Nelly Korda is basically the closest thing golf has to a superhero right now. If you followed the LPGA in 2024, you saw her do things that frankly didn’t seem possible—tying the all-time record with five straight wins and finishing the year with seven trophies. But then, she did something that caught a totally different audience off guard. She traded the Nike polo and the visor for the beaches of Boca Raton.
The announcement that we'd see nelly korda sports illustrated style in the 2025 Swimsuit Issue wasn't just another athlete crossover. It was a statement. For a sport that often struggles to break out of its "country club" shell, Korda stepping into the most iconic magazine in sports media is a massive deal. Honestly, it’s about time.
Breaking the Grass Ceiling
When the news broke in late 2024, the internet did what it does. People were obsessed. Korda was photographed by Ben Horton, and the early previews showed her in everything from a royal blue Yasmine Eslami two-piece to a sleek black one-shoulder number by LaQuan Smith.
But look past the glamour for a second.
This is the World No. 1 (at the time of the shoot) showing up in a space usually reserved for supermodels and NBA stars. She’s the first golfer since Tiger Woods to get an invite to the Met Gala, and now she's a "SI Swimsuit" rookie. You've got to realize how rare that is. Golfers usually stay on the golf course. Nelly? She's everywhere.
She joined a roster that included Olympic legends like Gabby Thomas and Suni Lee. It tells you exactly where Nelly sits in the cultural hierarchy. She isn't just "good at golf." She’s a global sports icon.
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The 2024 Rollercoaster: Why the Timing Was Wild
You can't talk about nelly korda sports illustrated without talking about the year she just had. It was a fever dream.
- She won five times in a row.
- She grabbed her second major at the Chevron Championship.
- She did a literal cannonball into Poppie’s Pond.
- Then... she missed three straight cuts.
Golf is cruel. One minute you're invincible, the next you're hitting three balls into the water at the U.S. Women’s Open and carding a 10 on a par-3. She’s been open about how draining that stretch was. Between the dog bite (yes, a real thing that happened) and the nagging neck injuries that kept her out of the International Crown, 2024 and early 2025 were a test of her sanity.
The SI shoot happened right in the middle of all this chaos. For Nelly, it was "outside her comfort zone." That’s a quote. She’s used to being in a "bubble," focused on the next 7-iron. Posing on a beach in Florida is a different kind of pressure. But she crushed it. The behind-the-scenes clips showed her laughing with the crew, showing off those "chiseled athlete abs" that had the golf world buzzing.
What People Get Wrong About the Shoot
Some purists might roll their eyes. "Shouldn't she be practicing?" Honestly, that’s such a tired take.
If anything, the SI feature humanized her. We see her as a 26-year-old woman from Florida who likes fashion and wants to inspire little girls, not just a ball-striking machine. She’s mentioned before that seeing kids give her fist pumps when she’s playing poorly is what keeps her going. This shoot was for them, too. It shows that you can be a world-class athlete and still embrace your femininity or your interest in fashion.
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Dealing with the "Winless" 2025 Narrative
As we moved into 2025, the conversation shifted. Nelly didn't win right away. Jeeno Thitikul eventually took the No. 1 spot after Korda’s 71-week reign. People started asking if the "distractions" of fame—the Met Gala, the nelly korda sports illustrated feature, the Nike deals—were taking a toll.
That’s a reach.
If you look at her stats, she’s still playing elite golf. Her Strokes Gained numbers are actually better in some categories than they were during her winning streak. She’s just dealing with a deeper field and a body that’s reminding her she’s human. She’s been doing "Iron Neck" work and listening to her body more since that 2022 blood clot scare.
She’s not "distracted." She’s just a person who has a life outside the ropes.
The Fashion Effect: From the Fairway to Boca
The shoot itself was a masterclass in "athlete chic." They filmed at The Boca Raton resort, which has that Mediterranean Revival vibe.
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- The Blue Bikini: A Yasmine Eslami two-piece that went viral immediately.
- The Trendsetter: She wore a long-sleeved olive green bikini from Indah. Apparently, long sleeves were a "2025 trend," and Nelly was the one to pilot it.
- The Bond Girl Look: A one-shouldered black piece that basically broke the internet.
What’s cool is that Nelly actually has a say in this stuff. She’s worked with J.Lindeberg for years on her golf kits, and her partnership with Nike has brought some of the coolest "PE" (Player Edition) shoes to the LPGA. She knows what she likes.
What’s Next for Nelly?
The 2025 Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Issue hit newsstands in May, right as the season was heating up. While she’s handled the fame with a lot of grace, you can tell she’s itching for that next trophy.
She’s been seen practicing with new TaylorMade CB irons, trying to get her ball flight exactly where she wants it. She even played a pro-am with Caitlin Clark, which probably felt like a meeting of two different worlds of "the girl who changed the game."
Actionable Insights for Fans and Aspiring Athletes
If you’re looking at Nelly Korda’s career—and this SI moment specifically—there are a few things to take away:
- Diversify your brand early. Nelly didn't wait until she was retired to do the Met Gala or SI. She did it while she was at the top.
- Listen to your body. She’s been very vocal about skipping tournaments to prevent long-term injury. It’s better to miss one week than six months.
- Don't fear the "crossover." You can be a serious competitor and still enjoy the "glam" side of sports media. One doesn't take away from the other.
- Follow the "Flow." Nelly talks a lot about being in a "state of flow." When things get hard, she goes back to the basics and her "bubble."
Nelly Korda is proving that women’s golf doesn't have to stay in the shadows. Whether she’s at the top of the leaderboard or on the cover of a magazine, she’s doing it on her own terms. And honestly? That’s way more impressive than any trophy.