Nelly Korda starts hot but settles well back of leaders on Day 1 of Amundi Evian Championship
Nelly Korda quickly put her recent major troubles in the rear view on Thursday at the Amundi Evian Championship. But she wasn’t flawless in Round 1 of the women’s fourth major of the season.
Korda, starting on the 10th hole at Evian Resort Club, birdied three of her first six holes before making a double bogey at the par-3 16th.
She recovered with a birdie at the par-5 18th to make the turn in 2-under 34 and then played her incoming nine in even par with two birdies and two bogeys. Korda birdied all four par 5s in Round 1.
Following her 2-under 69, the world No. 1 was just inside the top 20, five shots off the early lead in Evian-les-Bains, France.
Korda, who won six of her first eight starts this year, is coming off three consecutive missed cuts. That latter stretch includes two major championships: the U.S. Women’s Open and the KPMG Women’s PGA Championship.
Korda next has to avoid any repeat of what happened at the KPMG, where she opened in 3-under 69 at Sahalle Country Club but carded a shocking 81 that Friday to miss the cut.
Korda, who won the season’s first major, The Chevron Championship, has never won this event but has back-to-back top-10s the last two years.