Who is Nelly Korda?

When talking about women in the game of golf, Nelly Korda's name definitely comes to people's minds. A young golfer who has already made a mark in the world of golf through her impressive golfing skills on the course. Coming from a houseful of renowned athletes, it looks like the apple did not fall far from the tree, as the young golfer has further solidified the Korda name in the gentleman's game after following her sister's footsteps into the game of golf.

Nelly Korda has collected many accolades throughout her career, including an Olympic medal. Korda has also raked in a lot of success and fortune off the course, through various deals, endorsements, and partnerships with sports giants like Nike, all thanks to her on-course magic.

Nelly Korda’s early life and family 

Nelly Korda was born on July 28, 1998, in Bradenton, Florida, to Petr Korda and Regina Rajchrtova. While competing in professional golf, the LPGA's cover girl represents her family's rich background in the world of sports. Her father, Petr Korda, a former Czechoslovakian tennis player, won the 1996 Australian Open. Petr married his fellow countrywoman and tennis player, Regina Rajchrtova.

While Nelly Korda is the middle child of her family, she has two siblings. Her elder sister, Jessica Korda, also happens to be a professional golfer on the LPGA. In fact, it was the influence of Jessica that led Nelly to become a golfer. 

Just like any other younger sibling, Nelly Korda followed her elder sister around. Jessica Korda started taking golf lessons at the age of seven and that's when Nelly Korda also got her first taste of the sport around the tender age of two and started to swing her little plastic clubs alongside her sister. Not long after, at the age of 6, Korda took up golf more seriously and started taking lessons three to four times a week. Nonetheless, their younger brother, Sebastian Korda, followed the path of their parents.

The 22-year-old Sebastian is a tennis player who won the Junior Boys 2018 Australian Open. While the sisters represent the Korda surname in the 18-hole sport, their younger brother takes care of their reputation on the tennis court.

Nelly Korda’s boyfriend

The family is further expanding to other sports too, thanks to Nelly's boyfriend. Andreas Athanasiou, who currently plays for the Chicago Blackhawks in the NHL, has been dating Nelly Korda since 2019. While Korda represents the United States flag, her beau plays for the Canadian team internationally.

Athanasiou was drafted 110th overall in the 2012 NHL draft by the Detroit Red Wings. After playing for the Wings for five seasons, Andreas also played for the Edmonton Oilers and Los Angeles Kings before finally being traded to the Chicago Blackhawks in the 2022”“23 season.

Nelly Korda’s net worth 2024 

Since her debut on the LPGA Tour, Nelly Korda has not only amassed many accolades but has also seen an exponential rise in her net worth with each passing year. She was placed in the 22nd position as 2022's highest-paid female athlete. And was also listed on the 30-under-30 list by Forbes.

The nine-time LPGA Tour winner once again made it to Forbes 2023 highest-paid female athlete list and took the 11th spot along with U.S. soccer star Megan Rapinoe on the list with a net worth of 8.2 million, with $1.7 million earned on-field and $6.5 million off-field. Meanwhile, Korda's career earnings on the LPGA stand at an exorbitant $9,223,989. With her name gaining more popularity, it is quite evident that Korda's earnings will also experience immense growth.

Nelly Korda’s career timeline

Korda started playing golf at a young age and competed in her first LPGA Tour event as a 14-year-old amateur. During her amateur days, Korda was a member of the 2015 Junior Solheim Cup team. The rising golf talent made the cut at the 2013 US Women's Open, just a week before her 15th birthday.

She was a 2015 AJGA Rolex Junior All-American and also won the 2015 PING Invitational and Harter Hall Invitational as an amateur. Nelly turned professional in 2016 and played on the developmental Symetra Tour, where she won once and finished ninth on the money list to earn her LPGA Tour card for the 2017 season.

Since then, Korda has won multiple LPGA Tour events, including the 2021 Women's PGA Championship, and has risen to become one of the top players in the world. Aside from nine LPGA Tour victories, including one major win, Nelly Korda also etched her name in the history of golf as an Olympic gold medalist after winning at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics.

Nelly Korda’s partnerships and endorsements

Being one of the most prominent names in the LPGA, it isn’t a challenge for Nelly Korda to find some big checks. As she looks to further increase her earnings, she has brand deals with Cisco, Franklin Resources, Hanwha, Richard Mille, Titleist, and Whoop. For many years, Nelly sported J. Lindeberg apparel for her performance outfits.

Nonetheless, at the start of 2023, Korda announced her signing with Nike, making it the brand's biggest women's golf partnership. Prior to her deal with American Sportswear, Forbes announced Nelly Korda's endorsement earnings to be $6.5 million in 2023.

Nelly Korda’s career stats

Currently, the 25-year-old is holding the number two spot on the Rolex Women's World Golf rankings. In the seven years of her golfing career, Korda has found herself with 56 career Top 10 finishes. In 2023, the Bradenton resident made 16 cuts among the 18 events she played and also had nine top-10 finishes, despite that Korda failed to have a single win during her 2023 campaign.

Korda also has nine LPGA tour victories to her name, the latest coming at the 2024 addition of the Drive-On Championship, where the LPGA cover girl defeated Lydia Ko. The win put an end to her long winless streak, as her last LPGA win came at the 2022 Pelican Women's Championship. And with a scintillating start to the season, the LPGA pro has also acquired 552.00 Race to CME Points.

Nelly Korda’s records

After turning pro in 2016, it took Nelly another year to finally earn the LPGA card. In 2018, Korda won her maiden LPGA event after claiming the LPGA Taiwan Championship. She successfully defended her title a year later in Taiwan and also won the 2019 ISPS Handa Women's Australian Open and the Ladies Lacoste Open de France.

While she claimed three wins in 2019, it was barely even close to Nelly Korda's best season two years later. Nelly started the 2021 season with a win at the Gainbridge LPGA, which marked her first triumph in the American Soil. She continued her hot form later at the Meijer LPGA Classic in June with a stunning -25 total score. A week after her sixth professional win, Korda secured her maiden major at the Women's PGA Championship.

Nelly had to outclass fellow American Lizette Salas with three fewer strokes to earn her first major victory, taking her to the number one position in the ladies' golf rankings. The rising LPGA star further embraced her name amongst the greats of the sport by winning the gold medal at the 2021 Tokyo Olympics, held in 2021.

She ended her 2021 season with a win at the Pelican Women's Championship. A year later, Korda returned to the same event to retain her title. Further in November 2022 at the Ladies European Tour's Aramco Team Series in Sotogrande. Korda's latest win came on her home turf at the Bradenton Country Club. Where she took the trophy for the 2024 Drive-On Championship after defeating Lydia Ko in a nail-biting playoff.

Nelly Korda’s Social Media Accounts