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CME GROUP TOUR CHAMPIONSHIP

November 20, 2015

Lydia Ko

Naples, Florida

THE MODERATOR: Like to welcome in Lydia Ko to the interview room. Lydia, great day today. You are 6‑under through 11 holes. We had a little bit of some blitz on those final few holes, but 5‑under, 67, great round and a very strong finish. Just overall thoughts on the day? How do you feel going into the weekend?
LYIDA KO: I played really solidly. Much better tee shot on 1 today. Little less nerves compared to yesterday's tee shot.
I made a good putt on 2, and then kind of‑‑ I think my putting really helped today. I also set up good birdie opportunities, too.
It's unfortunate to make the double on 15 and then bogey on 16, but I guess it's better than two doubles in a row.
I finished strong. 17, it's a hole where if you hit two good shots, you can have a good look for eagle or come off with a good birdie.
I got a little lucky on the 18th hole. I pulled my shot a little bit, but give myself a good look at birdie and then dropped. It feels pretty special and it gives momentum going into to tomorrow.
THE MODERATOR: Was that a bit of statement, her putt dropping and you kind of coming up and finishing off with two birdies? How huge was that?
LYIDA KO: She's one of the best putters on Tour. She's definitely confident with that club in her hand. I know that if she is in birdie range, she's 99%could be making it.
I just try to focus on my game. I now that she's going to play good golf. So are the other girls. If I focused on what everything that goes on, I think it's just too much pressure and too much to think about it. Just focused on my game and that definitely helps.

Q. You said earlier in the week you are not one to really check stats or rankings, but you saw earlier you saw Sei Young after yesterday was projected to go to one in the Globe Race. But you are back. Great job. Was that a little bit of motivation seeing her play so well yesterday and coming out today?
LYIDA KO: No. Just watching the coverage when I went back to hotel and the Race placing, too. So it wasn't like intentionally looking. It's righted there, it's not like I got to cover and go ‑‑ but, yeah, my trainer and I always say, hey, better every day. It's what I try and work towards too. If I keep getting better every day, it ends up being a few low scores. But not enough.
I think I played solidly yesterday, but she played even better. Those kind of cases, I can't control it. So I just got to focus on what I can do.

Q. (Inaudible)?
LYIDA KO: Really? Be nice to me. I went to the bathroom, first of all. And then I went on the tee and I had been hitting my driver pretty good all day. That was really my first mis‑hit with my driver. I pulled it. I had a pretty good lie in the bunker, slightly downhill lie.
I think I played a little too cute. There was a tree right in my way, and so if I pulled it just an inch it was going straight to the tree. I think I got a little too aggressive. I should have taken my medicine and gone a little bit more right and givemyself to make up and down for a par or something. I got a little greedy, so I ended up hitting the tree and then it kind of went in the waste bunker again. Then I chipped out sideways. I thought I hit a pretty decent pitch, but it didn't run out as much as I thought.
I saw that Ha Na's putt was short, so I said, hey, you've got to whack it a little bit more. I was still short. I didn't how far short my putt would have been. That was nasty. I'm sure it will get better than that tomorrow. That's what I'm hoping.

Q. There's been a lot of talk about the grain in the greens. Are you finding it difficult?
LYIDA KO: To me, I think the grain is actually tougher just off the green. I think that's the hardest part. Honestly, the hard thing is sometimes the putt can break left to right and the grain might be going the other way. That doesn't happen often, but the grains definitely play a huge factor.
It's not like this is the only event where it's Bermuda greens. So we are all playing the same greens and all that, so we've just got to play with what we have. It's tough, but to me it's tougher around the greens where you're chipping into the green. And then you are not just hitting your normal chip shot technique.

Q. If you make a big number, is there something you kind of tell yourself or a way you think about it to help you?
LYIDA KO: I kind of laugh through this one. It wasn't ideal, but I just try and not think about it anymore and kind of go to the next hole, thinking it's a whole new hole. And then hit it plugged into the bunker, which wasn't even‑‑ I just say forget about it. What makes it easier is that double, it sounds bad, but if I say I made two bogeys for the day or I ended up making three bogeys instead of one double and one bogey, it sounds better. So I'm just going to say I made three bogeys and I'd rather hear that than say I made a double.

Q. You said earlier in the year that after three starts, you hit a wall where you had a month of going through the motions? Playing the final round with Jessica helped you regain your sense of fun.
LYIDA KO: I mean, her and I were a troublesome pair. I have a lot of fun with her, and I played alongside her in Malaysia. We have way too much fun even though there's a lot of seriousness going on. She's such a‑‑ she has such a fun character, very positive. She gives good vibes to the people around her. So I always enjoy going out to dinner with her or playing alongside her.
Maybe she does deserve a percentage from that tournament. No, I mean, she's such a fun person to be around. She was there for my first win in Canada and she just always been so welcoming and friendly.

Q. How much has it helped having your sister stateside?
LYIDA KO: Yeah, I probably seen her more last year compared to maybe three years ago even though we were living in the same house and everything just because our age gap. She was return from (indiscernible) and then I would already be asleep. I would go out earlier, so our time just clashed. We were just‑‑ we were not at the same place at the same time.
But now I know with her working out here, I get to see her more often. It's great. I always call her my angel. She's really there to support me. She's a very important part of my life.

Q. You were shaking a little bit yesterday. How often does that happen to you?
LYIDA KO: The other time that I was really shaking was probably my first U.S. Open. I was lining up my ball and I just couldn't get that line straight. So I said forget it and I didn't use my line.
Like yesterday, on the first hole, my hand was legitimately shaking. I didn't want the other people to see. So I was like okay, just do it quickly and just putt it. I don't want Inbee or Stacy to go, wow, what's up with her, she is so nervous. So I just quickly hit it.
From the next hole it got much better. It's a good thing it went away.

Q. Did that surprise you?
LYIDA KO: Well, I didn't feel nervous. Even on the tee I felt like just have fun out there, just like another event. Obviously, in the back of my mind, I was really nervous because it was probably one of the worst tee shots I've hit on No. 1. I don't think I've ever hit a tee shot and then have to retee on the first hole. So that was the first. So even though I was saying, hey, I'm not nervous, I'm not nervous, I think I was, yeah.

Q. Obviously you made the right decision, but do you think about your Stanford dream?
LYIDA KO: Now that I think about it, I don't know if I'm smart enough for that. I mean, if I compare myself to Michelle, she's very intelligent. I don't know if I even had the brains to go in there. But no, I mean, like sometimes dream it would be cool to go and enjoy college life, kind of like what Allison does right now. It would be cool to meet friends on campus and just get to mingle. Even though I do go to University, because I don't get to go to Korea often, I don't get to meet my classmates a lot.
I do sometimes think how cool would that be. You kind of expand your knowledge and expand your friendships, too. I have been enjoying it out on the Tour and all the girls have been so nice. I feel like in a way we are all classmates. We are all Tour mates.
THE MODERATOR: Great job so far this week. Good luck on the weekend.

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