Rest is the buzzword as Nelly Korda prepares to compete at the Amundi Evian Championship this weekend in Evian-les-Bains, France.
The world’s No. 1 player has felt fortunate to be able to recharge in recent weeks, spending time with family at home in Bradenton, Florida, in anticipation of the upcoming slate.
The Evian Resort Golf Club-hosted event over the coming days dovetails into three more LPGA events, Olympic competition — in which Korda will represent the United States — and then a string of three straight $2 million-plus purses through the end of August.
Clearly, gearing up for a big run isn’t the worst idea.
“Yeah, it’s almost like we have five majors in a row,” Korda said. “It’s a lot of high-pressure golf for sure, so as important as it is to practice and to grind, it’s also really important to recharge your batteries after a pretty long stretch.”
The 25-year-old has had a rough go of things of late, having missed her past three cuts (a first for her as a professional). Those disappointing results coincided with a battle against fatigue and an odd incident involving a dog biting her on the thigh at a Seattle coffee shop.
Korda doesn’t expect many tears to be shed on her account, however.
Her last made cut came in May at the Mizuho Americas Open — where she won her sixth tournament of the season.
Those victories came in a span of seven tournaments (including five wins in a row at one point), and the burst has few historical equivalents. Those wins have netted her nearly $3 million in earnings.
“I think I’ve gone through every emotion possible, and it’s just July,” Korda said. “You know, I love this game. I love the bad, I love the good.
“The bad makes you appreciate the good, and that’s just how it is. It’s sports. If you care so deeply about it, you’re just going to go through the wave of the roller coaster.”
Now, Korda feels rejuvenated with Evian on deck. It’s a course she has warmed up to over time, recording four straight top-25 finishes after previously missing the cut as a rookie in 2017.
She’ll later return to France for the Olympics.
“Gosh, I’m so excited,” Korda said. “Any time I get to represent my country, it’s just such a really big honor. To get to do that at the Olympics is going to be an amazing experience again. Getting to do it in Paris, maybe this year getting to watch a couple sports that we didn’t get to do in Japan and Tokyo. … It’s going to be a little sad not getting to go with my sister. I think that’s what was so special about 2021, was getting to share that experience with Jess.
“But, yeah, I’m just really excited to represent the USA at the Olympics again.”