Petr Korda ready for PNC debut with Nelly against golf idols John Daly and Tiger Woods

Petr Korda’s love of golf will come full circle at the PNC Championship.

Petr, a former professional tennis player who won the 1998 Australian Open, will play the event in Florida with his daughter, Nelly Korda, who rose to No. 1 in the world earlier this year. Although he’s now the father of two LPGA stars, Nelly and Jessica Korda, his love of golf came from two of the sport’s biggest names who Team Korda will play against in their PNC debut. 

“I start kind of paying attention (to golf) when Mr. [John] Daly was – when he won the [1995] British Open when Constantino Rocca missed the chip and then he made the phenomenal putt. And then the other year, I believe ’96, playing in Cincinnati, tournament over there, and was U.S. Men’s Championship, and Tiger was as a young one playing, and I believe was only 15, 14. He made that incredible eagle putt when he was down. So I said gee, that kid is quite good,” Petr Korda said. 

In Round 1, the Kordas will be paired up with John Daly and his son, John II, who plays on the golf team for his father’s alma mater, The University of Arkansas. About 25 years ago, would Petr Korda have imagined that he’d be playing a competitive golf round alongside the two-time major champion and his daughter, who’s also a major winner? 

“Probably not,” he said. “But I think it’s none of [the] tennis greats or tennis guy can say would make the field with the players like that. I think it’s phenomenal. I’m here because of Nelly, and just, I mean, I’m going to have – as I said, you know, it will be kind of my dream, you know, seeing the guys who I watched in the past 20, 30 years on the TV, learning about the game, how they handling themselves in the good days and the bad days. So have them with the same field, it’s pretty special.” 

And now Woods, who inspired Petr Korda in 1996 as a “young one,” will be playing the event with his young son Charlie, who’s 12 years old. Petr Korda is excited to play beside some of golf’s legends with Nelly, who has her eye on the event’s main attraction. 

“Playing with Nelly, it’s creating some new memories,” he said, “and it’s also a great honor, I believe, for the women’s golf to be in the same event with other players, other greats, from Mr. Nicklaus, Palmer, Trevino and other guys.”

“Tiger Woods,” Nelly Korda added.

“Yes, obviously I wanted to finish with, you know, the cherry on the top of the cake having Mr. Woods here,” he said.