|
|||
|
|||
|
 |
|
|
KIA CLASSICMarch 29, 2015Lydia KoCARLSBAD, CALIFORNIA Q. Lydia, another fantastic round again today. Looks like you're just going to fall slightly short, but your streak of under‑par rounds continues. Why are you so consistent? What is it about your game that makes you keep consistently being under par? LYDIA KO: I don't know. I mean I holed a lot of good putts today. I just wasn't hitting it as close, but just holed a couple of good putts and when I had the chance, I kind of took it. Last three holes were a little iffy, like yesterday, but 67 around here is good and I've improved my placing compared to last year, so a lot of positives to take from this week, and I'm excited for the first major next week. Q. I was just about to ask you about the first major next week. Do you feel any pressure to get that first win in a major? LYDIA KO: I mean I've been watching Golf Channel, and they've been saying the spotlight is kind of on me, you know, who's going to win, but you know, it's going to be definitely a tough week. I know that all the girls are trying to bring their A games together, and that's what I gotta do. So I'm just going to try and have fun. Hopefully I'll hit some really good shots, make some good putts and give myself a good run for it. Q. Well, safe travels to the desert and good luck next week. You have to be still pleased with how you played. You played, like you said, 67, really good round here. What did you feel this morning starting off? Did you feel like you were going to have something good going? LYDIA KO: No. I never seem to play the first four holes very well. My ball striking is not that good, but I just‑‑ I holed a bomb of a putt on 2, it was like 18 yards from like one side to the other side of the green. No, I think that just got myself into a good rhythm. I really didn't miss much, apart from that short putt on 16 and the three‑putt on 18. But you know, I've got such a long putt, 18 yard to go. I had a couple of those, and you know, you don't really want to leave yourself that, but last year I think this Kia Classic I had my worst finish. Q. Out of all last year? LYDIA KO: So for this week I got Top 5 and I think it's great, and I feel more comfortable playing here, and I think the greens were probably the biggest difference. You know, we said because of the poa annua, because of the poa annua in the afternoon can get bumpy, but I thought it was pretty good this year, so I'm really looking forward to coming back. Q. What was your mindset going into 16? I know yesterday you said, gosh, that stretch of holes, and then again, another tough stretch. Did you think you had to get kind of birdie‑‑ were you trying to go for birdies at that point, knowing where you were? LYDIA KO: Yeah, you know, 16, I just tried to hit a good tee shot down there, and I did. I just ran my first putt long, and I just wasn't confident with my second putt, and it just lipped out. No, you kind of want to be confident at that time, especially going for birdies, but I hit a much better shot today with a better club selection. So improved. Q. I know yesterday you said two‑‑ you know, maybe not winning or falling short or good lesson opportunities like you said, at Coates. What did you learn today? LYDIA KO: Today, I just said ‑‑ like even at the Coates, I wasn't hitting the ball very well. I was just holing a lot of good putts, and that was kind of what was going on today. Obviously I stuck a couple close, and that was good. I think some parts of I just gotta be confident in my game still because I know that I'm playing good enough, that I can trust my putter even though my ball striking is a little off or vice versa. Q. Is there anything that you want to work on before next week, before you tee off on Thursday? LYDIA KO: I think a little bit more of my drivers. You know, I feel like irons I'm striking it good enough. So I think just with the drivers, feeling comfortable. I know David is flying there today, so yeah. Q. He'll be waiting for you? LYDIA KO:  Yeah. Hopefully at the course. Q. Be on the range, sleeping. LYDIA KO: Yeah. Maybe I'll see him tonight. No. (Laughs). Yeah, you know, I'll see him, and it's always good to kind of get a checkup. It's not like I'm getting a full lesson session every day, but it's just good to refresh the mind, and I know that I'm playing good, so I just gotta keep it positive and simple. Q. Do you like the course? LYDIA KO: Next week? Yeah, I think so. You know, there is courses where it suits the long hitter or it suits a consistent player. But I think it's just kind of best of both worlds. You need to kind of position yourself well and make some good putts, and I think even though it's the desert, there can be a lot of wind. So try to control the ball flights and all that. So no wonder it's a major. Q. Do you have a game plan already for the golf course, thinking about it now? LYDIA KO: No, not really. I heard that there's actually new sand in the bunkers. Because I had one practice round there before, but yeah, you know, it's different sand, but it's very light. It's one of those pretty white kind of sands, so yeah, I'm excited, you know. Like I said, it's a course I've played a couple‑‑ I mean two years, and I feel I can always improve on that, so it's always good that I'm trying to go upwards. Q. When you play your practice round there and you get on the 18th green and you gaze over and you see Poppy's Pond, do you ever think about your jump? Do you ever think about how you would do it? LYDIA KO: No. I mean Lexi had a pretty good jump last year. It's pretty cool. I just love the tradition. It doesn't happen anywhere else, and I think it's the cool thing about it, and it kind of makes me eager to hopefully play well. 18, I love the 18, it's a par‑5, just you know, anything can happen. Somebody might go for two or someone might make bogey or whatever. So I think 18 is always a dramatic hole. Q. I always used to stand there on 18 green and dream about how I would do it should my time come, stand on there and just allow myself just a few minutes to be like what would happen if... FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports |
|
||||||||||||||||||||
|
||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
About ASAP Sports •
FastScripts Archive •
Recent Interviews •
Captioning •
Upcoming Events •
Contact Us
FastScripts | Events Covered | Our Clients | Other Services | ASAP in the News | Site Map | Job Opportunities | Links |
|
ASAP Sports, Inc. | T: 1.212 385 0297
|