Nelly Korda is set to show her mettle at the Memorial Park Golf Course during the 2026 Chevron Championship, beginning 23 April. And ahead of the tournament, the 27-year-old came clean about the inspirational figures that fueled her journey to become what she is today.

During a press conference on Tuesday in The Woodlands, Korda shed light on the two personalities behind her competitive attitude. In response to the question of her main inspirations in the sport, Korda wasted no time in revealing that she found inspiration right at home.

The world No. 2 women's golfer said, "My sister. Always. Yeah, I looked up to her from a really young age. I admired her. I wanted to be here since she joined the tour in 2011." So, Jessica Korda seems to be the one who inspired Nelly to excel in this sport.

However, the second person whom Nelly named as her idol holds a similar reputation to many other young golfers of today. The 2x LPGA major champion said, "Obviously, Tiger Woods, because my sister always says, like our generation, that's kind of like Tiger's kids. We watched him dominate the game at that time."

Nevertheless, beyond the sport itself, Korda finds inspiration in the tennis legends, combining their traits into one perfect package. She aims to embody the fiery nature of Rafael Nadal and the elegance of Roger Federer.

Talking about Korda's upcoming challenge, her mental strategy will be extremely helpful when she has to contend with the "tricked out" greens and the long par-3s of the Memorial Park Golf Course.

This is why she intends to focus on only those things that she can control, regardless of what others may expect of her at the first major of the year.

Nelly Korda’s Blueprint Is Rooted in Professional Growth

According to Korda, her preparation for the 2026 Chevron Championship is linked to the standards set by her sister since 2011. By focusing on resting rather than pursuing bigger prize money, she ensures her performance remains worthy of the role models she has admired since childhood.

"If I'm rested, then I can give 100% to what I'm doing on the golf course. I can put in extra hours instead of being out there and being like, okay, I finished this," Korda stated.

The approach she takes is consistent with the dominance she had seen Tiger Woods exhibit during her childhood. She considers taking care of both her body and mind an essential step to maintaining her high level of play.

Ultimately, Korda thinks that becoming a well-rounded individual is as important as her victories on the field. She keeps using the knowledge she obtained from her sister's career at the beginning of her professional life.

"I think it's about growing, growing into the person you want to be, growing into the athlete that you want to be," she added. It helps her remain humble while competing at the highest level.

So, with such a developed mindset, do you think the 27-year-old will be able to repeat her feat of winning the 2024 Chevron Championship this year?

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Written by

Abhishek Sharma

Edited by

Souvik Roy