	products recent interviews FastScripts archive about ASAP Sports

Our Clients:

Browse by Sport

Find us on

Subscribe to RSS

Click to go to
Asaptext.com

View our
e-Brochure

CME GROUP TOUR CHAMPIONSHIP

November 21, 2015

Lydia Ko

Naples, Florida

THE MODERATOR: I'd like to welcome Lydia Ko into the press room. 3‑under, 69 today, two back heading into the Sunday. What do you have to do tomorrow to win the golf tournament?
LYDIA KO: Make more putts. I think I hit like 17 greens today. It might not have been close every time, but I felt like I gave myself quite a few good looks for birdie. Just didn't make any. I only holed one putt that was outside four feet. It wasn't the best putting day, but ended up coming up with 69. Feel like I'm striking the ball fine. Hopefully a couple more will drop tomorrow.
THE MODERATOR: What would it mean to you to win the Race to the CME Globe two times in a row? You would win the tournament if it ended today?
LYDIA KO: I mean, it would be awesome. When you defend something or do something back to back, it's always cool to do that.
There's still a lot of golf to be played. Inbee is playing great, so are the other girls. You can't take anyone out of it. If you are like five shots, sixshots behind, that can change a round, especially on a course like this when somebody makes a good birdie and someone makes a bogey, that's two shots straightaway. So there's still a lot of golf to be played. I just got to focus on my game. I think that's all I can do from here.

Q. You mentioned the putting, make more putts. You said earlier in the week that last year at this point you felt like you could see the lines very well. Do you feel like you are seeing the lines this year? Are they breaking as much?
LYDIA KO: I'm seeing the line, but apparently it's the wrong line, unfortunately.
I mean, I definitely putted much better yesterday. Yesterday, I felt like I was more confident. If they kind of stop falling, you kind of get in the rhythm of it not going in the hole. I kind of doubted myself, too. I left a couple short, too.
I feel like I'm confident over the putt, but it's not been right. Especially with the grain a little bit, it's very marginal. There's been a lot of putts where it's close to going in, but it's not.

Q. Is playing for so many prizes here tomorrow, is that fun and exciting or is it more gut wrenching and stressful?
LYDIA KO: I mean, you can kind of look at it two ways. The positive way is I'm glad and I should be proud that I'm in this position. Anything can happen. If I play well, it might end up being a good day where I'm holding a couple trophies. At the same time, because everything is on the line, there is more added pressure. I think it's more kind of those first couple holes where you do get nervous anyway, but to know at the end of the 18th hole, there could be a lot of things on the line. A little bit more added pressure, but that's why I'm not going to not think about all that.
I think that's what I did today. I wasn't thinking about what might be happening tomorrow. I was more thinking about the weather and hoping that the thunderstorms won't come.

Q. You talked about not being able to hit to the right line, I think it was 7 or 8, may have been the first time I ever seen you appear, at least, to be frustrated when something didn't go in. Can you walk us through the sense of frustration you feel out there? How do you overcome that?
LYDIA KO: Every putt, I felt confident with my read and then and it wasn't right. That kind of repeats over and over again, I got frustrated.
I think I got more frustrated because Jason was right. I think on 7, he said a ball out. I said very confidently, no, it's less than that and it missed low. Maybe at the back of my mind I said, oh, I can't believe this Australian is right. That's a joke. I do hate it when I'm wrong.
I think just over and over, on 6, it lipped out. I think when that kind of happens, you do get frustrated. Jason said, hey, stay patient, you are still playing good. Anything can happen. I think patience was quite a big thing out there today. Jason definitely helped with it.

Q. (Inaudible)?
LYDIA KO: No. On the course it's only him and I.

Q. What do you listen to on the practice green when you are getting ready? What is your play list?
LYDIA KO: I listen to Adele's new album today and yesterday. I normally listen to anything, anything fun to get me going. My mom says not too loud, not too fun stuff. She doesn't want me to be too energetic. I love her voice, so I was listening to Adele this morning.

Q. I asked Inbee this same question. Taking a long overview of this, could you have imagined earlier in the summer that basically every award known to man is going to come down to the final round of the final event of the year?
LYDIA KO: I think maybe during the middle of the year or even just before the Asia swing, I thought there would be a winner figured out before this last event.
But then I look back and said last year, it really came down to the final hole and between Stacy and Inbee, but I think it makes it a whole lot more interesting, especially for the players that are really in that position where they could be getting all these awards. I think it's make it a little bit more added pressure. Like you guys have been saying a tournament within a tournament. Makes it very interesting in all parts. Quite a lot of excitement. If you're looking in a positive way, it's great and it brings a lot of media attention to the LPGA and to this tournament. It's great.
Obviously it would have been great if one player was holding the trophy and receiving it on Thursday night. Makes it really interesting and exciting for the fans too.

Q. Do you find yourself getting recognized more when you are out at the mall or at restaurants and back the a home in Orlando, too?
LYDIA KO: No, not really. In the off weeks, unless I'm going to the Ledbetter Academy to practice, I don't really leave the house. My family recognizes me, that's about it. We're glad. No, not really. If I went to (indiscernible) or anything, they wouldn't know. But it's better that way.

Q. Are you cool with that? You'd rather it be that way?
LYDIA KO: I would rather that way. Because when I go to New Zealand everybody stares with me. They go, what is she doing here? Is that Lydia Ko? Even my friends make fun of me. They are like, he's looking at you. I'm like, please.
I mean, obviously, it's great to be recognized because it means that people outside the golfing industry knows you and they are interested in you and they have seen you somewhere. I don't mind if I don't get recognized. Who cares.
THE MODERATOR: Thanks for coming in. Good luck tomorrow.

FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports

ASAP Sports, Inc. | T: 1.212 385 0297