‘Lucky to Have You’: Nelly Korda Gets Over LPGA Setback to Celebrate 17-Year-Old’s Astonishing Golf Feat

Nelly Korda was on a roll last year. Winning 5 consecutive events on the LPGA Tour. So, she was at the Ford Championship as a defending champion this year, but sadly could not make it two for two. She finished a respectable T22. So far in the 2025 season, Korda hasn’t been able to step into the winner’s circle. Nelly Korda does not let her own setback come in the way of supporting young golfers, though.

Jordan Brown is the winner of two National Junior golf events. The Lakewood Ranch resident recently joined Princeton University to play Division 1 golf in an astonishing move! Announcing the big news on his Instagram account, the young golfer was very happy.

“Super excited to announce my verbal commitment to the admissions process at Princeton University to play Division 1 golf. I am incredibly grateful for the unwavering support of my family, coaches, and teachers throughout this long journey. A special thank you to Coach Green for this incredible opportunity to grow as a student and an athlete. Go Tigers! 🐅 🐅,” he wrote. Division 1, in the simplest terms, is the highest level of college sports in the United States.

So, what’s the connection between Nelly Korda and this up-and-coming star? Well, both of them hail from the same academy, IMG Academy. IMG Academy is the same place Korda trained for golf. She is a member of the 2016 class. From thereon, she has become one of the best female golfers, and even the IMG Academy is proud of her. When she won her fifth consecutive title last year, the academy posted joyfully, “Our very own Nelly Korda, C/O 2016, has just made history by securing her fifth consecutive tournament win on the LPGA Tour, matching a record that showcases her exceptional talent and unwavering determination! 🌟🏌️‍♀️”

Continuing on Brown’s success, Korda celebrated the big news with an Instagram story. Reposting Brown’s post, she said, “Let’s go Jordan! Princeton is lucky to have a hard worker like you @ concession represent :).” And, Brown does seem like a promising golfer. He won the 2024 Underrated Tour and followed it with another win the next week with the American Junior Golf Association’s Atlanta Classic. In addition to that, Jordan Brown will also be seen at the IMG Academy Junior World Championships, starting July 5.

Interestingly, Nelly Korda’s support for junior golf is old and solid, especially with the elite female junior golf.

Nelly Korda’s The Nelly Invitational is going solid in the 2025 season

Nelly Korda started her golf journey at age four and competed in the 2013 U.S. Women’s Open at 14. Her transition to professional golf included a win on the Symetra Tour in 2016, thanks to the American Junior Golf Association (AJGA) support. Korda had everything to thank them for, except one major thing.

You see, since 2021, the AJGA has hosted an all-boys competition, but elite junior girls lacked a comparable venue until Korda launched The Nelly Invitational in 2024. She aimed to provide the same opportunities to the up-and-coming junior golfers and then gave them a major win with The Nelly Invitational’s recent partnership with Chevron. So, what did it bring to the table? In the simplest terms: a lot.

The winner will get an exemption to next year’s Chevron Championship. Both Korda and Chevron are just as careful about their other players. The elite golfers will get $2,000 travel stipends for entry fees, hotels, and flights. If you’re an international player, you will get an additional $500 for the same reasons.

When Nelly Korda talked about these huge changes in junior golf, “I can’t thank Chevron enough for coming in and once again elevating something like my AJGA event.” But the most interesting part is that this will be the first-ever AJGA tournament to offer direct exemption into a major championship, Chevron no less!

Undoubtedly, every junior golfer’s win is Korda’s win too. While we will wait for more of Jordan Brown and Nelly Korda’s interactions in the coming time, let’s take a moment to appreciate Korda’s dedication to the future of golf!