PNC CHAMPIONSHIP

December 19, 2025

Nelly Korda

Petr Korda

The Ritz-Carlton Golf Club

Press Conference

THE MODERATOR: Joined by Nelly and Petr Korda here making their fifth appearance at the PNC Championship.

NELLY KORDA: Fifth?

THE MODERATOR: Question for both of you: How excited are you to be back here for your fifth appearance?

NELLY KORDA: I can't believe it's been our fifth. Oh, my gosh. For me it's a great way to end the year, to play alongside my dad. Those are core memories that you get to look back on for the rest of your life. I have been so lucky, we've been so lucky enough to play with Lee Trevino a couple times during this event.

How many times can someone of my generation really say that? The event brings on such amazing memories and getting to do that alongside my dad, there is no better way to end the year than that.

PETR KORDA: I mean, what can I say? She already said that. I can only say for me finishing better than Tiger and his son, that's my highlight of my golf career, you know. Cannot be better than that, you know.

NELLY KORDA: Yeah, that's when Charlie was a little smaller.

PETR KORDA: I will cherish that for the rest of my life, you know.

NELLY KORDA: Yeah.

Q. On that note, Petr, how are you feeling about your game coming into this week?

PETR KORDA: I feel okay. You know, as she said it's a matter of having fun on the golf course and to enjoy our luck, to enjoy those moments being with her. You know, it's a lifetime opportunity.

I wish we could play on a tennis court. Would be a little bit fun for me; this is more challenging. But I'm enjoying every minute of it. To see the golf greats, to be around them, it's amazing, you know, to hear their stories.

NELLY KORDA: It's fun to see him get nervous, too.

PETR KORDA: I get nervous, yeah. I will have some sloppy shots for sure.

NELLY KORDA: Yeah.

Q. What is your favorite Lee Trevino moment together?

NELLY KORDA: Gosh, I have so many. Just his one-liners. He'll hit a shot or like the way he engages with the crowd and shares so many of his amazing stories. I mean, the amount of times I've caught myself saying holy guacamole monthly because he says it. I'm like, oh, that's Lee Trevino right there.

It's such a neat event, because as I said, like someone from my generation where I can play with the greats, like I mean, I saw Lee yesterday and he was like, yeah the left knee is all steel. I'm going in next year for this knee, too. And he's still out here crushing drives and playing the game that he loves and engaging with all the fans and sharing his stories.

I think that's what makes this tournament so special, is everyone coming together from all different generations and sharing their stories and playing alongside each other.

Q. Do you have a specific one?

PETR KORDA: About Lee Trevino? I probably would have one, but you would probably -- it's not on a mic right now. But how it speed up the game. He was quite open last year, especially when Nelly played whatever, six-hour round in one of their tournament.

NELLY KORDA: Yeah, that's one of the main things I appreciate about him. He loves speedy golf and he's very open and honest. Any time you guys want to ask him -- you guys should ask him a question about slow play.

Q. Petr, how have you seen Nelly grow this year as a person?

PETR KORDA: I think she had a phenomenal year. I know you ask her so many same questions, I mean one question all the time, nearly every tournament, but I think it was very phenomenal year how she handle herself, how she played.

Obviously every year is different, and I think she learned a lot and I believe she will put a lot of good work into the offseason and prepare for the next year.

I would love to see her play less than she was playing this year. You know, really pick up the right tournaments, right time. I believe that fall showed her like she had some energy and really played well. That would be just me as a dad. I don't know if it's manageable.

Q. What would be your ideal tournament number?

PETR KORDA: It would be my ideal to manage the pace for her. I think it's a --

NELLY KORDA: I'm going to take over from here. It's probably like --

Q. It was getting good, Nelly.

NELLY KORDA: Yeah, it's probably 18 to 20 is my like perfect number, where it kind of like flows. I like being on max three in a row. I will not do four in a row. I've seen my body deteriorate over that and I kind of get into the zone of possibly getting injured.

That's the one thing that I have learned this year or throughout my career is just like, okay, where is my max, right? It's okay to push it, but you want to kind of be freshest in some periods of the season. Like that middle part the season gets compacted with a lot of events and flying, so you really want to make sure you're giving yourself a break, you're fresh going into those.

I mean, golf is already tough mentally, and then flying cross country, you know, traveling by yourself, sleeping in a different bed, I'm getting to the age where I'm feeling that now.

So, it's just like learning more about myself and knowing that like, okay, where is my max? Like I want to give everything always 110%. 110 percent to my practice, 110% to my tournaments. So if my body is not 100% it's very hard for me to give that 110%.

Q. You like 18 to 20?

PETR KORDA: No. I have a different number, but I agree with her, balance is important.

NELLY KORDA: We talk about the schedule at the beginning of the year and there are some disagreements. Usually I have to make my own mistakes. They've taught me that the majority of my life.

At the end of the day like you have to make your own mistakes. You learn from them as well.

PETR KORDA: She balanced the year well this year. Hopefully they will be adding one flight across the pond for the Solheim Cup. So as I said, my number is slightly different, but hopefully she will be able to manage that the way she did this year.

Q. Thank you.

NELLY KORDA: Yep. Thanks.

Q. Miss Korda, you're an absolutely incredible golfer and your sister is too. I also know from the PNC Championship that your dad, who's a famous tennis player, is also very good at golf. The thing is, your mom was also an incredible athlete, and I was just wondering if you ever asked her to play golf in the PNC Championship with you?

NELLY KORDA: I would but my mom has a bad back and a bad knee. I don't remember the last time she's actually hit a ball. It's probably been 20 years maybe.

So she likes watching from the sidelines. She is the glue that keeps us all together. Like we wouldn't be here without her. They're usually first people that I go to when something goes wrong. I call my mom more than I call my dad actually.

But she -- as for golf, she likes being on the sideline. But she was an incredible athlete. We actually have, on top the guys in the Korda family, all the females have competed in the Olympics.

PETR KORDA: Not the males.

NELLY KORDA: Yeah, my brothers still hasn't and obviously that's just over with.

PETR KORDA: It's too late for me.

NELLY KORDA: Yeah, but my mom competed in the Olympics in what year.

PETR KORDA: 1988.

NELLY KORDA: And then Jess and I competed in the 2020 Tokyo Olympics. She was an amazing athlete but she likes being on the sidelines, yeah.

PETR KORDA: I wouldn't mind trade my sport with her to walk outside. It's less stressful to walk outside.

Q. Thank you so much.

NELLY KORDA: No problem.