World number one Nelly Korda will be looking to defend her gold medal when women's golf makes its return to the Olympics this week in Paris. Korda is coming off a mixed bag of results over the last few months, but seems reenergized to perform on golf's biggest stage according to my conversation with her yesterday.

While Korda has had unparalleled success in 2023 with eight LPGA titles, last few starts have been rocky with three missed cuts in her last four worldwide starts. But the defending champion says the two weeks she spent specifically prepping for the unique pressure of Olympic golf have her feeling ready. "I took some time off after Evian and kind of put my clubs to the side for a week, and then grinded for two weeks," Korda siad, then put in the work with her coach Jamie Mulligan to get ready for this week. "He's always really nice to be around and keeps it super light.”

Photo by Mike Ehrmann/Getty Images

She seemed genuinely inspired after watching swimmer Katie Ledecky win the 800-meter freestyle last week. "That was really exciting. That's something that I watched as a kid so getting to do that in person was definitely a bucket-list thing. … Obviously we have five majors a year, and they train four years for one shot. And that's what makes track and field, swimming, gymnastics, all those sports so amazing because they train four years to live out their dream, and we have five times a year to live out our dream. It's absolutely incredible, and it makes me appreciate what they do that much more." Korda said. Ledecky's ability to tune out failures and shine when it matters most was not lost on Korda, who will look to do the same.

Read more: Rory McIlroy lauds 'purest form of competition' at Olympic golf

Despite her recent faults, Korda knows better than anyone what it takes to grab gold. She spoke eloquently about appreciating both the highs and lows of her career, and how close misses at majors only motivate her more. 

“The game of golf of is a funny game,” Korda said. “Sometimes you feel on top of the world and in a matter of a couple seconds, you just feel like you're on the bottom of the sea. So it definitely makes you appreciate the good golf that you play, but yeah, I mean, you have to have a mix of everything in there and everything can't always go well.

“I would say I'm very grateful for the ups as much as I am for the downs. I think that's helped me mature and made me realize how grateful I am to do this for a living. You can either shatter, or you can rise and grow from the opportunities and ride the roller coaster that life throws at you.”

Talking with Nelly Korda ahead of her Olympic title defense, I was struck by the parallels between her outlook and how Scottie Scheffler bounced back from major struggles earlier this year.

Korda acknowledged a similar measured tone to the world number one, who refocused after missing cuts at his previous three majors to win Olympic gold in Paris. Just as Scheffler proved, Korda believes slow improvements and trusting her process can lead to big results despite recent hiccups.

The defending champion pointed out winning an Olympic gold in Tokyo was quite possibly the highlight of her career to date. But she noted her heart was racing even more on the medal podium than after sinking the winning putt - a poignant reminder of golf's highest pressures and rewards.

Packing for Paris! @tumitravel @USAGolf pic.twitter.com/co9uv2UmEw

— Nelly Korda (@NellyKorda) August 2, 2024

With impressive composure for her age, Korda expressed deep appreciation for every challenge in her journey. She seems poised to let her talent overshadow errors, stay focused on the work, and embracewhatever opportunities may come at Le Golf National this week. If her positive mentality is any indication, this special athlete has what it takes to once again shine on the Olympic stage.

“When it comes to majors and an Olympic medal, that's the reason why we are out there so long and grinding and pushing ourselves in the gym and on the golf course is for those moments,” she said.

“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,” Korda said. “If I'm making little improvements here and there, and 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.”