Golf continues to portray examples of iconic bonds and relationships on and off the course. However, one of the sweetest friendships out there isn’t between two players; it’s between a player and a peer’s daughter. Retired LPGA pro Stacy Lewis recently shared a heart-melting moment showing just how close her daughter is with Nelly Korda.

Stacy Lewis joined the Inside The LPGA podcast, discussing motherhood and her golfing career. There, she revealed how Korda and her daughter Chesnee first became friends. The toddler had accompanied her mother on the courses to the Solheim Cup last year. Soon-to-be-6 at the moment, Chesnee was old enough to form connections with other ladies in the event. Sharing one of the cutest moments from the cup, Lewis shared:

“I’ll never forget walking into the team room in Spain. And she’s got this fake nail polish. And she’s sitting there doing the caddy’s nails. You know? And just hanging out with all these players and getting to be like around these girls and like coming out of, at Inverness, I was an assistant there and had, we had like smaller pods. And so I was with Nelly and Jess, and Megan.”

That marked the beginning of their heart-touching friendship. In fact, when next month, in October, Chesnee turned 6, the first friends Chesnee invited were Nelly Korda & Co.

“When I asked her a month later, I was like, who do you want to invite to your birthday party? She goes, Nellie and Jess and Megan and all her besties. Yeah, these people, they’re just like normal people to her,” shared Lewis.

The adorable moments of Korda and Chesnee’s relationship remain limited to Lewis’s story. However, clearly Chesnee acted as the glue between the entire team that contended that week.

Often with young ones, a golfer’s career can be stunted, catalysed by the pressure of caring for them. Even on the circuit, the stress can be unreal. Yet, Chesnee’s sensible and mature demeanor, coupled with the support from her peers, made it easier for Lewis. Indeed, her daughter acted as her strength, leading the US Team to a decisive 15.5-12.5 victory in the Solheim Cup last year.

Moreover, Chesnee has grown up watching strong, confident ladies lift trophies around her. That makes her naturally appreciate and support her mother’s career. Although Lewis called for retirement a month ago, she shared the quiet presence of her daughter that made her golfing pedigree possible.

The doting mother added on the podcast, “She’s gotten to see the hard work that goes into it. She’s seen me practice. She’s gone to the gym with me. She’s gone to practice with me. Like, and to be around these really strong women, I mean, it’s really invaluable to watch her grow up in that environment.”

Like the little girl, Lewis has garnered support from numerous peers and golfers on the LPGA circuit. However, as it appears, Nelly Korda is a favorite among both mother and daughter.

Stacy Lewis and Nelly Korda’s heart-touching relationship

Both these ladies are icons in their own right. However, what stands out to fans is their relationship and camaraderie built on mutual respect and support. The duo has shared events and cups throughout their careers. After the 2023 Solheim Cup, where Europe turned the game around in their favor, Lewis expressed her only regret. That was placing Korda in the penultimate match of the event. She believed that they could turn the game around otherwise. This shows Lewis’s trust in Korda and her tendency to acknowledge her mistakes.

These are probably the qualities Korda admires in the Solheim Cup captain. The former World No. 1 shared that Lewis has been her inspiration ever since she began in the circuit. In a recent media conference, Korda shared, “But at the end of the day, she’s someone that I looked up to. She’s such a great role model, and I wish her all the best in her next chapter in life.”

When asked what she admires the most in the retired legend, Korda piped up her resilience without hesitation. “Resilience. She has such an amazing story. I mean, even coming back, she was talking to me today. She really wanted to win after having Chesnee and that was her goal and she ended up doing it. Her hard work, her work ethic, resilience, that speaks for itself.”

As a matter of fact, when Lewis retired around a month ago, Korda was one of the first to jump on the wagon. Sharing her interview with the LPGA Tour on Instagram, Korda captioned the post: “A massive congratulations to Stacy Lewis on an amazing career. It was an honor to play alongside you this past week.”

From these moments, the dynamic and colorful relationship of the duo shines through. Whether it’s appreciation in front of the cameras or support behind the blinds, Korda and Lewis set an example for golfing friendships.