​World No. 1 Nelly Korda saw her flawless 2026 run hit its first notable snag in France, where the Amundi Evian Championship delivered a sobering test for the sport’s top-ranked player. A rough opening round of 74 set a difficult tone, and despite a solid 69 on Friday, she couldn’t overcome the early deficit. Korda ultimately missed the cut by a single stroke as the LPGA’s fourth major of the year unfolded in Évian-les-Bains, finishing at one over par as 66 players advanced to the weekend.
The setback is surprising given Korda’s astonishing start to the season. She captured the first two majors of 2026 and has been inching toward completing the career Grand Slam while pursuing a place in the LPGA Hall of Fame. The 27-year-old American didn’t falter from a lack of form on Friday’s second round, but she ran aground on the closing holes. She left a pair of eight- to ten-foot opportunities short on the 17th for a bogey and the 18th for par, moments that sealed her fate and confirmed that a birdie was required merely to reach the weekend.
Korda’s season momentum has been extraordinary. She began the year with victories at the Chevron Championship and the U.S. Women’s Open, marking a dominant stretch that raised expectations for a potential three-peat of majors and an historic season. Yet, her bid to win the first three majors of 2026 fell short at the KPMG Women’s PGA Championship, a reminder that even the world’s best can face a stumble when the pressure intensifies on the LPGA Tour’s biggest stages. Her last missed cut prior to Evian occurred more than two years ago at the 2024 KPMG Women’s PGA Championship, underscoring how rare such results have become for a player who has seldom spared any energy or strokes in pursuit of major glory.
Heading forward, Korda remains among the sport’s most consistently high-performing players, with four victories and nine top-10 finishes this season alone. She has yet to claim a major title overseas, a gap she will seek to close at the AIG Women’s Open later this month. The championship will return to Royal Lytham & St Annes Golf Club in England, offering another opportunity for Korda to add a global major to her already crowded cabinet and to further cement her status as the leading force in women’s golf.
For fans and analysts alike, Evian provided a reminder that even the world’s best compete in a sport of fine margins. As Korda turns her focus toward the British Open at Royal Lytham & St Annes, expectations remain sky-high, and the question persists: can she convert her domestic dominance into international major success to complete the Grand Slam dream? The upcoming major at the iconic English course will be another proving ground for Korda’s talent, resilience, and enduring drive to etch her name among the all-time greats of women’s golf.