Full-scale aggression seldom secures US Open titles, yet at Riviera Country Club it came remarkably close to delivering success for Charley Hull.

She appears poised to end her wait for a major victory before long, and in California last Sunday only the excellence of the leading world number one prevented the British player from prevailing.

During a gripping US Women's Open at Riviera Country Club, Hull delivered a record-matching weekend surge and ended one stroke behind Nelly Korda's winning score.

This outcome follows a familiar pattern for Hull.

She often begins slowly before finishing strongly in major events, with clear parallels to her joint runner-up finish at Pebble Beach three years earlier behind Allisen Corpuz.

That experience prompted the 30-year-old from Kettering to adopt the approach of "shy girls don't get sweets," though she still finished three strokes adrift.

On this occasion a more direct, less polite expression underpinned her attacking mindset.

Hull backed up her third-round 65, the week's lowest score during an exciting contest in Pacific Palisades, with a spirited final-round 67 that opened with an eagle and birdie in the opening three holes.

"Just go for it," she remarked. "I love playing golf like that.

"I feel like sometimes, the first two days, I'm in a keep my head in the game. You can't go for everything because it's just early on, but now I have nothing to lose.

"I can just go at everything and play free golf like I do at home and it's more fun."

Her weekend aggregate of 132 equalled Meg Mallon's championship mark from 2004 and stemmed largely from sharper putting. Hull, who struck 13 of 14 fairways on the Friday, required 63 putts across the opening two rounds.

Yet she improved by 10 putts over the final two rounds despite key misses at the ninth, 12th and 14th holes on Sunday. Even so, ample evidence remains that Hull will soon claim her first major.

Her play on the final hole in particular fuels such belief. Facing a vital 10-footer to claim the lead in the clubhouse, Hull coolly holed the putt that, at the time, could have secured the title.

Korda, naturally, responded differently, and her fine up-and-down birdie at the par-five 17th left the world number one needing only a par on the last to secure two major wins this year.

A tense putt from inside three feet that circled much of the cup before falling rightly clinched victory for Korda. She described it as an "ice cream swirl," having briefly feared she had let the chance slip.

Hull and Gabby Lopez, both finishing seven under par, shared second place - Hull's fifth runner-up result in majors.

She continues to press hard - two runner-up finishes across the past three majors and eight top-20 results in the past 11 events confirm this - and her supporters hope the breakthrough will arrive soon for such a dynamic player.

"I just love playing in the majors," Hull said. "If it's a normal week I struggle sometimes getting the motivation. But when it comes to major week, I just love it.

"If I even just make the cut, I can make a massive charge. I loved it out there. It was so much fun."

While Hull favours bold attacking play, Korda - clearly heading toward sustained excellence - adopted a steadier route to her fourth major title.

She relied greatly on caddie Jason McDede to secure the trophy she desired most. "When I entered the back nine all Jay and I were talking about was one shot at a time," the champion noted.

"Not getting too ahead of myself. Not looking at the leaderboard, seeing what other people were doing. It was just a shot at a time."

Korda, who claimed the Chevron Championship comfortably in April, now boasts four wins and three runner-up finishes in what has been a remarkable 2026 campaign.

No player in women's golf currently manages the closing stages more effectively.

"Major championships are about grinding it out and also having that little window where you can be aggressive," she said.

"I just did a really good job of staying patient and making those up and downs and then knowing that when I had that little window I was going to be aggressive."

Like Hull, Korda overcame a difficult beginning. Her sister Jessica suggested a minor yet awkward grip adjustment following a two-over-par opening 73 that featured repeated drives veering right.

Putting has frequently been an area of concern, yet she gained more than three shots on the greens relative to the field and led the statistics for scrambling.

"Even mid-round I was like, well, will I ever win it?" Korda said. "You always have those doubts, you're just a human being."

This proved a classic US Open that challenged every facet of technique and mindset. Running balls onto the greens proved difficult due to the firm approaches, while the sloping putting surfaces were often too hard to hold.

Korda's added elevation on approach shots offered a notable advantage, but her composure in repeatedly getting up and down proved decisive.

Although Hull's aggression suits her game, she could benefit from incorporating some of the measured traits shown by last week's winner in upcoming majors.

Korda, for her part, can savour the biggest victory of her outstanding career so far. "I don't know if a weight has been lifted off my shoulders," she said.

"But I think I'm just extremely proud of my fight this week and the dream of that little girl that you kind of get to check that off your bucket list."

It would be disappointing if we do not soon hear Hull express similar sentiments.