You would think winning a golf major and becoming world No. 1 in the process would leave you head and shoulders above your brothers and sisters in the world of sibling rivalry, but things have never been that simple in the Korda family.
Nelly Korda achieved the pinnacle of her still young career when she claimed the Women’s PGA Championship at Atlanta Athletic Club on Sunday to capture her first major title and become the first American since 2014 to seize the top ranking in ladies golf.
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Remarkably, it simply adds to an already burgeoning trophy cabinet in the Korda home. The thing is, Nelly is just one of five sporting stars in the family, all pros in their chosen sports.
First of all is dad Petr, whom tennis fans will know from his heyday in the 1990s when the former world No. 2 won the Australian Open (1998), having previously reached the French Open final (1992). Mum is Regina Rajchrtova, another pro tennis player who represented Czechoslovakia at the 1988 Seoul Olympics.
Enter Nelly’s siblings. Younger brother Sebastian followed in his parents’ footsteps and picked up a tennis racket — and is in action at Wimbledon this week (coached by dad) having achieved a career high No. 50 after winning the Emilia-Romagna Open in Italy last month. Oh, he is also the 2018 Australian Open Junior champ.
Big sister Jessica, like Nelly, is a pro golfer on the LPGA Tour. And she is no slouch, ranked 13 in the world with six LPGA titles to her name at the age of 28.
Nelly is the middle child and more than holds her own amid such stellar sporting company. Still only 22, she has eight titles in the bag, with three this year alone after her PGA Championship triumph.
While the Kordas have a house full of celebrities to rival the Kardashians, Nelly insists they take it all in their stride.
“You don’t realise it until someone really talks about it because we’re always so in the zone,” Korda said after lifting the huge trophy on Sunday evening in Atlanta. “We’re always just striving to achieve more, and for our family just to back each other through every situation, it’s so surreal.”
Claiming a major has always been a dream of Nelly’s since she was a kid, and she narrowly missed out in the ANA Inspiration at Mission Hills, California, last year. Even that heartbreak could not put her off her stride or her swing — instead making her more determined to secure a big one.
“This is something I’ve worked for since I was 14,” Korda said. “I wanted to win a major since I played in my first one. To finally get it done here in Atlanta with such an amazing crowd, it was something special.”
Sadly, mum and dad were not their to congratulate Nelly as they were supporting Sebastian in the Miami Open, where he reached the quarter-finals. Thankfully big sis Jessica was on hand to give her a big hug on the 18th. Jessica had her own reason to celebrate, too, as her tied-15th finish meant she secured a spot on the four-strong United States Olympic team bound for Tokyo.
Meet the Kordas — keeping it in the family.
