Jessica Korda (USA), the older sister of Nelly Korda, the world’s No. 1 female golfer, has announced her plans to return to the LPGA Tour.
Golf Week, a US golf media outlet, reported on the 15th (Korean time) that “Jessica Korda, who has won six times on the LPGA Tour, is aiming to return to the LPGA Tour next year.”
Jessica, who has been focusing on raising her son since giving birth in February, appeared on the Grant Thornton Invitational Golf Channel broadcast that day and announced her plans to return to the LPGA Tour in 2026.
Jessica said in an interview, “I definitely want to play again, but I don’t know how long I can do it,” and “I’m going to wait until 2025 and then aim to return in 2026 based on my childbirth plan.”
In 2019, the LPGA Tour allowed players to return as players for up to two years from the date of childbirth in relation to its childbirth policy. Jessica suspended her tour activities in May 2023 to treat a back injury. She announced her pregnancy later that year and gave birth to her son in February.
During her break, Jessica appeared on TV broadcasts and caddied for her younger sister Nelly at the LPGA Tour CME Group Tour Championship last year.
Jessica, who debuted in 2011, won her first title at the Australian Women’s Open the following year and has since won six titles, including the 2021 Diamond Resorts Tournament of Champions. She hasn’t played an LPGA Tour event since the 2023 Grand Prix Founders Cup, but last month she released a video of herself hitting shots on the practice range.
“It’s been over a year since I’ve played golf at all,” she said. “My shoulders hurt, my forearms hurt, my wrists hurt. I can’t help it because I’ve been resting for so long.” 파파에이전시