Two major titles and the 2026 Rolex Player of the Year award have made Nelly Korda’s season special. But on Wednesday, she looked back on a moment that had nothing to do with golf. Away from the trophies and tournament victories, it was a personal memory that caught her attention.
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“There was one moment where I was off to the side of their stage, and Joe Jonas came up and pointed at me, and I think I melted inside, my little 12-year-old self melted inside. But getting to put my name out on different stages, obviously trying to get the game of golf, women’s golf, to new viewership is always very beneficial for us. But for me, also getting to meet some of the people that I kind of looked up to growing up was really cool, too,” Korda said Wednesday at Pelican Golf Club, ahead of The ANNIKA driven by Gainbridge.
Korda was asked about her time at home, which included an appearance on the Jonas Brothers’ podcast, and what those opportunities do for introducing the LPGA Tour to a different audience. Nelly Korda called meeting the band a “pinch-me moment” and said she was “obsessed with them growing up.”
Korda recently appeared on the podcast “Hey Jonas,” hosted by Kevin, Joe, and Nick Jonas. According to Golf.com, her 26-minute episode was released during the week of October 22 and focused mainly on golf. She shared advice on how to play a shot from a fairway divot and revealed that her favorite meal after a win is always a Five Guys burger. She also admitted that she has never had an alcoholic drink on a golf course.
But the conversation also brought up a painful memory from her first year working with caddie Jason McDede. Nelly Korda recalled slamming a club into the ground, only for it to bounce back and hit her in the mouth. The incident left her with a bloody lip.
Joe Jonas asked how she handles big-stage nerves. Korda pointed to her routine: a practice swing, a lock on her target, a word with her caddie, then go. She said she tells herself it is time to reassess if she stops feeling like a little girl on the course, and that she still wants the first-tee jitters.
The brothers also brought their kids into it. Nick Jonas said his daughter, Malti, is getting started in golf, and Kevin Jonas’ daughter, Alena, asked what an up-and-coming golfer should focus on most. Korda’s answer was short game. She described the six-ball drill, which requires making six up-and-downs in a row, and said it sometimes took her a couple of hours to finish.
The podcast came during a stretch away from competition. Nelly Korda did not play the LPGA’s fall Asia Swing, and Golf Digest wrote that her podcast run gave her more exposure than playing would have. She followed the Jonas Brothers with an appearance on Caleb Pressley’s “Sundae Conversation,” hosted by a creator with 1.8 million Instagram followers. She took the last two months off.
Korda now has another big opportunity waiting for her at Pelican Golf Club. She started 2026 with a victory at the Tournament of Champions on February 1, claiming her first title since the 2024 ANNIKA. She is also getting closer to another major milestone. Korda currently has 26 points toward the 27 needed to enter the LPGA Hall of Fame. Tournament officials confirmed that a victory at Pelican would make her eligible. However, Korda admitted in June that she had “never really truly looked at it” when asked about the Hall of Fame.
She already knows what it takes to win at Pelican, having claimed the title three times. Another victory this week would make her the first player to win the same LPGA event four times since Annika Sörenstam achieved the feat in 2005.
But before the competition began, Korda shared a special moment with a young fan. She was paired with seven-year-old AdventHealth patient Mary Kate for Wednesday’s Kicks for a Cause pro-am. The event allows players to wear custom shoes designed by pediatric patients. Lottie Woad and Charley Hull are also competing this week. The 108-player tournament features 72 holes and will run through Sunday.