At the PNC Championship, Petr Korda’s passion for golf will come full circle.
Petr, a former professional tennis player who won the Australian Open in 1998, will compete in the event in Florida with his daughter, Nelly Korda, who just got to No. 1 in the world. Despite the fact that he is now the father of two LPGA stars, Nelly and Jessica Korda, his passion for golf was sparked by two of the sport’s top superstars, whom Team Korda will face in their PNC debut.
“When Mr. [John] Daly won the [1995] British Open, when Constantino Rocca missed the chip and then made the incredible putt, I started paying attention (to golf). And then there was the other year, I guess it was ’96, when Tiger was playing in a tournament in Cincinnati, and it was the US Men’s Championship, and Tiger was playing as a young man “Petr Korda stated the following. “When he was down, he made that unbelievable eagle putt. So I said to myself, “Wow, that kid is really good.””
In Round 1, the Kordas will be paired with John Daly and his son, John II, who is a member of his father’s alma mater, the University of Arkansas, on the golf team. Would Petr Korda have envisaged playing a competitive golf round with the two-time major champion and his daughter, who is also a major winner, 25 years ago?
“I doubt it,” he remarked. “But I don’t think any of the great tennis players or tennis commentators can argue they would make the field with people like that. It’s fantastic, in my opinion. I’m here because of Nelly, and it’ll be a dream come true for me to see the people I’ve watched on TV for the past 20, 30 years, learning about the game and how they handle themselves on good and bad days. So having them in the same field is somewhat unique.”
And now, Woods, who inspired Petr Korda as a “young one” in 1996, will be playing the event with his 12-year-old son Charlie. Petr Korda is looking forward to playing with Nelly, who has her sights set on the event’s main attraction.
“Playing with Nelly is creating some fresh memories,” Petr remarked, “and I believe it’s also a tremendous honor for women’s golf to be in the same tournament as other greats like Mr. Nicklaus, Palmer, Trevino, and other guys.”
Nelly Korda added, “Tiger Woods.”
“Of course, having Mr. Woods here was the cherry on top of the cake,” Petr explained.
