Nelly Korda cemented her status as the dominant force in women’s golf with a gripping one-shot victory at the US Women’s Open, edging out Charley Hull and Gaby Lopez after a final round that swung wildly across Riviera’s brutal closing stretch.

World No 1 Korda, already the pre-tournament favourite, delivered a composed two-under 69 to reach eight under par, securing her fourth major title and second of the season. The American became the first woman since Inbee Park to claim the year’s opening two majors, underlining a run of form that has reshaped the landscape of the LPGA Tour.

The decisive moment came at the par-five 17th, where Korda, locked in a logjam atop the leaderboard, produced a precise approach and rolled in a nerveless eight-foot birdie. A controlled two-putt par at the last sealed a fourth worldwide win of the year and completed a remarkable climb from seven shots back after the opening round.

Hull, chasing a long-awaited first major, was again left to ponder what might have been. Three behind at the start of the day, the Englishwoman ignited Riviera with an eagle at the first and a birdie at the third, then came within inches of a hole-in-one at the par-three sixth. Her four-under 67, following a third-round 65, tied the lowest 36-hole total in US Women’s Open history and briefly carried her into the solo lead on the back nine.

But missed putts at the 12th and 14th halted her charge. Hull still birdied the par-five 17th and saved par from 10 feet at the last to post seven under, setting a stern clubhouse target that ultimately proved one shy. It marked her fifth runner-up finish in a major, extending a sequence of near-misses that belies the quality of her play on the biggest stages.

Lopez matched Hull at seven under with a late birdie burst, while In Gee Chun, who briefly surged ahead with a chip-in birdie at the seventh, faded to finish one stroke further back. Korda, paired with Sei Young Kim, absorbed every twist, matching birdies when required and limiting damage when Riviera bit back.

When her final two-foot putt dropped on the 18th green, Korda raised her putter in quiet disbelief. A step closer to the career Grand Slam, she left with the trophy, the $2.5m winner’s cheque and a growing sense that women’s golf now runs firmly through her.