​Nelly Korda’s bid for a third major championship victory was halted early as she failed to capitalize on the day’s opportunities at the LPGA Amundi Evian Championship. The world No. 1 endured a challenging start, finishing the first two rounds at 1-over par on Friday, July 10, with the cut line sitting at even par. The 27-year-old star could not rebound from a troublesome opening round that produced a 3-over 74, leaving her in a position where she needed a strong finish to salvage her prospects for the weekend.
On Friday, Korda appeared to have a momentary spark as she reached the 18th green with a birdie chance, but she left her birdie putt short, ending the day at 2-under for the round. Her overall scoreline reflected the wobble, and she found herself on the wrong side of the cut line as the field compressed under pressure. It marked a disappointing contrast to her recent major form, given that she had advanced to the weekend in several high-stakes events this season, although she had not missed the cut at the KPMG Women’s PGA Championship since 2024.
In the meantime, England’s Lottie Ward surged to the top of the leaderboard, firing a remarkable 7-under 64 on Friday to sit at 11-under par overall. Ward established herself as the player to chase, with Japan’s Aki Iwai, who had held the lead after the first round, perched at 10-under and still within striking distance as the competition progressed. The dynamic at Evian-les-Bains set the stage for an intriguing weekend, with multiple contenders hoping to seize control of the championship.
Looking back at Korda’s major-season trajectory, she had already claimed two titles in the sport’s most prestigious events this year—the Chevron Championship and the U.S. Women’s Open. Those successes positioned her as a front-runner in the race for a rare third major title within a single calendar year. However, her performance in the KPMG Women’s PGA demonstrated the volatility and competitiveness of major golf, as she tied for eighth in that event, underscoring the unforgiving nature of championship golf where even the brightest stars can face a setback.
As the LPGA season continued, anticipation mounted for the final major of the year, the AIG Women’s Open, scheduled to take place from July 30 to August 2 at Royal Lytham & St Annes in Lancashire, England. The field would enlarge the quest for a historic achievement: becoming just the fifth woman to win three major championships within a single year. Babe Zaharias first achieved the feat in 1950, and the most recent to reach that milestone was Inbee Park in 2013. The prospect of joining such a select group added extra drama to the wrap-around portion of the season, with Korda poised to chase immortality in the majors.
This report originally appeared with an eye toward SEO on USA TODAY, highlighting Nelly Korda’s cut at the LPGA Amundi Evian Championship as the latest chapter in her ongoing bid for a three-major breakthrough in 2026. The narrative around this event underscores how quickly golf’s narrative can shift—from early-season dominance to the crucible of major championship golf—where fortune can swing on the outcome of a single putt or the margin of a single round.