Jessica Korda has been on a major roll and she’s hoping this week’s celebration of the 25^th anniversary of the Evian Championship turns into a party for her as well. After struggling early in her LPGA career in the majors, Korda seems to have turned a corner, putting up some impressive efforts the last two years.

Bob Jones, who is a measuring stick for thoughtfulness in the game of golf as well as having been a master shot-maker, once said: “There is golf and then there is tournament golf.”

What he meant is that the pressure of competition changes the whole dynamic of the game, making it more work than play.

Jones could have added: “There is tournament golf and then there is major championship golf.”

The majors apply added pressure because they are the titles that mean the most, the universally recognized standards for success. But they also have the most difficult course set-ups, the best fields and the largest audiences.

For players, performance in majors comes with intense scrutiny. And in Korda’s case, that meant some serious second guessing during the first seven years of her pro career when she finished in the top 10 in a major only twice in 35 tries, missing the cut 15 times, including all five majors in 2015.

But now she’s been in the top 10 in five of the last eight majors, including T-8 in last year’s Evian Championship when she was also a career-best T-4 in both the ANA Inspiration as well as the KPMG Women’s PGA Championship. This year she was T-6 in the ANA and T-10 in the U.S. Women’s Open.

“I just feel a little more relaxed now,” Korda said Tuesday at the Evian Resort Golf Club about her improved performance in the majors. “What I’ve learned to do differently is nothing. I used to change my routine. Now I just try to approach it as I do a regular tour event. The key is to hit some fairways, hit some greens, make some putts.”

Korda, who started the season slowly because of a shoulder injury, is well aware that the temperature is going to be in the mid 90s this week at Evian and that next week another major looms at the AIG Women’s British Open, the first time the LPGA has had back to back majors in decades.

“Conserve as much energy as possible,” she said about her game plan for the week. “It’s going to be a warm week.” As for the state of her game, it’s not perfect but there are positive signs. “There are still some shots I’m not happy with,” she said. “But I’m progressing. I’m moving in the right direction so I’m happy.”

Jessica also has some fascinating family pressure to win a major. Her father Petr, was a professional tennis player who won the 1998 Australian Open. And as if that’s not enough fodder for dinner table gatherings for the Kordas, she is feeling some competitive heat from her younger sister Nelly.

Since Jessica picked up her fifth career LPGA win at the Honda Thailand in February 2018, Nelly has won twice, taking the 2018 Swinging Skirts Taiwan in October and the ISPS Handa Women’s Australian Open this past February. Each year, the sisters bet an expensive handbag on who has the better season.

“No wager,” she said when asked if she and Nelly had a bet this week after playing as a team last week of the Dow Great Lakes Bay Invitational. When asked if there was a wager on who will win a major first, Korda said: “No, but I think we will both celebrate it as if it is our own.”

Now that’s as far from a sibling rivalry as you can get. Certainly a long way from the time when Jessica caddied for Nelly when her sister was 10 and yanked a club out of her hand and threw another one to her to hit. Yes, they do have spats but, yes, they root for each other’s success.

If Jessica Korda ends up winning the Evian Championship the sisters can have a dual party. Nelly turns 21 on Sunday, the day of the final round.

With both the Evian Championship and Nelly celebrating a birthday this week, it would be only fitting if Jessica got in on the fun. And then each sister can celebrate the victory as if it is her own.

Sirak: Jessica Korda On A Major Roll

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