Nelly Korda looks to replicate what Scottie Scheffler achieved at Le Golf National. And, also, what Xander Schauffele failed to do. The prospect of a title defense, however, hasn’t convinced everyone. Thanks to her three consecutive missed cuts and shabby records at the Solheim Cup. However, that argument misses two crucial points.

Korda lost two matches and won two in the Solheim Cup. Although one of the losses came in the Sunday singles, in no way can the defeat that came in the 17th hole be termed a disaster for world no. 1. Her campaign at Finca Cortesin was far from the catastrophe it was made to be.

Moreover, her world No. 1 counterpart on the PGA Tour proved that past records won’t matter at Le Golf National. In all fairness, Scottie Scheffler’s record at the Ryder Cup was much worse than Korda’s.

On top of it, her claim is bolstered by her strong performance this season. Her greens in regulation stats—one that had a heavy impact on the men’s game—should spark hope. Korda is the second-best player on the LPGA Tour, reaching 73.71% greens. Barring Viktor Perez, every player inside the top five in men’s events was inside the top 10 in GIR%.

Additionally, Korda’s 1.76 putts per GIR is the second-best on the LPGA Tour. As is her scoring average of 69.98. The ultimate point to consider is that the atmosphere and the pressure of the Olympics will be markedly different from a biennial showdown like the Solheim Cup and the Ryder Cup. And Nelly Korda, in the pre-tournament press conference, exuded confidence. Her eyes are set where they should be: the top-most stand on the podium. 

Nelly Korda doesn’t lack composure and self-confidence

The 26-year-old appeared hopeful that her game was trending in the right direction. A T26 after three missed cuts certainly looks like an upward trend. Nelly Korda, though, didn’t sound too concerned about the past two months. “I have gone through many, many situations where I played really bad and then all of a sudden, if I just continue working hard, and doing what I need to do, the results show after.”

She was quickly hit by the driving range after her Croatian vacation. Korda revealed she has made some changes in between—not in her bag but in her swing. “I’m happy with the way my game is trending, at the end of the day, I know that I have what it takes to compete and to contend,” the two-time major winner added.

Above all, what matters is that Korda doesn’t lack what it needs to triumph on the grand stage: self-confidence. And she already has the gold-medal-winning experience under her belt.