As she closes out a year of breakouts, heartbreak, and hard-earned progress, Nelly Korda talks about managing stress, turning the tide, and finding confidence in the grind that defined her 2025 campaign.
Q. AFter the final round of the CME Group Tour Championship. I just wrapped up here. What can you say about this week and honestly the season is perfect for you?
Nelly Korda: Obviously the main goal was to finish high, but after my first day I gave it to you. Even thought leaders were far ahead. I always feel like I’m playing well.
All in all, yes, another year. Thank you for everything. I’m thankful for the highs, the lows, and I’m thankful for my team.
Q. You put in one of the best shots of your year on the 11th. Take us through that.
Nelly Korda: Yes, hit my driver right. It honestly wasn’t a bad place to miss there. I had 136 meters which was a perfect 9 iron and I hit it – like I hit it really, and it’s really nice on the walk, when everything is the same.
And I’ve never heard Jason scream louder. Even the cameraman was like a resident, I’m afraid. It was nice to see you come in. Last year I was throwing out, so for it to be the last round of the year, obviously round the season, it felt good to see it go in.
Q. Looking back at 2025 What word would you use to describe the season and why?
Nelly Korda: Grinding. Yes, when – I was there – I feel that there was a lot and there were many UPS and it made me grow a lot mentally and say thank you very much because, you know, success does not find a line.
Q. How do you think you grew mentally?
Nelly Korda: I was just saying what is expected, listening to the sounds outside, just sticking to what I know best, and that will keep everything simple.
Q. Is there a shot that replays in your mind during the course that you wish you had back?
Nelly Korda: Yes, exactly. 18 in the US open. I actually hit that good shot. Maybe hitting that I did everything I did all year, and just because of the adrenaline I hit it maybe, I don’t know, ten meters too slow; He was in a place where at the beginning of the week on Monday I was like, I can’t be here, and I was there.
So if I could get one shot, that would be it.
But I mean, there are so many. It’s the summer that comes to mind, yes.
But everything happens for a reason.
Q. It is interesting that these many years the adrenaline is still something to see and be something.
Nelly Korda: Yeah.
Q. I think it varies from start to finish how much adrenaline will affect the shot.
Nelly Korda: Yes, I think everyone kind of deals with it. You are always learning. You would never really think. That’s why it always calms you down.
Q. When you talked about your team earlier this week and how they kind of gave you a different look at things when you heard from them, did you just get it to give you a chance to step back and look?
Nelly Korda: Yes, it’s just kind of like other activities with side effects. Like when you’re just kind of looking at the actual result of winning, not finishing inside the top 10, it’s irrelevant. At the end of the day it’s all about improving week to week, especially if you hit it big and you see improvement in that.
So it’s just a lot of different perspectives.
Q. He said he will remember the highs and lows from this year. What do you think of one or two heights or one or one single?
Nelly Korda: The top was probably open for American women. I mean, the adrenaline rush, there’s nothing like it. The high is probably like seeing a big light in my game when I’m really happy with the work I put in.
Then some of the cows are like every girl can say that here, Pro Pro can say that, you put a lot of time into the effort of your art and you don’t play well. You just do it over and over and over again. Sometimes you just go a little crazy.
Q. Lebron also comments on a healthy post. I don’t know, is there a future cycle?
Nelly Korda: Hopefully, fingers crossed. I mean, he’s a very busy man and we definitely don’t live on the same coast of the US
So if the time matches it would be good to play with him.
Q. How great is it to see people like this respond to the women’s game?
Nelly Korda: Very good. You see it across different sports, and it’s great to see women’s golf having its moment again. You see tennis where all the stars come and watch all the amazing benefits and you see the men’s game, too. So that people can finally see not only me but all the other amazing girls here and finally get their time, you know you’re going to plant the TV and people to run away, it’s really fun.
I hope to see it continue to grow.
Q. Just another quick one: Jeeno has now set Annika’s single-season hitting record from 2002.
Nelly Korda: Yeah.
Q. You can look at how hard it is to beat any of Annika’s records, but what does that mean over the course of the year?
Nelly Korda: Yes, it’s really amazing. Great talent, great player. It’s nice to see its art form up close.
But, yeah, I mean, it’s crazy, right? Finally hit the record so far – what was it, 2002 You say? Because taking it until 2025, I mean, it’s crazy. That just tells you that the Greats don’t come around very often
