The drumbeats rolled for the Olympics, but the defending champion was nowhere to be seen. Nelly Korda wasn’t in Canada for the CPKC Women’s Open either. Her vacation in Croatia ended a while ago. And, yet, the two-time major winner was nowhere near the greens. 

Actually, she was. Just not in the competitive field. Korda most recently posted a clip of swing practice on her Instagram handle. Was that a hint for teeing off at the Portland Classic? Well, the LPGA Tour has released the full field. And Nelly Korda’s name wasn’t there. Has she jetted off to Paris already? 

Our best guess is not yet. At least, her social profiles indicate otherwise. The two-time major champion celebrated her 26th birthday on July 28. Congratulatory wishes poured in from her peers and family members as she shared them on her Instagram stories. Jessica Korda, her sister, who was in the Olympics last year, wrote, “Happy birthday, auntie Nelly Nell,” with a picture of Korda holding her cousin, Greyson.

That means the 26-year-old will directly travel to France during the Olympics golf week. Coincidentally, her last tournament was also in France, the Amundi Evian Championship, the fourth major of the season where she tied for the 26th spot after missing cut in Women’s US Open, and KPMG Women’s PGA Championship.

Interestingly, the two-time major winner also skipped the CPKC Women’s Open last week, although her compatriot and team-mates, Lilia Vu and Rose Zhang, were in the field. As were fellow Olympians Lydia Ko, Brooke Henderson, Leona Maguire, Ariya Jutanugarn, and others. 

So, there will be a three-week gap between her last tournament and the Olympics. It’s an interesting trend she kept up this year, taking long breaks in between to rejuvenate herself. It is quite likely that this was a pre-planned schedule. 

Nelly Korda took intermittent breaks in between her torrid run

Earlier this year, Korda skipped the entire Asian Swing of the LPGA season. However, the comeback on March 21, almost after two months, started a blistering run that saw her pick five titles at a stretch. Korda ended her dominant run with another title, the 2024 Mizuho Americas Open, taking her tally this year to six. 

After three back-to-back missed cuts, Nelly Korda was forced to take a break after a dog bit her on the leg. Now, once again, Korda has skipped two tournaments ahead of a big event. She was, in fact, in Croatia some days ago. Korda posted some stunning pictures of vacationing with friends on the shores of the Adriatic Sea. 

It might be that she wants to avoid a back injury like last year when she never recovered after an injury-laden hiatus. Most of the Olympians have decided to skip the pre-Olympics event like Rory McIlroy, Scottie Scheffler, Xander Schauffele, Shane Lowry, and others who snubbed the 3M Open this week. 

Nelly Korda wants to keep herself fresh and possibly hopes to avoid any threat of injury before landing in Paris. On her birthday, Olympics Golf posted from their official X handle, “Hope your birthday is golden.” Will it be? Only time will tell.