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RICOH WOMEN'S BRITISH OPEN

July 30, 2015

Lydia Ko

TRUMP TURNBERRY, SCOTLAND

COLIN CALLANDER: Good morning, ladies and gentlemen, we have Lydia Ko with us who just shot a 6‑under par 66, which is the lowest round you've ever shot in a major, I understand. Congratulations. You're obviously pleased with the way you played today.
LYDIA KO: Yeah, I hit it pretty solid. If I did miss it, I kind of missed it in the right places where it wasn't that difficult to make up‑and‑down. I holed a lot of solid putts for par and made a couple good putts for birdie. I holed a really long one on 10, which I didn't expecting to in, so I kind of started walking, and I stopped when I saw it go in.
But no, I tried to take advantage of the par 5s because some of them are reachable. So yeah, I overall played pretty solid.
COLIN CALLANDER: And the conditions today, you've played in some fairly bad conditions in this championship but today they were reasonably straightforward I would guess.
LYDIA KO: Probably the worst was at Hoylake where I played in the wind and rain on the last day, 36 holes. Today was pretty good. I kind of opened the window and saw it was moving pretty good. I didn't really know what to expect but I saw the forecast and that it was probably going to be one of the best days this week, so kind of tried to take advantage of the holes where it wasn't too windy.

Q. Nothing in life is perfect, but is that just about as perfect as it could have been this morning for you?
LYDIA KO: Hit the ball pretty solid. Didn't miss that many greens. Made up‑and‑down for most of them. Just made one bogey, so that's pretty good for me I think at the British Open. And I didn't hit the pot bunkers, many of them. I hit some around the greens, but not in the fairways. I thought it's really crucial to stay away from them.

Q. Were you able to enjoy it, enjoy the round? Obviously there's an expectancy for yourself as much as anything.
LYDIA KO: Actually, I lied. I did hit it in the pot bunker now that I think about it (laughing). But it was on a par 5.
Yeah, I tried to have fun out there. I'm playing alongside two really nice girls, Brittany and Mika, so we all tried to have fun, smile out there, and you know, when you're in a good group, you know that you're starting off well and you're going to have fun.

Q. For those of us who were not up at 7.00 in the morning, could you just talk about some of the highlights of the round, length of the putts and which holes, etc.?
LYDIA KO: Yeah, probably one of the big ones was that long putt on 10. And then I hit my 5‑wood to like two and a half, three feet on 5. And then I hit a good, solid shot on 2, and that kind of started the birdie train.

Q. Did you notice Mr.Trump arriving in his helicopter towards the end of your round?
LYDIA KO: Yeah, I saw the helicopter on 16. I think it was a perfect time where he was flying above us, and I was like, man, that's a really nice helicopter. (Laughter). I would love one.

Q. You played last week off the coast. Is that the first time prior to the British Open that you've had links experience the week prior to coming here and has it had an effect on the way you played today?
LYDIA KO: Yeah, it was really the first time I played any tournament probably before it. And yeah, you know, the years before, I think I came the week before. Played a couple times at the course and then realised it wasn't kind of worth it because the weather was totally different.
You know, you never know what you're going to get. Here with the coast being so close, you might get one coming from the coast. You might get one going towards it. Like I have been saying, it's really the hardest tournament we prepare for.
Last week was really good. I got to play in conditions where it was really firm, links‑style golf course. I think it was a good week to prepare for this week.

Q. What was the yardage with that 5‑wood to two or three feet?
LYDIA KO: I can tell you exactly‑‑
COLIN CALLANDER: Should we do the birdies and bogeys now?

Q. I wanted something else.
LYDIA KO: On 5, the 5‑wood hole, it was 179. I gripped it a little.

Q. Just a follow‑up question. In some ways, it's a crazy thing to say, but Lydia Ko is the best player without a major because you're only 18 years old. When you hear that, how do you deal with that? Do you just have to black it out?
LYDIA KO: Yeah, I just try and not think about it. You know, my goal is to hopefully have one major win in my career. I've been saying it doesn't need to be now. There's a lot of say about it because there is Morgan's record, and it's a pretty young age to win; and what Morgan did and to beat that, it's tough when you're amongst the world's best players.
But to hear some of the headlines, you know, you kind of don't know what to think about it. I try and not really think about it. At the end of the day, we're all trying to play our best out there. That's all we can do.

Q. At the Scottish Ladies Open, you had a mixture in the Pro‑Am, before the Women's British, would you be tempted to come back again, given that it's obviously good preparation?
LYDIA KO: Yeah, I think so. I had fun last week. It was the first time I had actually played a tournament that was a Pro‑Am. Obviously we play a Pro‑Am every week, but to play two or three days with a partner, that was a pretty cool experience.
And yeah, you know, if it was, it would definitely be something I would think about.

Q. Has it been a big factor this week, do you think, having that weekend under your belt, as it were?
LYDIA KO: Yeah, I think one of the big things coming over here is jet‑lag; to know that I kind of got that over and done with last week is one of the big factors. The more wind you play in, the more you kind of get used to it, and you feel more comfortable.

