RIVIERA MAYA OPEN

April 29, 2026

Nelly Korda

El Camaleón Golf Course

Press Conference

THE MODERATOR: Hello and welcome to the media center at the 2026 Riviera Maya Open at Mayakoba. I am joined here by world No. 1 Nelly Korda. Just first open it up and then we'll go through media here. Talk about playing here in Mexico. I believe the last time you were here was 2017. Talk about what it feels like to be back.

NELLY KORDA: Yeah, last time I played in Mexico was a match play event in Mexico City, so that was like my rookie year, so a long time since I competed in Mexico.

Super excited to be back. I was at this resort a few years ago. I think I played 18 once but I don't remember it too much. Very happy to be back. This is my type of weather, hot and humid.

Excited.

THE MODERATOR: Questions.

Q. Welcome to Mexico. Could you walk us through what were you thinking and could you describe your mentality during the last moments of The Chevron Championship and your overall thoughts about being back at the top? Thank you.

NELLY KORDA: Yeah, I would say my mentality on the final day last week was just try to be as calm as possible and also still trying to be aggressive here and there; not trying to make too many mistakes.

On being back in Mexico, it's nice. I'm super excited to play here. The resort is beautiful. Golf course is beautiful as well with some of the par-3s looking out at the ocean.

And, yeah, I also loved the cuisine here so I'm very excited to be back.

Q. Congratulations for being the No. 1 of the world.

NELLY KORDA: Thank you.

Q. I would like to ask about the importance of your family. Since your parents were professional tennis players, also your brother and your sister are professional athletes, so how important is that for you and how does it push you to be the best in terms of discipline or mentality or other things? Thanks.

NELLY KORDA: Yeah, I'm a super family-oriented person. I think growing up, I'm first generation American, so my parents came over from Czech Republic and family was all we kind of knew back in the day, so we really leaned on each other.

And then that's something that grew my love for the game, too, is because we all got to spend time together outside on the golf course. So I always kind of intermingle those two together, and that's what kind of always grows my love for the game.

And when it comes to just having the best support system with them, like bouncing ideas off them because I know they have been in those high-pressure moments, and also at the end of the day like you can get caught up in the wrong things I think in our life. So knowing the main thing I need to do is stay humble, to always respect everyone around me, those are the core things that my parents always approach.

And then also at the end of the day knowing I have people there that are there for me no matter what, through the ups and downs. Knowing it doesn't matter if I'm going through a hard time, they're my best support system and I know with them by my side I can get through it.

Q. Welcome to Mexico.

NELLY KORDA: Thank you.

Q. I will ask you how does being No. 1 of the world mean for you?

NELLY KORDA: I held the title a couple times. Obviously it's an amazing accomplishment. It's something that I wanted to hold when I was a little girl. I think that just measures that you're playing the best golf at the end of the day.

But it's so different versus any other sport. Like in tennis, let's say there is an advantage to being the No. 1 player in the world. In golf there is no advantage to being the No. 1 player in the world. It just means you're playing the best golf.

When it comes to being an advantage there is zero in golf, so for me it just means you're playing the best golf. I don't really focus on the ranking too much. I just focus on the simplicity of golf, of trying to go out there and do the best that I can.

Q. Hi, Nelly. So glad to have you here in Mexico. What does a player like Lorena Ochoa represent to you given that she was a former No. 1?

NELLY KORDA: Yeah, I didn't get to meet Lorena through my career, which I'm really sad. My sister was a really big fan of hers. Obviously she has done so many amazing things for the game of golf, like grow the game in Mexico. You have so many of the little girls that look up to her just because of the position that she was in.

I think that you have so many amazing international players that do that for their country, like Seri Pak that grew the game so much in Korea and Lorena who grew the game so much for Mexico.

The position the LPGA is in where all these great athletes from every country, they get to inspire the next generation. And the way Lorena held herself and the way that she represented herself is very admirable where that's how I want to carry myself.

Q. You are No. 1 of the world. You already won Olympic medal, majors. What's next for you in your mind, your next goal?

NELLY KORDA: Whatever I set my heart to. I mean, I just love competing and I love being out here competing.

I'm always striving to be better and to contend in every major, every tournament. Just because what I've accomplished, what's funny with sports is that's in the past. What you want to do is look to the future and look to improve and look to it contend in the bigger events.

