A casual golf outing rarely carries long-term meaning, but Tom Brady‘s recent show of support for Nelly Korda landed differently.
Las Vegas Raiders stakeholder Tom Brady, the seven-time Super Bowl champion and minority owner of the NFL franchise, spent a “fun morning” on the green with Nelly Korda, the world No. 2 professional golfer.
The laid-back session, punctuated by laughter and shared practice swings, offered a rare glimpse into an unplanned crossover between elite football business and golf’s top ranks.
For Brady, who transitioned from NFL legend to part-owner of the Raiders in October 2024, the event was an opportunity to enjoy the sport of golf, a pastime he has long been associated with, while spending time with one of the LPGA‘s brightest stars.
Korda, 27, is not just any golfer. A two-time major winner and Florida native, she has collected 20 professional titles on the LPGA Tour and spent over 100 weeks atop the women’s world rankings.
The two first crossed paths at the 2022 Seminole Pro-Member tournament, and their partnership, both professional and personal, has grown since.
Brady‘s deep experience with elite performance under pressure provides a unique perspective for a golfer looking to get back into the winner’s circle.
A season of near-misses and lessons
Korda‘s 2025 season defied easy explanation. Coming off a historic 2024 in which she won seven times, including a major title, she entered 2025 as one of the most feared competitors in women’s golf.
But despite strong statistical performances and never missing a cut, she never quite made it over the final hump.
“It’s definitely been an interesting year, I would say,” she said in November at Tiburon Golf Club.
“There has been good, there have been flashes of really good, and there have been flashes of I don’t know what just happened. But I would say overall that’s just kind of golf. Coming off last year, it’s kind of always going to be difficult to back that up.”
Korda wasn’t alone in a puzzling winless season: male world No. 1 Scottie Scheffler also failed to notch a victory in 2025, though both players’ overall performances suggested they were still among golf’s elite.
Even when she came close, leading after an opening round in Naples or chasing down leaders in late rounds, her efforts fell just short. Despite flashes of brilliance, the lack of a trophy became the story.
Yet the American star’s game wasn’t broken. Analytical reviews pointed to improved driving and putting numbers compared with the previous year, even as other metrics, like accuracy and around-the-green performance, slipped.
Korda is also testing equipment changes in the offseason, including a custom TaylorMade Qi4D driver, as she looks to optimize her game mechanics heading into 2026.
The gear trials are part of a broader reset after months of grinding through opportunities that didn’t materialize into victories.
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