“I don’t necessarily make the easiest of friends.” This confession came straight from the world’s no. 1 Nelly Korda, who recently joined the 5 Clubs podcast on Golf Channel. Korda had one of the most standout seasons last year, having won 7 LPGA tournaments, bagging the top Rolex ranking and who can forget her Olympics gold medal. But have you ever wondered who her rock was throughout this journey? Well, none other than, “Mom Jess” – aka Jessica Korda!

The 31-year-old once revealed that she’s ‘more like a mom’ to her sister. And honestly, nobody can debate that! Jessica has been Nelly Korda’s north star since they started teeing on the greens together. Although Jessica faced her own struggles on the course, finding her footing in the golf world.

She made sure Korda was always in safe hands and never faced what she had to. Surprisingly it did not stop after the Kordas made it to LPGA. Both the sisters, time and again have been spotted supporting each other. Shockingly it was not the same when we look at the past two seasons. And if you’re a true Korda fan, you would know exactly why.

Jessica Korda had been dealing with a back injury since 2022, which she got by playing through the pain. Apart from that, she also announced the arrival of her newborn in 2024. This ultimately led her to miss crucial LPGA tours to settle and adjust to her new mom phase. But guess what? It was not only Jessica Korda but her #1 sister too who was going through a ‘huge adjustment’.

You see, the Korda sisters are known for their strong bond, and when she wasn’t playing, it effected nobody but Nelly Korda the most! Her feelings also echoed when she expressed her thoughts during a podcast with Garry Williams. “2023 is actually where I felt the biggest adjustment,” Korda said when asked about Jessica Korda’s absence by her side.

The Chevron Championship winner elaborated, “Because that’s when she got injured, I think, in like May time.” “So for me, like not having her out there, was – not having a dinner buddy,” she continued. Nelly Korda also cherished the memories of her sister’s presence in previous years, saying, “I felt really lucky from the years prior that when I had her.”

The pro further opened up about the impact of Jessica’s absence, saying, “It was a huge adjustment for me in 2023 because I am a little bit of a shy person, so I don’t necessarily make the easiest of friends, and having Jess out there was always such a safe buffer for me, to have someone with me and not feel lonely.” And this is not something new to the golfing world especially after Jessica Korda shared Nelly’s childhood memory when she almost smacked a girl in rage because of their matched golf wears.

The #1 is quite known for her short temper but last year there was this one situation when Korda was able to stay focused after getting betrayed by Tony Finau. And guess the reason?

Big Sis stood by Korda even when she wasn’t at her best

Yes, it was Jessica Korda who had her sister’s back during her Grant Thornton Invitational disappointment. Although the new mom wasn’t teeing off at the event, she flew to Florida. And honestly, Jessica’s presence was exactly what Nelly Korda needed that day!

The reason? PGA Tour pro, Tony Finau revealed his departure from the one-of-a-kind event just 48 hours before Round 1, leaving Nelly Korda alone, battling doubts about her performance. Later, the 26-year-old was paired with Daniel Berger, who is also her off-season tennis playing partner.

Although the duo didn’t win the event, they scored an impressive 16 under par. The winning title was snagged by Jake Knapp and Patty Tavatanakit who defeated former champions Jason Day and Lydia Ko with 27 under par.