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KPMG WOMEN'S PGA CHAMPIONSHIPJune 10, 2015Lydia KoHARRISON, NEW YORK THE MODERATOR: Good afternoon, everybody. Women /KOL back to the media center for the KPMG Women's PGA Championship. Feels pretty good to say we welcome the No. 1 ranked player in the world, Lydia Ko is here. Good to see you. How you doing? LYDIA KO: I'm good. This is obviously a big deal when I'm doing it with you. THE MODERATOR: Oh, please. Let's talk about No. 1 in the world and what that's been like for you, and what your thoughts are going into this week. LYDIA KO: Yeah, when they said you're going to be world No. 1, I said, this could be like a one-week deal and I'm back down again. But it's pretty amazing that I'm still world No. 1 right now, and really one of the biggest highlights was when I was playing the National Open. I was able to play in front of the big fans, and I was at that time world No. 1. Yeah, it's been a whole lot of fun. But when we're playing out there, we're not thinking about the rankings. We're just enjoying ourselves and trying to make as many birdies as we can. THE MODERATOR: We are coming up on 20 weeks for you at No. 1. You thought it might be just a one week deal. This is carrying on. So some things must be going well. LYDIA KO: Yeah, it's been a pretty awesome season. I now had two wins. Especially when you have a disappointing finish, you don't know how that will carry on to the other events. Yeah, it's been so much fun. Obviously would have loved to play a little better in the last couple of events but you kind of get those weeks where you feel like you're playing well but the score is not there. This is a whole new week and hopefully I'll be able to make some birdies. THE MODERATOR: I hope you will, too. This is a double-sided question. The best thing about being No. 1 in the world is what? LYDIA KO: Everyone recognizes must. Ever since I've been world No. 1, I've been recognized in the public in the States. When I go home, obviously I get a little bit more recognition, you know, because New Zealander and back at home. But yeah, we're going to Alcatraz and on the ferry, somebody recognized me and took a picture. A couple weeks later when we played in Dallas, I saw them there. Yeah, small world, but I guess the recognition is there. THE MODERATOR: You're enjoying that, so that's good. The toughest thing for you about being No. 1 in the world? LYDIA KO: I think the pressure. Because you're world No. 1, a lot of people think you should be at the at that point of the leaderboard every single time. But I think the rankings just depends on how consistent you're playing. It doesn't mean you're going to be top three or winning every week. That kind of pressure, but I've been trying to not think about that and just have fun out there. THE MODERATOR: Before we get to our first question, let me follow-up about this week and I'll let everyone take over. Are you in any way nervous about your game or do you feel quite confident coming into this week? LYDIA KO: Yeah, Dallas was a whole different week. I ended up on a tree, on top of a tree, never came down. Yeah, you know, other than that, I played pretty solid in Kingsmill and I played pretty solid last week. You can see by the scores, there were a lot of birdies there last week and I wasn't doing enough. And when you're in that kind of position, you can't do much about it. The scores are definitely different to the last couple weeks, but like I said, I've been trying to think of every week as a new week, and I feel like I'm hitting the ball pretty solid. I've got a new putter this week, so hopefully I'll roll in a couple more putts. THE MODERATOR: Breaking news. LYDIA KO: New putter, headlines right there. Q. You're just barely 18, so there shouldn't be any pressure, but do you put more pressure on yourself? Because the only thing missing from your resumé at this point is the major championship. LYDIA KO: Yeah, I was wondering why that question didn't come up (laughing). I don't feel like I'm a perfectionist but people say I have that kind of a personality. So sometimes even though it might be good, I try and force it a little bit. Weeks like ANA, I kind of tried so hard and tried to force some good scores and I tried to force everything, and that's when I didn't play as good, and I think that's what's kind of happened the last couple weeks. So I think one of the big things is really self-pressure. I've been talking to David Niethe, talking to David and Sean and trying to just enjoy the moment, and that's all I can do. I can't think about the past and I can't think about what's coming. THE MODERATOR: Sport mental coach and swing coaches. Q. World No. 1, seven wins. People are saying that you dominate the women's tour at 18 and Tiger Woods wasn't even on the men's tour at 18. When you hear people you're more dominant on the women's tour than Tiger used to be on the men's tour, what does that mean? LYDIA KO: It's pretty awesome, especially when I get linked up with people like Annika or Tiger Woods. I've always seen them in magazines, on TV and like this week, yesterday I got to see Annika. It's so awesome. I'm playing alongside some of my role models and I feel so fortunate that I can be out here as an 18-year-old. I've always got to thank the Commish for that, too. Q. What does being No. 1 do as far as demands on your time, and do you have a problem saying no to people? LYDIA KO: Yeah, you guys are taking up my time (laughter). Thank you. Obviously media and all that, it's part of it. Sometimes you're tired, you're fatigued, you kind of want to go around it. But you know, when