Nelly Korda has been forced to pull back from an upcoming golf tournament after being physically injured by a dog.
“I regret to announce that I must withdraw from next week’s Ladies European Tour tournament in London,” Korda, 25, wrote via her Instagram Stories on Friday, June 28. “On Saturday in Seattle, I was bitten by a dog and need time to receive treatment and recover fully.”
While no other details about the dog or injuries have been released, the athlete expressed hope that she can get back to the game soon.
“I apologize to the LET, the sponsors and my fans for my absence,” she continued. “Thank you for your understanding, and I look forward to returning to the course soon.”
Korda’s injury comes after she last competed in the KPMG Women’s PGA Championship at Washington’s Sahalee Country Club. During the tournament, which was held from June 20 to 23, she missed the cut for the third time in as many starts.
She is still scheduled to represent Team USA in the women’s golf competition as part of the 2024 Summer Olympics. The race for gold, which will be held at Le Golf National, is expected to kick off on August 7.
“I’m honored to represent the United States once again on the Olympic stage this summer in Paris,” Korda previously said in a USA Golf news release. “Winning the gold medal in Tokyo was a dream come true and an incredible highlight to my career.”
Korda appeared unbeatable this season as she accomplished six victories over seven tournaments between March and mid-May. However, she was unable to make the weekend cut in each of her last three events, including the U.S. Women’s Open.
From an early age, Nelly could be found on the golf course with her older sister, Jessica Korda. While the game can sometimes get competitive, the siblings have maintained a close bond with each other.
“Being professional athletes, you know what they’re feeling the night before a big match or round. You’re more just there to distract each other,” Jessica, 31, told Golf Digest in November 2020. “If I want to talk to Nelly about being super nervous, she’ll say, ‘You’ll be fine. You know the weather, you know the course.’ She’ll just go through it with me. Or, we’ll be like, ‘Did you see these cute shoes?’”
Nelly added, “When we don’t do well, we’re there for each other.”