Q. Is there anything particularly British that you've grown to like that you look forward to when you come over here?
LYDIA KO: Yeah, it's beautiful out here. Especially 9, 10, all along the water by the lighthouses. I would love to be a photographer and take a couple photos out there.
It's different. The British Open, when you come here, it's not a course style that we play in the States. It's definitely a different game and we only get to play it pretty much once a year. So I just try and enjoy it. We can get some crazy weather, but like I said, it's part of it and you've just got to take it in.

Q. Can you just talk about sort of what happened this morning, you teed off at 6.40; what time were you up and what was it like to get up that early?
LYDIA KO: I set my alarm for 3.30 and I kept pressing snooze on my phone until I really found out that, hey, I should get out of here. It's obviously not easy to wake up at 3.30. Last week I said, hey, I haven't had a six‑something tee time in a while and here I am with a six‑something tee time.
It's hard to wake up. But after I'm up, it's good and I'm ready to go.

Q. What time did you go to bed?
LYDIA KO: 8.30. I normally like nine hours of sleep but kind of hard to go to bed at 6.30 out here.

Q. Does the hotel have breakfast whatever time you wanted it?
LYDIA KO: We actually have a kitchen in our room, so I had my mom be our chef this morning‑‑ I woke her up.

Q. Just curious if there are any records that you do chase that you do think about; any goals that you have for the year?
LYDIA KO: I actually have no idea about the record. I knew that Morgan was the youngest Major winner, but I don't know exactly what age. And I don't really know a lot of the records in the books.
But yeah, it would be obviously great to break a record. And even the Annika consecutive‑under‑par thing, I didn't know there was one until I was kind of getting close to it. So always I guess you guys will let me know when there is a record or that I might be getting close to one.

Q. How does getting off to a fast start impact on the rest of the week compared to being someone who is chasing the lead? How will it affect the next three days now that you play?
LYDIA KO: I guess it gives me a little bit of confidence that I am hitting the ball well and I am putting myself in good position.
Any tournament day‑to‑day can be a huge difference. Here at the British Open and knowing that the weather is not going to be that great tomorrow, the scores can go higher or lower. You just never know. Obviously I had a good start, but tomorrow I kind of have to take it as a fresh, new start, be on No. 1 and just get ready and look forward to the day.
Obviously I played well today and that will carry‑‑ hopefully the confidence will carry on. But it's tough out there. You've just got to take one shot at a time.

Q. How much do you suffer from jet‑lag, because you have to travel, don't you, and how does it manifest itself?
LYDIA KO: I don't get affected by jet‑lag. I think it's worse when we go over to the States. That's when I get hit more. But it's an off‑week next week, so I can sleep in a little bit. I am a pretty easy sleeper, so wherever I am, I can just fall asleep.
So it's not that bad. But I've been taking my 1Above pills that helps me to be less jet‑lagged. One of the big things with jet‑lag is hydration; so being hydrated and taking a lot of water helps me coming over.

Q. And presumably that pill is a rather allowing pill?
LYDIA KO: Yeah, it's nothing illegal. Why would I say it if it was. (Laughter).

Q. People make mistakes with very ordinary things.
LYDIA KO: It tastes good. It tastes like apple cider kind of taste. I'm 100 per cent sure that there is no illegal substances in there.

Q. How does it work?
LYDIA KO: You put a tablet for I think 500 millilitres and you take that four times for a ten‑hour flight. And when you think about it when you're on the plane, you only drink the orange juice you get served with dinner and that's it. But if you kind of know that you take it, it gives you two litres of water. Like I said before, being dehydrated, that's one of the big things that affects jet‑lag. I think it helps me because I know that I've got water substance in me.
COLIN CALLANDER: Can we go through the details of the birdies and one bogey, please. Birdie on the second hole?
LYDIA KO: Birdie on the second hole. I hit 3‑wood off the tee and I had 153 to the pin and I hit grip‑5‑iron in there to like eight feet and then made the putt.
Next hole, 3‑wood off the tee, 5‑wood second shot. I was kind of long and left, and I had a chip shot and I hit it 1 1/2, two feet.
4, it was 155 to the pin and I hit 5‑iron, flighted it a little lower and had maybe like 12 feet for birdie.
5, I had 179 and I gripped my 5‑wood to like two feet‑‑ 1 1/2, two feet.
6, I hit it in the green‑side bunker pin‑high, and I left it short. Left my putt short.
7, I hit it in that pot bunker I was talking about, and then I hit it out and I had 168 to the pin and I hit my hybrid 20. That was a 15‑footer.
COLIN CALLANDER: Was that the one bunker you were in all day.
LYDIA KO: Fairway bunker, yes.
COLIN CALLANDER: Birdie on 10?
LYDIA KO: 10, I had 199 to the pin and I gripped my 5‑wood, and I had like a 20‑yard‑‑ 19‑, 20‑yard putt and that went in.
14, I hit driver off the tee and then 3‑wood, and I had like a 35‑yard chip and I hit it to two feet.
COLIN CALLANDER: Lydia, thank you very much indeed. Good luck tomorrow.

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