that to her.

"It's even sweeter, especially with that ice cream swirl on the last hole," the world's top-ranked player said.

Korda claimed a one-shot victory at Riviera Country Club, posting a final-round two-under 69 to finish at eight under par, holding off a congested leaderboard that remained unsettled deep into the afternoon. It was her fourth career major title and her first U.S. Women's Open.

The win carried a weight that statistics alone cannot measure. "...