Well...That Wasn't the Major Championship Start Nelly Korda Had in Mind

With both major tours kicking off their European summer this week—the LPGA in France and the PGA TOUR in Scotland—there was plenty of golf happening while you were sleeping.

The LPGA's fourth major championship of the season, and second in just three weeks, got underway in Evian-les-Bains, where World No. 1 Nelly Korda is trying to complete the career Grand Slam and move one step closer to the Hall of Fame. But a frustrating start, one that unfolded mostly off-camera, leaves Korda with plenty of ground to make up.

The four-time major champion made just two birdies on Thursday. She hit 11 of 13 fairways and 13 of 18 greens in regulation, but needed 34 putts to finish off a 3-over 74—a continuation of the putting struggles that surfaced a few weeks ago at Hazeltine.

Earlier this season, during both of her major victories, Korda consistently buried the putts that mattered most. That clutch putting disappeared at the KPMG Women's PGA Championship, where she finished T-8, and it appears to have followed her across the Atlantic.

History wasn't exactly on Korda's side to begin with. In eight previous starts at Evian, she has just two top-10 finishes. Then again, she already proved this season that course history only matters until it doesn't—her U.S. Women's Open victory put that narrative to rest. This time, though, the climb feels steeper. Korda sits tied for 107th, 11 shots behind first-round leader Aki Iwai.

Korda wasn't the only No. 1 to endure a frustrating Thursday. World Amateur Golf Ranking No. 1 Kiara Romero also opened with a 3-over 74, leaving plenty of work to do if she hopes to play the weekend. The stakes are especially high for the rising star, who needs to make the cut to earn her final LEAP point and become eligible for LPGA membership should she decide to turn professional.

A year ago, we saw Lottie Woad nearly win this major championship, while subsequently earning her final two LEAP points.

Romero is already set to compete in the AIG Women's Open later this month after winning the McCormack Medal, awarded annually by the R&A to the top-ranked player in the World Amateur Golf Ranking.

But her path forward comes with an interesting wrinkle. If Romero makes the cut at Evian, she'll have to remain an amateur to tee it up in the season's final major at Royal Lytham & St Annes before deciding whether to turn pro. If she misses the cut, she'll have one final chance to earn that 20th LEAP point at AIG.