Jack Nicklaus was immediately impressed by Nelly Korda after meeting her for the very first time 14 years ago.
Korda, now 28, has more than lived up to the promise she showed as a young player, with 19 LPGA Tour victories to her name, including four major championships.
Advertisement
The Golden Bear knows what it takes to win the very biggest and most prestigious golf tournaments.
Jack Nicklaus won 73 PGA Tour titles throughout his career, including a record 18 major championships.
Photo by Ryan Sirius Sun/Getty Images
Who knows? Nelly Korda may well end up with a similar record once she’s finished playing competitively.
Purses in women’s golf have boomed due to Korda’s popularity, and it’s fair to say that she’s one of the biggest stars in the game, men included.
And Nicklaus seemingly knew she was destined for greatness from a very young age.
Jack Nicklaus revealed what he noticed about Nelly Korda when he first met her
After Korda won the gold medal while representing the United States at the 2020 Olympics in Tokyo, Nicklaus took to his social media accounts to congratulate her.
Advertisement
“Congrats Nelly Korda,“ Nicklaus said.
“I’ve known Nelly since she was 13 years old. I could see then, when I played with Nelly and her big sister Jessica, how competitive she was—even at 13.
Photo by Ben Jared/PGA TOUR via Getty Images
“As they grew up, Nelly and Jessica have worked with each other, rooted for each other, and both have been very successful.
“To now see Nelly, the No. 1 player in the world, win Gold at the Olympics, what a thrilling thing for the Korda family!
“And to be honest, what a thrilling thing for me to feel I have been blessed to have a connection to her and the Korda family.“
She has definitely maintained that competitiveness throughout her career, and that trait is one of the main reasons why she has been so successful in the game.
Advertisement
Korda has certainly lived up to the hype and the scary thing for her rivals is that she is only 28. The Floridian has so many more years ahead of her before she has even reached her prime!
What Max Homa said after playing with Nelly Korda for the first time
Max Homa got to watch Korda up close and personal back in December 2022 at the QBE Shootout.
And the six-time PGA Tour winner was hugely impressed with what he saw.
“We talked about it all day (Nelly’s game),“ said Homa.
“I think I called her the Tiger Woods of the LPGA Tour at one point.
“And then through about seven or eight holes, I said she’s hit every shot just like she wants to for eight holes. Like does she hit a bad shot? I have no idea, I’ve never seen her hit a bad shot. We were laughing all day.
Advertisement
“It was a little bit outrageous. She drove it down the middle on every hole, she almost hit the pin three times, hit it to like two inches on one par 4, then from way too far that next one, she almost hit the pin.
“She chipped it great, so I don’t know how she does not win every week. It’s a testament to these other ladies that anyone can even sniff beating her because that was wildly impressive.“
Read the full article here
