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MARATHON CLASSIC PRESENTED BY OWENS CORNING AND O-IJuly 16, 2014Lydia KoSYLVANIA, OHIO MODERATOR: You just got back from the Women’s British Open. How was that experience? LYDIA KO: Overall, I had a really good time there, especially learning the last day how to control your ball when it’s so windy. That was a good experience for me. MODERATOR: Halfway through your rookie season, did you ever think you would get to No. 2 in the world this quickly? LYDIA KO: No, not really. In a normal life basis, I don’t feel like I’m the No. 2 player in the world. That’s not what I really think about. But to be in that position right now, I’m really grateful. Q. Considering you won your first tournament at 15, No. 2 in the world at 17, have you been able to fathom what you have done? Most 15-year-olds don’t do that. LYDIA KO: When I’m out here playing golf I don’t think about what I’ve won or what position I was a week ago. I just try to think of a week as a whole new week and a day as a whole new day. I think when I kind of realized what I’ve done is in the awards ceremony when they read what you’ve done in the years past. But I don’t really think about it, but I’m grateful and try to take it in and concentrate on my game. Q. When you started playing competitively, is this something you set your heart on to be the best in the world? LYDIA KO: Yeah, I mean to be the world No. 1 player, that’s always been a big goal, but hopefully I can get in that position sometime. I don’t think I need to be in that position right now. Hopefully that time will come for me, but I’ll have to work hard for me to be able to get in that position. Q. How do you look at the Marathon Classic as far as a regroup and move forward? LYDIA KO: I didn’t play well on the last day, but it was tough conditions on that last day. Obviously I could have done much better, but this is a whole new week. It’s a little windy out here, not as windy as it was the last day, but I think playing in that kind of wind on the weekend definitely helps with experience. Q. What do you expect while you’re here? What are your expectations coming into this tournament? LYDIA KO: I think I came in 7th last year. so I really enjoyed my week here. So I’m just going to have lots of fun here and hopefully my week will start off good tomorrow. I haven’t really set a position goal yet, but I’m just going to try my best and enjoy my time out here. Q. What’s the biggest difference between being an amateur and being a professional? LYDIA KO: I think it’s more playing full time on tour. Last year I got to play 11 LPGA tournaments, but this year I’m going to play in the high 20s. So I think I’m playing competitive golf multiple weeks in a row, and I think that’s the biggest difference. But I’ve been trying to balance my schedule out so I’m not overly tired during the third week in a row of a tournament. MODERATOR: Is there a comfort that comes with returning to a course and tournament you’ve already played before? because I know that hasn’t always been the case this year as a rookie. LYDIA KO: Yeah, I landed on Monday night after the British and if it was a course I didn’t know, I’d be worried that I’m not overly prepared; but knowing the course from last year is definitely a little better for me. I can relax a little bit. But I think the course is in really good condition after seeing the course yesterday. Q. Going back to what you said about balancing the schedule, what changes have you made as far as working out a little more, dietary changes, anything you’ve done to help that transition? LYDIA KO: I haven’t worked out anymore or changed my food plans. Pretty much the same. After a three week or two week tournament span, when I come back home I take a couple days off so I can kind of rest up and get prepared for the next one. Q. How does this course lay out for you and your game personally? LYDIA KO: Umm, I mean the greens are really small here so when you hit the green and you’re somewhere nearby, I think you’re going to have good opportunities. I personally like the look of the course; you can hit some drives and some woods off the tee. I don’t know why, but I really like it. Q. Most of the fans aren’t here because play hasn’t started, but have you noticed a difference in buzz between this tournament on a Wednesday compared to another non-major tournament? LYDIA KO: I just got in today, but you can definitely see a lot of people coming out for autographs and to see the other players. Being here last year, there were a lot of fans coming out to watch us, and I think that’s really good for the tournament. It shows how much support we’re getting on the LPGA. Q. How old were you when you started playing golf and how old were you when you realized you could be pretty good at this? LYDIA KO: I started when I was 5. I don’t really know exactly at what point I thought I was good. Even now I think there’s a lot for me to learn, so I wouldn’t go I’m really good, I’m the best. I think there’s a lot of things I need to learn, and it’s really good experience for me playing on the Tour. I’ve been having lots of fun, and getting compliments from other people has definitely helped with my confidence. Q. What’s the biggest thing you’ve had to get used to on the tour? LYDIA KO: I think just playing week by week. Sometimes you try to prepare yourself, but you don’t have a lot of time when you think about it. You have Pro-Ams, gala dinners, everything else. So trying to balance everything out and trying to do the most you can without getting overly tired and being prepared on that Thursday. Q. Being so young you haven’t developed as a final product as a player, is there a girl you model yourself after or look up to? LYDIA KO: I’ve always looked up to Michelle Wie. She turned pro at an early age and she graduated from Stanford. I’ve always had a dream of graduating college also, so she’s kind of walked along that path and hopefully I can walk along her path. Lexi Thompson is another good role model for me. Q. Have you sought out any advice from Michelle or Lexi? LYDIA KO: I talk to them when I’m paired up with them and we say, ‘Hello’ and they have given me some advice along the way, especially Michelle, knowing what college was like and trying to do it at the same time. Q. When would you go to college if you were going to? LYDIA KO: This is my last year of high school, so I’m going to graduate high school first. It’s hard right now being away from home. My high school’s back in New Zealand. After that you can kind of go to college anytime. But high school is right here, right now, so I’ve been focusing on that. MODERATOR: You’ve made a lot of good friends out here. Any more reappearances of the Kang and Ko show on the way, and how have you been able to nurture those relationships? LYDIA KO: I think we totally forgot about that. But we thought it was kind of a cool idea. It kind of shows other aspects of the LPGA Tour players, because I think a lot of people look in and think of us as just golfers. Everybody has their personalities and, kind of like Tiffany Joh, she has one where she was singing and all that. We kind of thought of that, and I think we need to go back and do that. Through that we can show other aspects of the tour. FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports |
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