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NAPLES, FLORIDA – NOVEMBER 20: Nelly Korda reacts to a bogey putt on the second hole during the third round of the CME Group Tour Championship at Tiburon Golf on November 20, 2021 in Naples, Florida. (Photo by Michael Reaves/Getty Images)
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NAPLES, FLORIDA – NOVEMBER 20: Nelly Korda reacts to a bogey putt on the second hole during the third round of the CME Group Tour Championship at Tiburon Golf on November 20, 2021 in Naples, Florida. (Photo by Michael Reaves/Getty Images)
It is not a secret that 24-year-old Nelly Korda has a charming personality when she interacts with her fans on social media channels. She is also known for being funny and lively during press meets and other interviews too. However, the American golfer has a different personality when she is on the course, playing golf.
“When it’s tournament week, I switch to a completely different person,” Korda said in a 2016 interview. “I am a lot more focused,” she added. “I kind of have a different attitude too.”
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Usually, switching from personal to professional life is not an easy job to do. However, the young golfer, who was only 18 at the time of the interview, could easily switch between the two without any problems.
Being a Leo helped the former world no.1 to gain confidence
Everyone in the Korda family is used to be a professional athlete. Petr Korda and Regina Rajchrtová, the parents of the Korda family, used to play tennis as a profession, representing their home country, Czechoslovakia.
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Tokyo 2020 Olympics – Golf – Women’s Individual – Final – Round 4 – Kasumigaseki Country Club – Kawagoe, Saitama, Japan – August 7, 2021. Nelly Korda of the United States reacts after winning the gold medal. REUTERS/Murad Sezer
The eldest, Jessica Korda, is also an LPGA Tour pro like her younger sister Nelly. On the contrary, Sebastian Korda, the golfers’ only brother, followed his parents’ footsteps and has been playing tennis.
Since athleticism runs in the blood, the Golf Channel interviewer wanted to know how she learned to have two personalities on and off the course. “To me, it was kind of natural,” the former world no. 1 said. “My parents call me Lion,” she added. “I am Leo, so I kind of have that kind of personality on the golf course.”
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Although she was only 18 at the time, anybody could see how focused she was on the course. She rarely smiles and looks a bit scary while playing. “That’s only just because I am so focused,” Korda explained why she sometimes might seem “mad” on the course.
Nelly Korda: from a rising star to an established LPGA Tour player
When Nelly Korda turned professional in 2016, her identity was that she was the young sister of Jessica Korda. Soon after, she changed it by earning her LPGA Tour ticket in the same year.
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Six years later, she has won seven Tour events, including the 2021 KPMG Women’s PGA Championship. Korda is also the only player, male or female, to win a major and an Olympic gold in the same year.
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Notably, she has also ranked no. 1 on the Rolex Women’s World Rankings. In January 2022, the youngest of the Korda sisters made history by spending 29 weeks at the No. 1 spot, the longest an American female golfer has held this position.
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