Nelly Korda has opened up on her experience posing for Sports Illustrated’s Swimsuit issue.
Last week, the world No.1 was announced as the first athlete to feature in the publication’s 2025 edition.
Korda, 26, has taken the LPGA by storm this year, winning six times – including the first major of the season, the Chevron Championship, in April.
But even Korda was nervous to lead the way in a huge step off the golf course and out of her comfort zone.
“My agent got the call around two months ago and, obviously, I jumped on it,” she told the Inside the LPGA podcast.
“It was such an amazing honour to be in it with all the amazing athletes they have lined up after me.
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“Every single day I see the people they’ve announced and it’s such an amazing line up this year of amazing women athletes.
“It was interesting, at the start I was definitely very timid because I’m not used to posing in a swimsuit and it’s so outside my comfort zone.
“But I think that’s what was so amazing about these opportunities, is that I get to step outside my comfort zone and do something new.”
Korda has only just returned from a period on the sidelines, battling an unusual neck injury.
She’s currently T5 after the opening round of The Annika, in Florida, as she tees it up for the first time since the Kroger Queen City Championship in September.
It dented the two-time major champ’s preparations on the course, and off it, too.
“No, not at all,” Korda said, when asked if she prepared for the shoot. “I was thinking the day before, I was like, ‘oh my gosh, I didn’t even practice’.
“[But] they had someone that helped out, there was a massive crew who were so amazing to work with.”
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Meanwhile, her nine holes with WNBA star Caitlin Clark during this week’s Pro-Am drew huge crowds at the Pelican Golf Club.
Korda admitted she was impressed by Clark’s game and heaped praise on her impact on the women’s game.
And that’s something Korda hopes to achieve from taking part in the swimsuit shoot.
“I’m out into an amazing media channel where, hopefully, at the end of the day, I can also grow the game or put some new eyeballs on the game of golf.
“I think the last time was Natalie Gulbis in Sports Illustrated and that was a long time ago, so it was so much fun.
“The whole crew was so great to work with and by the end of the day I was so comfortable with them posing that it just felt like nothing.”
