Top female golfers have descended upon the City of Light- Paris! Of course, for the women’s Olympic golf tournament. However, all eyes are on Nelly Korda, who looks to repeat her golden performance at the Tokyo Olympics. However, with stakes higher than ever, golf enthusiasts wonder if she has made any changes to her team to give her an extra edge on the course. 

Jason McDede performed the duties as Korda took her first gold bite. Will the same trusted hand that helped her dominate the competition in Tokyo still be by her side in Paris? 

Is Nelly Korda’s caddie by her side at the Paris Olympics? 

Nelly Korda’s caddie, Jason McDede, is indeed still by her side as she tees off in Paris. The same caddie who helped her win gold in Tokyo, and has been instrumental in her success at all majors, is once again guiding her through the challenging terrain at the Le Golf National. Notably, the partnership between the pair has been long and successful, dating back to the start of the 2018 LPGA Tour season. 

Since then, McDede has been a constant presence in Korda’s bag, and their collaboration has yielded impressive results. In fact, a breakthrough year in 2021 saw her win the Gainbridge LPGA by a convincing three strokes, outpacing former world number one Lydia Ko and Lexi Thompson. Additionally, this victory marked a turning point in their partnership, cementing the trust and chemistry that has become a hallmark of their success together.

Building on this momentum, the pair’s remarkable run continued with multiple victories. Four months later, in June 2021, the #1 golfer claimed the Meijer LPGA Classic and backed that up the following week with her first major triumph at the KPMG Women’s PGA Championship in Atlanta, becoming world number one. 

Moreover, they won the women’s golf gold medal at the coveted Tokyo Olympics, solidifying their position as one of the most dominant duos in golf. Korda claimed Team USA’s second gold medal in golf as she secured a one-shot victory over Japan’s Mone Inami and New Zealand’s Lydia Ko.

It’s proven that with McDede by her side, her confidence and skill have reached new heights. Likewise, the LPGA star also expressed when the looper took a time-out from caddying duties.

When McDede stepped away from the duties

Midway through 2023, McDede embarked on a new chapter in his life – fatherhood! As he took a temporary leave from caddying to cherish this precious time with his newborn, Korda faced the challenge of finding a worthy replacement. However, she noticed a pretty decent one, in the form of Joe LaCava, formerly Tiger Woods’ caddie. But unfortunately, it wasn’t the pairing that led to success.

As the 14-time LPGA Tour champ recalled in MEET NELLY KORDA | The Scoop by Golf.com, “Honestly, I couldn’t imagine playing any tournament without him. He was on paternity leave for a little bit this year. He didn’t caddy for me for like three events, and I was so distraught from it. I was like, ‘Oh, my gosh, I appreciate you so much more now.” 

Will they find a way to get to the top of the podium in their second Olympics? We’ll get to know this in 2 days. Till then share your thoughts on this formidable pairing, in the comments section below.