Even if you get beat, it doesn't matter. That's kind of what motivates me to continuously put myself in that position.

Q. We want to know what motivated you to be part of the second edition of this event at Mayakoba?

NELLY KORDA: I haven't been back in Mexico since 2017. It's not too far from Florida and I love competing in warmer weather. Being from Florida I'm used to the humidity, used to the warm weather. My body likes it way more than cold weather.

I don't know, I just always wanted to come here. I came here once a few years ago and I played the golf course. It was a great opportunity to see a new golf course, compete in beautiful conditions, and make new memories somewhere other than in the U.S..

Q. I wanted to ask you if you had a few day here outside of playing golf, what would you like to do in Mayakoba for a whole day?

NELLY KORDA: I did. I had Monday. I took a day off on Monday and sat by the beach and enjoyed some guacamole and had some tacos. That's about it. I did not do anything other than that. I'm very chill. On my day off I don't love to adventure. I usually hit the gym or just relax by the pool.

Q. I want to ask you what's the first thing that comes to mind when you hear Mexico and golf?

NELLY KORDA: Hot. (Smiling.) It's just so different. In Mexico City it was so undulated there from what I remember. The ball was flying really far. Here it's different from what I remember playing in Mexico City.

But I would say also from the girls that I've played with, like Gaby, Maria Fassi, they're very passionate, expressive players, so I would say passion as well.

Q. How important is it for women's golf to go across the USA now? Of course you have big tours in Asia, two tours in Asia, in Europe. How important is to go now down south the U.S. and to keep growing the game for the little girls that are going to come see you this weekend?

NELLY KORDA: Yeah, it's important to hit so many different countries. Obviously we're a worldwide tour. We travel a lot, all over in Asia, Europe, in the U.S.

But I think what helps the most when growing the game is also having players from that country come and play their home event. I'm sure that having Gaby here, Maria Fassi, having fellow Mexican players come and play this event really helps grow the game for them.

Obviously having the stars come and play, you know, brings a lot of fans. But at the end of the day I think what the girls -- what I would think; maybe I'm wrong -- is seeing their fellow countrywomen play in the event, and that's what inspires the girls in Mexico.

Q. Which message could you give to Mexican girls or also Latin American girls that are going to see you in this tournament? I mean, not only for being a professional athlete but also their general life. Could you give them some messages, please? Thanks.

NELLY KORDA: Yeah, something my parents always said is life is not a sprint, it's a marathon. It's really easy to compare yourself to others, but stay your course and be confident in what you're doing.

Just because someone else is succeeding at a younger age doesn't mean you can't get there a little bit older. Like your path is different to everyone else's and not to compare yourself.

Q. We talked a little bit about Lorena and people talked about role models. I know you referred to your role models and how you kind of try to mimic them or go about the way they do as well. Can you talk about Lorena specifically? Is there anything you ever saw her do that compares to your role models?

NELLY KORDA: I would say -- I mean, she was so dominant and she wasn't on Tour for that long, so I didn't get to know her because my rookie year was 2017.

From what I remember from everyone saying is how kind she was and how well she carried herself even how dominant after player she was. That's something that I think that I like to carry as well, is like being kind to others, being respectful to others, but still being a bulldog out on the golf course.

I think for how short of a period she was out on Tour and how dominant she was it's very inspiring.

Q. There has been a lot of news and things like that after your win, the billboard, different things. Can you talk about what you've seen and what's the coolest thing? LeBron also tweeted. Stuff like that.

NELLY KORDA: Everything has been so fun. The billboard up in New York City that's more of a pinch-me moment. It's so crazy. Every one of my sponsors has come together and sent me amazing messages or really cool videos.

There is one video the TaylorMade social team did where they put together of them all doing a cannonball into a pool. Really cool moments like that where it's kind of crazy to see how many people support me.

You know, you get lost in kind of how I refer to it your little bubble. When you do look on the outside, how many people are happy for you that you accomplished such an amazing thing is really cool to see and I'm just so grateful for all the amazing messages that I got and all the support that I do get every week.

Q. You mentioned the cannonball. How do you think your form was?

NELLY KORDA: I thought it was pretty good. Both times I thought my cannonball was really good. Honestly I don't remember the last time I cannonballed. I think it was 2024. I thought it was top notch.