Nelly Korda: Player Profile

Who is Nelly Korda?

A major champion, Solheim Cup star and Olympic Gold Medallist, Nelly Korda is one of the best players in the world of women’s golf at the moment.

Korda comes from an incredibly sporting family, with her father being an Australian Open tennis champion. Sister Jessica is also an LPGA Tour star, while brother Sebastian followed in his parents footsteps, becoming a professional tennis player.

Korda took up the game of golf at the age of 6, and had lessons three times a week in her formative years. She did not go to college, instead turning professional at the age of 18 and making the move straight onto the Symetra Tour, where she won the Sioux Falls GreatLIFE Challenge.

After graduating to the LPGA Tour that year, Korda has gone on to win 13 times, including two major titles. That came at the 2021 Women’s PGA Championship, in what was an incredible year for the American. She won five times that year, including her first major and the Olympic Games Gold Medal in Tokyo.

Korda started 2024 in red-hot form, winning five successive LPGA Tour starts. The run culminated in Korda’s second major victory, coming at the Chevron Championship. This run of five consecutive victories saw Korda match Nancy Perez and Annika Sorenstam as the only women to ever achieve the feat. During that incredible run, the American reclaimed the World No 1 spot in the Rolex Women’s World Golf Rankings.

She also featured in the Solheim Cup that year, in what was her second appearance in the team competition. Korda played alongside sister Jessica in both 2019 and 2021, before qualifying for the 2023 Solheim Cup as the leading American in the world of women’s golf.

Nelly Korda | An Overview

Personal Information

Name: Nelly Korda
Born: July 28, 1998
Nationality: United States
Residence: Bradenton, Florida, United States

Career

Turned Pro: 2016
Professional Wins: 18
Highest World Ranking: 1 – June 24, 2023

Best Results In Majors

Best Finishes:
– Chevron Championship – WON (2024)
– Women’s PGA Championship – WON (2021)
– US Women’s Open – T8 (2022)
– Evian Championship – T8 (2022)
– AIG Women’s Open – T9 (2019)

Professional Wins – 18

2016 (1) – Sioux Falls GreatLIFE Challenge
2018 (1) – Swinging Skirts LPGA Taiwan Championship
2019 (3) – ISPS Handa Women’s Australian Open, Lacoste Ladies Open de France, Taiwan Swinging Skirts LPGA
2021 (5) – Gainbridge LPGA, Meijer LPGA Classic, Women’s PGA Championship, Olympic Games, Pelican Women’s Championship
2022 (2) – Aramco Team Series – Sotogrande, Pelican Women’s Championship
2023 (1) – Aramco Team Series – London
2024 (5) – LPGA Drive On Championship, FIR Hills Seri Pak Championship, Ford Championship presented by KCC, T-Mobile Match Play presented by MGM Rewards, The Chevron Championship

Nelly Korda | What’s In Her Bag?

Korda is a part of Team TaylorMade, and plays with their clubs throughout her bag. She uses the new Qi10 Max driver and Stealth 2 fairway woods, along with a mix of P770 and P7MC irons. The only non-TaylorMade clubs are a Titleist Vokey WedgeWorks 58-degree wedge and a Logan Olson prototype putter. Korda uses the TaylorMade TP5x ball.

For a full piece on Nelly Korda’s what’s in the bag, click here.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) about Nelly Korda

When and where was Nelly Korda born?

Nelly Korda was born in Bradenton, Florida, United States in July 1998. Korda started playing the game seriously from the age of six, and would have lessons three times a week.

When did Nelly Korda turn professional?

Korda did not play collegiate golf, instead opting to turn professional at the age of 18. She started on the Symetra Tour, the level below the LPGA Tour. In her first season on the Symetra, she finished inside the top 10 of the money list, meaning she would graduate to the LPGA Tour.

How many professional titles has Nelly Korda won?

As of September 2023, Korda has won 13 professional titles, including being part of the American double at the Olympic Games in Tokyo. She won the women’s golf event, with Xander Schauffele taking the men’s Gold Medal. She also has a major title to her name, winning the 2021 Women’s PGA Championship, as one of seven LPGA Tour titles.

Who is Nelly Korda dating?

Korda is in a relationship with Andreas Athanasiou, a Canadian hockey player who currently plays for NHL side Los Angeles Kings. The pair have been together since 2019.

Did you Know?

Olympic Gold

Nelly Korda became the first American woman to win an Olympic Gold Medal in golf for 121 years. She was the victor at the Tokyo Olympics in 2021, which had been postponed a year due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Korda won by a single shot from home favourite Mone Inami.

Successful Sisters

In October 2018, Korda won her first LPGA Tour title, the Swinging Skirts LPGA Taiwan Championship. In doing so, she joined sister Jessica in winning on the Tour, and they became the third pair of sisters to have both won an LPGA Tour event. They went on to play alongside each other at the Solheim Cup in both 2019 and 2021.

Five In A Row

At the start of 2024, Korda played her way into the record books once again. She won five successive starts on the LPGA Tour, becoming only the third player in history to do so – after Nancy Perez and Annika Sorenstam. Wins at the LPGA Drive On Championship, FIR Hills Seri Pak Championship, Ford Championship presented by KCC and the T-Mobile Match Play presented by MGM Rewards were followed by her second major title, the Chevron Championship.

Talented Family

Along with sister Jessica, the rest of the Korda family is talented in different sporting fields. Father Petr won the 1998 Australian Open in tennis, while mother Regina was also a successful tennis professional. Brother Sebastian is also a tennis player.

Blood Clot Issues

Korda has to take a short break away from the game in March 2022. She had a blood clot in her arm, which meant she did not compete in the Chevron Championship that year. She returned at the US Women’s Open.