you're playing good golf, media, attention, fans, it's all part of it, and I think that still that's a learning progress for me. Lucky thing is I have my agent to say no for me so I don't feel as bad. Yeah, I think this is part of the whole deal. When you're playing good golf, you're going to get more attention, and I think you kind of have to get used to it. THE MODERATOR: And you said you already like being recognized, so that's good. LYDIA KO: Yeah, it's a good deal. Q. How long have you used the putter that you have gone away from now and what have you switched to? LYDIA KO: I changed my putter quite a few times. They say the putter is probably one of the most clubs that you kind of keep for a long time but I had over 5-putters last year. I used this putter that I had since the Asia swing and then I used it until now. I've been struggling a little bit with my putting the last couple weeks, so I thought, why don't I give it a change. Yeah, I feel really good with the 2-Ball that I have right now for this week. Q. How has this major set up for you? How does the golf course look? And what has impressed you most about the way this whole thing's been established? LYDIA KO: This is pretty awesome. Everything is so organized. The hospitality is great. It's like 5:00 right now. They are still serving us food and snacks in the clubhouse. I love my food, you can see by Golf Channel when I'm playing out there. Everything is just great. And the course itself, I feel like, hey, this is a major course. There are birdieable par 5s where we may be able to get on for two and there are some par 3s where I was hitting a 3-wood yesterday. I think the course is set up perfectly. This tournament, I wouldn't be able to explain it any less than being a major. I think KPMG is a great sponsor and I've kind of got a good feel of that yesterday at the Pro-Am parties. Yeah, this is pretty awesome and I'm pretty excited for it to start tomorrow. THE MODERATOR: We've had other players in that have been part of the LPGA or women's golf for quite some time and they have perspective on this major and the elevation of majors on the LPGA. You have not been out here that long. So maybe your perspective is a little bit changed. Do you feel like you have come to the LPGA at the perfect time? LYDIA KO: Yeah, I think so. Actually the LPGA Championship was at -- what was the first course? THE MODERATOR: Locust Hill for a number of years. LYDIA KO: Locust Hill and I played there once. The next year we were at Monroe and then we're here at Westchester. So every time, we've changed courses. Hopefully we'll stick to here for a while. I feel like every time, I'm obviously trying to get used to playing these majors, and it's a huge experience process for me. I feel like at least right now, I've come playing at the perfect time, and this tournament is great. I think it's just getting a whole new fresh vibe to the tour and I think there's nobody here that's not excited. Excited is the least we can say. THE MODERATOR: Breaking news, this event will move around the country to new venues, so don't get too comfortable. So win now. LYDIA KO: Okay. I'll try my best. THE MODERATOR: You never know. Q. Obviously you've won a lot at a young age. Where did you learn the mental aspects of golf, how to deal with all the disappointments and bad breaks and all that? LYDIA KO: Yeah, ever since I really moved to New Zealand, I had a mental sports performance coach every time, and I think that's always really helped me. I've always had a really great support team that has really helped me throughout. I think it's always really important that you have somebody that you can talk to. I think even though my friends aren't really specialists at it, none of them really play golf, and that was really good, because I can talk so much it -- that's the word I shouldn't be saying. On my bad days and my good days, I can say all that and they can just say, hey, really, and I know you just kind of go with it. I think I've been so fortunate with that. To me the really important thing is I have somebody that I can always call and just let out the steam. Q. Going into the ANA, you had a really busy schedule. You had to play like five or six weeks going into that and there was international travel in there, and you did seem a little bit tired there. I noticed you just took off two weeks before last week. Are you kind of figuring out a formula of how to play majors and be rested? LYDIA KO: Yeah, I feel like I'm getting really old right now (laughter). It's just that peak age where it's all downhill (laughing). I definitely did feel a little tired at ANA. We had that great three stretch of tournaments and then before we were in Asia. There was a lot of travel. I've been home for like eight weeks or something. So at that time, I was a little fatigued. But now we've been trying to balance it out a little bit. I can't play every week. Some people say, hey, world No. 1, you should try and maintain it and play every week; why aren't you playing. The end of the day, I can't play them all. So we've been trying to balance it out. I don't feel tired for this week, so it was a good start. THE MODERATOR: Well, 18 years old, so we only have you more 12 more years, based on your announcement last year accepting Rookie of the Year that you when you're 30, you will announce your retirement. You're the only player that's received Rookie of the Year and announced your retirement at the same time. That's pretty interesting. LYDIA KO: Yeah, I was even thinking, should I just retire on my birthday or should I continue playing that week or should I continue playing that