Nelly Korda: "The game humbles you"

As Nelly Korda comes into the fourth women’s Major of the season, The Amundi Evian Championship, the American is looking to put her last three performances (including missing cuts at two Majors) and a dog bite in Seattle (which saw her miss the opportunity to defend her Aramco Team Series – London title) behind her.

Korda is back in action after taking two weeks off to recharge at home, an experience she describes as both wholesome and rejuvenating. "It's been good. I spent two weeks at home, which was nice," Korda shared. "My brother came back, we celebrated his birthday, and my sister drove over with her husband and Greyson. It was great for all of us to be together. The last time we were all together was in November last year, so it was really special to spend time with family and recharge my batteries."

Having such quality time after an incredible season has been vital for Korda. The mental reset has been crucial as she prepares for the demanding summer swing ahead. "It's almost like we have five majors in a row, it feels like," she said. "It's a lot of high-pressure golf, so as important as it is to practice and grind, it's also really important to recharge your batteries after a pretty long stretch. I'm super grateful they were in town, and we got to hang out and take time for each other."

Korda has become quite adept at navigating the challenging Evian Resort Golf Club course, which she notes requires a great deal of patience. “I think the really big word this week is patience. You can hit a really good shot and get a really bad bounce, and you can hit a bad shot and get a really good bounce. So it's really important to be patient out here this week.”

The Evian course's undulating terrain adds another layer of complexity to the game, something Korda embraces. "It's fun. It's definitely a different style of golf course. The ball is above your feet, the ball is below your feet, and you're playing a lot to the breaks of the contour of the greens, playing for bounces. It's a fun, funky style of golf, but I think it's cool to play as well."

In terms of her game, recently Korda has been focusing primarily on her swing. "I felt like I got loose and had a two-way miss, which was difficult at Sahalee. I wasn't really dialled in at all. So, I just tried to get my swing dialled and give myself one key to work on."

Reflecting on her journey this season, Korda acknowledges the emotional roller coaster that comes with the sport. "I've gone through every emotion possible, and it's just July," she said. "I love this game – the bad makes you appreciate the good. It's sports. If you care so deeply about it, you're just going to go through the wave of the roller coaster. I have a great team and an amazing family that keep me grounded and positive."

Her support system has been instrumental in her success and mental resilience. "They all lift me up even when I'm down and make sure we all stay very grounded and humble. The game humbles you itself, which I’ve learned a great deal recently. That's what I love about it. Even if I'm not playing well, I'm going to go out and give it 100% and then go back and work harder."

The World Number one is back and fighting!

The Amundi Evian Championship starts at 7am local time, view tee times here. You can keep an eye on the live leaderboard here.

Inspired by the fourth women's Major of the season? Why not come and watch the best players in the world at the AIG Women's Open this summer at St Andrews. Ticket prices start from £20.