There are those who love golf, and then there's LeBron James, who since taking up the sport a few years ago has gone from strength to strength. If he's not playing or practicing basketball, he's most likely playing or practicing golf, or tweeting about golf, or watching golf YouTubers do their thing, or helping golf YouTubers do their thing. “The bug is real,” James said in 2025. “I didn't know anything about it. People used to say that if you ever get in a game and a bug catches you, it's over. I really have it, man.”
James also took a keen interest in the women's game, and was particularly supportive of world No. 1 Nelly Korda.
As Korda was on the verge of winning his third major title at the Chevron Championship earlier this year, James told his 50 million fans, “Bring it home, Nelly!” Ahead of this week's US Women's Open at the Riviera, James showed his support for Korda with a gift to the golfer: a custom pair of Nike Victory Pro 4 golf shoes inspired by James' signature line. Korda posted a photo of the shoes on Instagram with the caption, in part, “Will be wearing these tomorrow.”
True to his word, Korda wore the shoes Thursday in his first round at the Riviera — but he didn't finish his round in them. Shortly after starting his day on the 10th hole, Korda said he felt his shoes didn't fit properly. “Very small room,” he said after his round. “I have faced this issue [Air] Jordans, too. Sometimes when I wear a different color, it just makes them look a little different. The exact same shoe [as my own].”
Well then indeed the same. Oddly enough, Korda — who bogeyed both the 12th and 13th holes — sent his coach, Kim Baughman, back to the clubhouse to pick up Korda's regular Nikes. Baughman made a delivery on the 16th tee, where Korda changed his half-way putt.
Professionals don't take their stuff for granted, and that includes their shoes. Earlier this year, Korda revealed on the “Pat McAfee Show” that this season he switched to high-heeled shoes to help lower his chest. “With that, I actually go a little higher in my swing and connect it faster,” he said. “It's like the smallest things. Golfers are crazy. I'm crazy, just to let you know.”
Korda isn't the first Nike-wearing star this year to deal with a footwear issue. Earlier in the week at the PGA Championship, Rory McIlroy battled a toe blister he developed last week at the Truist Championship. To take the pressure off the injury, McIlroy got out of his Nike Victory Tour 4 shoes – a model he had worn for years – and put on a pair of Victory Pro 4s, worn by the likes of Scottie Scheffler and Chris Gotterup.
After opening with a 73, Korda was asked if changing shoes had helped his game.
“Obviously not,” he said with a laugh. “I just felt more comfortable this time.”
As of this writing, Korda was seven behind Minji Kang's lead. Korda will start its second round at 1:14 pm local time.
