Who Is Nelly Korda’s Caddie? All You Need to Know About Jason McDede

Nelly Korda started playing golf at an early age. However, it was in 2016 that she turned pro, and a year later, she joined her older sister, Jessica Korda, on the LPGA Tour. During her initial period, Korda did not win any tournaments, and she started looking for an experienced caddie for herself.

She met Jason McDede through Jessica Korda’s former caddie Kyle, and then the duo started the run for one of the most successful and longest golfer-caddie relationships on the LPGA Tour.

Who is Jason McDede?

Jason McDede was born on October 8, 1988, in Florida. He has two siblings and seems to be close to his parents. Although the looper keeps his personal life private, he once posted about his mother’s birthday.

The Floridian caddie earned his high school diploma from Palm Bay High School and graduated from it in 2003. After a year of break, McDede got himself admitted to the PGA of America in 2004. He earned a degree in Business Administration and Management in 2008.

Six months after completing his degree in March, McDede started working at TPC Potomac at Avenel Farm. Korda’s caddie was appointed as the assistant golf professional for two years. He left that job in June 2010 and, in the same year, was head golf professional at Dick’s Sporting Goods.

Korda’s looper worked there for eleven months and, in 2011, left that job. Around that time, he started caddying for Vicky Hurst on the PGA Tour. He caddied for Hurst for the 2013 U.S. Open. On the LPGA Tour, McDede carried the bag for Anna Nordqvist, and in 2016, McDede also worked for Haru Nomura at the Pure Silk-Bahamas LPGA Classic. It was the same year when Nelly Korda debuted as a professional.

Jason McDede and Nelly Korda’s relationship over the years

The youngest Korda sister recounted meeting her caddie through her older sister. At the tail end of her rookie year, Korda appointed McDede as her looper. Describing their on-course personalities, the 2x major champion recounts that they are like “yin and yang.” While Korda tends to think negatively, it is McDede who calms her through negative self-talk.

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The 8x LPGA Tour winner relayed that sometimes his positive persona gets so unrealistic that she wants to punch him jokingly. With their continuous banter going on, Korda called McDede her “best bud” on the course. Overall, the two have completed six years together, and the 2024 season will be the seventh year of their relationship.

In 2023, McDede took paternal leave, and at that time, Joe LaCava filled his place. However, the tuning didn’t sat well, and Korda told McDede that she appreciated him so much more after missing him. Over the seven years, Korda had won all her professional wins (12), eight on the LPGA Tour, and three on the Ladies European Tour with McDede on the bag, except for the one victory on the Epson Tour. Moreover, McDede was with Korda when she won the gold medal at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics.

The friendship between the two is not limited to the greens; at the Drive-On Championship, where Korda is leading the leaderboard, McDede and his family are staying as house guests with Megan Khang at Korda’s house.

Jason McDede’s love life

Jason McDede started working on the LPGA Tour around 2012 or 2013. During that period, he met his wife and LPGA Tour pro, Caroline Masson. The duo started dating after a dinner in 2013 at St. Andrews. Masson and McDede met at the 18th hole of the 2013 Women’s British Open, and the looper asked her out.

It has been more than ten years that they have been together. In February 2019, McDede proposed to Masson, and the golfer obviously said yes. The two tied the knot in November 2023, and it was the same month when they announced the news of their first child.

In April 2023, McDede and Masson welcomed their son, Benton David McDede. Benton is now with his parents at Korda’s house, and he has crawled for the first time. The parents experienced the special moment as Korda beamed and said, “Milestones at my house.”

McDede and Korda are aiming for their ninth win together at the Drive On Championship. The victory would be more special as despite continuous efforts, Korda had a winless 2023 LPGA Tour season. Leading with 4 strokes at Bradenton Country Club, will the McDede-Korda duo keep the lead and win the championship? Stay tuned to find out!

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