“Hit 20 Balls and..”: Jessica Korda’s Comeback Stalled by a Tiny Distraction Amid Back Injury Recovery

Jessica Korda, elder sister of World No. 1 Women’s golfer Nelly Korda, is taking time off from golf to focus on motherhood and rehabilitation. The 31-year-old golfer has been dealing with a back injury since 2022, which she exacerbated by playing through the pain. After taking a hiatus, Korda recently revealed on Instagram that she’s currently rehabbing her back and plans to start hitting balls once she regains most of her rotation. But how is her recovery going?

For now, there’s no definitive timeline for her return to competition. Something that she voiced in May last year, writing, “At the advice of my medical team, I have made the tough decision to stop playing until I can get my back fully healthy. At this point, we don’t have a firm timeline for my return but I’m working with the best of the best and am focused on coming back as soon as possible.”
The Florida native managed to make only 6 starts last year, as her season was largely marred by withdrawals. In February, she withdrew from Honda LPGA Thailand. And then, she withdrew from the Cognizant Founder’s Cup at the beginning of May. And eventually, she chose to indefinitely withdraw from the LPGA Tour.

Now that she is fully dedicated to her recovery, she often faces distraction in the form of her 5-month-old baby. Despite this, she remains connected to golf, attending clinics and putting occasionally. Additionally, the LPGA’s maternity policy allows Korda ample time to recover and care for her child. In a recent podcast appearance, Korda expressed no rush on her return, citing her child’s upbringing as her primary focus.