5 Things You Don’t Know About Nelly Korda

Here’s a hint: she and superstar Taylor Swift have something in common.
Nelly Korda
Nelly Korda / Sports Illustrated Swimsuit

The No. 1 female golfer in the world, Nelly Korda is a two-time Olympian who made her brand debut in the 2025 SI Swimsuit Issue. The 26-year-old Florida native traveled to The Boca Raton in Boca Raton, Fla., for her photo shoot, which was captured by Ben Horton.

In between posing for stunning snaps in the sand and gorgeous photos in and around the water, Korda sat down with our camera crew to share a few little-known facts about herself. So, while you may know that Korda has 15 LPGTA Tour wins to her name, here are a few things you might not know about the 2024 Rolex Player of the Year.

She’s a superstitious athlete

Many athletes stick to a routine ahead of a game or match, and Korda is no different.

“I think just every athlete in a sense has a superstition when it comes to just routine or what you do out there, it kind of calms you down, so I definitely have a couple superstitions,” she says.

Korda is also clearly a fan of The Office, as she quoted Michael Scott by teasing “I'm a little ‘stitious.”

Nelly Korda
Nelly Korda / Sports Illustrated Swimsuit

She shares a secret talent with her sister

Rather than being able to juggle or carry a tune, Korda jokes that her hidden talent is actually something she does with little coordination—and apparently it runs in the family.

“I think my secret talent is actually opening up bags really, really poorly,” Korda quipped. “ My sister and I have this talent where it’s just kind of where we’re trying to open up a bag and everything just goes everywhere.”

Her lucky number is the same as Taylor Swift’s

“I do have a lucky number, it’s the number 13,” Korda shared, proving she has something in common with the “Fortnight” singer. “My parents are 13 days apart and my second major was my 13th win, so 13 is a very special number to me.”

Korda won the Chevron Championship on April 21, 2024, marking her second major championship victory (following the Women’s PGA Championship in June three years prior).

Nelly Korda
Nelly Korda / Sports Illustrated Swimsuit

She is afraid of two things in particular

Korda is not a fan of sharks or spiders. “I really, really hate those,” she admitted while on set.

She abhors this quality

While Korda loves to see someone with confidence, she really doesn’t appreciate cockiness as a personality trait.

“I don’t really like cocky people,” she said. “You know, like there’s confidence and then there’s cocky.”

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Cara O’Bleness
CARA O’BLENESS

Cara O’Bleness is a writer and editor on the Lifestyle and Trending News team for SI Swimsuit. Prior to joining SI Swimsuit in 2022, she worked as a writer and editor across a number of content verticals, including food, lifestyle, health and wellness, and small business and entrepreneurship. In her free time, O’Bleness loves reading, spending time with her family and making her way through Michigan’s many microbreweries. She is a graduate of Michigan State University’s School of Journalism.