Nelly Korda says "I do": The man by her side and the details of the engagement

The golf world is celebrating a joyous event off the green: Nelly Korda, the current world No. 2 and one of the most well-known personalities on the LPGA Tour, has announced her engagement. The 27-year-old American shared the news on social media on Friday, November 28 - a day traditionally known as Black Friday in the USA.

Korda made her relationship official with an impressive photo carousel on Instagram, taken by photographer Kasey Powell. The photos showed her beaming alongside her fiancé, Casey Gunderson. The simple but profound caption read: "In this life... & the next 💍" (In this life... and the next). One particularly charming picture in the series showed the couple proudly holding a specially printed newspaper with the headline "We're Getting Married!" (We're getting married!) into the camera.

Who is the man Nelly Korda wants to marry?

The news came as a surprise to many, as Korda had always kept her private life discreet. Until the engagement announcement, Casey Gunderson was completely unknown to the general public. The sources now reveal that Gunderson is a sporty but publicity-shy businessman from Korda's hometown of Bradenton, Florida.

The 30-year-old acts as vice president of Gunderson Engineering, a family-owned company specializing in lighting projects. He has an academic background in business administration from Bryant University, where he once played American football as a wide receiver. Interestingly, like Korda, he attended the prestigious IMG Academy. Despite his sporting past and relationship with a global sports star, Gunderson strictly avoids social media. It is said that the couple have been in a relationship for several years.

Cheers from across the sporting world

The comments section under Korda's post literally exploded with congratulations from sporting greats beyond the boundaries of golf. In addition to LPGA colleagues such as Michelle Wie West and Lexi Thompson and PGA players such as Justin Rose, global icons also sent their congratulations. Among the most prominent well-wishers were NBA superstar LeBron James and WNBA star Caitlin Clark, with whom Korda had recently played together at a Pro-Am event.

Nelly Korda's older sister, six-time LPGA winner Jessica Korda, commented on the news with a wink: "Sorry guys, she's off the market."

A sparkling end to the season

The engagement brings an emotional end to an impressive sporting season. Although she was denied a win this year, Korda finished her ninth professional season as world number two with remarkable consistency: nine top 10 finishes, including a strong third place at the final CME Group Tour Championship.

Korda herself has emphasized the importance of this personal stability for her career in the past. Given the high pressure on top athletes to perform, she emphasized the importance of having a "close, stable circle" of confidants to rely on.

With an extra sparkle on her finger, Nelly Korda now looks forward to the final events of the year, including the Grant Thornton Invitational and the PNC Championship, where she will compete alongside her father, former tennis Grand Slam winner Petr Korda.