​Nelly Korda has already staged an impressive rally from a sizable first-round deficit to secure a major victory this season, but achieving a repeat performance on the comeback trail will demand an even more extraordinary effort. Korda opened the Amundi Evian Championship with a 3-over 74, placing her 11 shots behind the overnight leader, Aki Iwai. The world No. 1 logged two birdies, three bogeys, and a double bogey during Thursday’s action at Evian Resort Golf Club, signaling that a dramatic chase was on.
Five weeks earlier, Korda had shown her resilience at the U.S. Women’s Open. She began that tournament with a 2-over 73 and trailed the first-round leader by seven strokes. Yet she turned in a masterful display to win by a single stroke, shooting 67-67-69 to complete a comeback for the ages. That victory marked Korda’s second consecutive major triumph, following her wire-to-wire win at The Chevron Championship in April.
A third major title this week in France would complete the career Grand Slam under LPGA rules, which require a player to win at least four of the five current majors. Such a feat would also earn Korda a coveted spot in the LPGA Hall of Fame, which operates on a points-based system. The goal is tantalizing, but the path ahead demands something extraordinary.
Korda’s journey at Evian began on the easier-to-attack back nine, where she moved to 1-under through her first three holes before encountering a stretch of pars. The momentum stalled with a bogey at the 18th, and it was followed by a costly opening double bogey at the first hole. The troubles persisted with bogeys at the fourth and fifth holes, though she steadied with a closing birdie at the par-5 ninth to finish the day one stroke over par.
Looking at Korda’s history at this championship, she has shown solid results but has yielded just two top-10 finishes in nine appearances. Her best efforts came in 2022, when she tied for eighth, and in 2023, when she tied for ninth. Those experiences underscore both the challenge and the possibility of a late surge, especially given Korda’s capability to convert pressure into performance in major championships.
As she continues this dramatic narrative in France, eyes will be on how Korda manages the course under pressure, channels her experience from past comebacks, and converts early-round setbacks into a momentum-building charge. The prospect of a dramatic late surge remains alive, and fans are hopeful that her unwavering focus and elite skill set can deliver another monumental comeback on a stage as storied as this one. With such a track record of resilience, Korda remains a formidable contender who could turn the Amundi Evian Championship into another chapter of a remarkable major season.