​Nelly Korda’s bid for a career grand slam may have to wait after a lackluster start at the Amundi Evian Championship. The world No. 1 opened with a 3-over 74, managing just two birdies on the day—the second coming on her final hole, the par-5 ninth. After firing eight holes in 1 under, Korda gave back a shot on the 18th, a par-5, and then found trouble off the tee at the par-4 first, hooking into the trees and three-putting for a double-bogey.
The four-time major winner played the round with 11 fairways hit and 13 greens in regulation, but she needed 34 putts to navigate the greens. Sitting in a tie for 86th on the leaderboard, Korda sits 11 strokes behind leader Aki Iwai as she begins her bid at Evian-les-Bains.
Korda’s Evian links career has had its share of near-misses. She was the winner of the first two majors of the 2026 season and came into Evian with momentum from a strong showing at the KPMG Women’s PGA Championship, where she finished tied for eighth after a late surge on the back nine. Her best finish at Evian remains a share of eighth back in 2022, and she has logged two top-10s in eight appearances in France.
When pressed about her relationship with Evian’s picturesque par-71 layout perched on the side of a mountain, Korda offered a candid assessment. “I don’t know. It’s Evian. That’s all I’m going to say … I’ve hit some really good shots and ended up in some really bad places and hit some bad places and ended up in good places,” she said. “What I’ve learned each year is that patience is key out here. I’m still figuring it out.”
The on-course narrative is part of a broader storyline for Korda as she pursues a historic milestone. A win would pad her already impressive major résumé, but the opening round at Evian did little to alleviate the uphill climb ahead. The journey toward her first career grand slam remains a work in progress, with a challenging first round serving as a reminder of just how intricate and demanding major championship golf can be, even for the game’s elite players.
Beth Ann Nichols, a senior writer for Golfweek, covered the LPGA and keeps abreast of Korda’s progress. This recap originally appeared on Golfweek, underscoring how Korda’s Evian start set the tone for a tournament many will watch closely as she eyes a potential breakthrough in one of the sport’s most coveted achievements.