year. I'm still thinking about which time of when I'm 30. But yeah, I'm a little special in that way. THE MODERATOR: You've made all 53 cuts in your career, so the next 12 years, if that trend continues, that will be a lot of cuts made in a row. Are you comfortable with that? LYDIA KO: I wouldn't mind. THE MODERATOR: Is that pressure for you at this point. LYDIA KO: I think so. Even though when I'm out there, I'm trying to not think about the statistics and the results, but always someone in the media mentions it. Yeah, I think when you're playing consistently well and you have the confident, really, the cut is just what happens at the end of Friday. But if that point comes, I can't do much about it. If it comes, I'm just going to go shake it off and have a good two days break and kind of get back to the next event. So that's what I'm going to try and think about. Obviously I hope it won't happen this week. You just never know what's going to happen. Even if you think it might never happen, some things do. Q. How important for you to win a major? LYDIA KO: Yeah, I think when I hit 19, I think that will be great, because obviously the record, Morgan's record, there's a lot of talk more about this major, winning deal, because there is that record. But to me, I would just love to win a major sometime from now and 12 years, just sometime then. Because Callaway, they give you a golden putter when you win a major, so I would love to keep one of those. But yeah, it doesn't need to be this week; it doesn't need to be the U.S. Open. I'm just hoping it's just one time in my career. Q. In what setting do you most feel like a normal teenager, and how important is it for you to feel that every once in awhile? LYDIA KO: Probably in New Zealand when I'm hanging out with my friends. Sometimes, like in the off-season last year, I went back home and people were kind of looking at me, staring at me and I was wondering, hey, why are they staring at me. They were probably like, hey, she was on TV a week ago, why is she already back home. Yeah, I think when I'm alongside my friends is when I feel like a normal teenager because I don't need to worry about golf or how many birdies I'm going to make the next day or how many cuts I'm going to make. They are just going to keep me grounded and I feel normal. Q. When you're testing putters, when is it that you feel like you've found the one? What are you looking for when you're switching around? LYDIA KO: Something that feels good. And sometimes one putter looks good but then the day after it feels a little closed, the next day it feels a little open. It's really done by feeling for me. But with this 2-Ball, it's really great for alignment because you are pretty much aligning three balls together and I normally put with the line on my ball, too. So I've got a long line, three balls. It's hard to go wrong with it. Obviously you can go wrong with it. But yeah, I feel comfortable. And I use the 2-Ball sometime during the LPGA Championship last year, so kind of similar time, and I putted good there. So hopefully that will kind of start again this week. Q. Like it or not, and I think you like it, you're a role model. What advice would you give these young fans here, especially the young girls who love playing golf? LYDIA KO: Yeah, whenever I actually hear junior girls or boys come up to me and say, hey, you're my role model, I think that's one of the big things that inspire me, because it makes me want to be a better player for them. I love hearing that. And you know, there are already obviously a lot of junior girls and boys out here this week. I would just say have fun. That's always been my goal. I said if I was to write a book, which I don't want to write a book, but it would be called, "Have Fun." Just enjoying it, enjoying that moment, knowing that, hey, it's kind of like a walk in the park. It's a little more stressful than that. But yeah, when you're having fun, time kind of flies and that's when I play the best and I'm pretty sure that will happen for everyone. THE MODERATOR: We have a junior reporter in here, nine-year-old Nicole. Go ahead, you'll be the last question before we wrap it up. Q. What part of the game do you work on most while practicing for a major? LYDIA KO: It kind of depends on the course. Because some courses, the greens might be a little trickier, or some courses, you have to hit the fairways a lot. But for this week, I think positioning is really important, and there are some slopes here. So we've been working on -- with the new putter, trying to get more good feel. When you have a new putter in the bag, you're not as sure as a club you've used for ten years. But yeah, I would say a lot of distance control with the putting, and trying to trying it good. David said I'm wearing stripe-y clothes so I have to stripe it down the fairways. THE MODERATOR: You lead the Money List, the Race to the CME Globe, greens in regulation, rounds under par. And you're also leader for Rolex Player of the Year. If you win this major championship this week, you will do, what, first: Shop? Post something fun on Instagram -- you're pretty good at that, by the way; or go find food because food is a big deal for you, and why? LYDIA KO: Probably food. I might get something really delicious with my team, and it will probably be Korean food, which is not out of the ordinary. And maybe a crazy birdie, birdie dove smash. THE MODERATOR: Lydia Ko, No. 1 ranked player in women's golf. Best of luck this week. Thanks for your time. We appreciate it. FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports |
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