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HSBC WOMEN'S CHAMPIONS

March 2, 2016

Lydia Ko

Republic of Singapore

MEGHAN FLANAGAN: Like to welcome Rolex Rankings No. 1 into the interview room. Thanks for coming in and welcome back to Singapore.

Let's talk about last week, a week off. You went back home in New Zealand. Give us some lowdown. I was following you on social media: You were hanging with friends, you went back to your school, you played an old club of yours, I saw you got a lifetime membership. Looked a little busy for an off-week but tell us how you feel coming into this week.

LYDIA KO: Obviously I went back to New Zealand before Australia to play the New Zealand Open. I flew through Auckland but never really got to stay there and hang out or catch up with people I know.

So last week there were sponsor things, and got to catch up with some of my closest friends. And my close friends were close friends with a friend that I used to be friends in like elementary school. I haven't seen him in like seven years, and I got to see another athlete that could possibly go to the Rio Olympics. And I got a life membership at the first golf club that I was a member at in New Zealand, Pupuke, all these exciting things.

Went to karaoke twice. That's maybe why my throat's gone a little bit. No, it was a lot of fun. I enjoyed it. Obviously home is quite far from Orlando, so I don't get an opportunity to go back much, but I enjoyed it.

MEGHAN FLANAGAN: Now probably the most important question: What is the karaoke song of choice? What's the go-to?

LYDIA KO: Anything that's kind of in my range. I don't go very high up or very low down. I like to try and sing Adele songs. I mean, it's a pretty bold move.

But we just had fun. My friends's friend were dancing and we were just having a good time. They were actually good singers, so I kind of had to hide away in the corner.

MEGHAN FLANAGAN: You've had such a great start to this year, obviously following up an amazing season last year. Tied for third at Coates, win in New Zealand, runner-up in Australia. Could you have dreamed of a better start so far or did you expect this?

LYDIA KO: No, you never expect it. I took a month off from golf the first part of the off-season and had a month to get back into it. Obviously it wasn't my dream finish at the Coates, but still I'll take a tied third overall.

Got to defend the National Open, which is a pretty cool feeling. I played really solidly in Australia. Most of the times, if you shoot 67 on a final day and you're in the final few groups, you're putting yourself in contention towards the top. But Jiyai played better and when that happens, you can't do much about it.

But it's a really good start to the season, and I mean, it could always be better in that sense. But I'm very pleased with the way it started.

MEGHAN FLANAGAN: Now this is your third time here in Singapore, to play in this event, you've played pretty well, tied for 15th and runner-up just last year. What do you like about this course, how does it suit your game? I know Inbee says it suits some accurate drivers, which I would say probably helps you out a little bit.

LYDIA KO: Yeah, I mean, Inbee obviously played it perfectly last year, bogey-free, 72 holes. If you're bogey-free for 18 holes, you'd be happy, but 72 holes, that's pretty impressive. So she kind of set the benchmark. You try and have to work off that.

This year it seems like it's going to be a little breezier, so that's going to play a huge factor. Like she said, you need to put yourself in good positions off the tee, because the greens are so big, too, even if you hit it on the green, it doesn't necessarily mean it's going to be an easy 2-putt or you're coming off with a birdie.

So you just have to be smart here. There are some holes where you are making a par and you say, hey, that's a good job. Some holes if you can win the birdie, it's kind of a bonus.

But I think smart golf it is, and Inbee is a very consistent player, so she definitely did that last year.

Q. What were the career choices of your best friends from elementary school?
LYDIA KO: Well, like my best friend, it's kind of weird, her name is Lydia, too, so I'm not talking about myself in any sense (laughter). Lydia, she studies biomed. My friend from elementary school I think studies optometry. So they all -- like the first year, they all have to do biomed and then they do whatever they want to do from there. So I think that's where they met in the university, and then I was obviously friends with them in elementary. She studies biomed. All of her friends are from biomed or from college.

Q. Do you chat about -- is it quite interesting to you to hear what they are up to?
LYDIA KO: It's definitely a different lifestyle. Even between the courses, some courses start a week earlier. Like her, she's doing biomed, she's starting I think either this week or next week, and then her other friend's already started. So it worked out perfecting timing for me because I was in town and she didn't have to go to any school at that time. It's definitely different. She's up until really early in the morning studying overnight, and I don't practice overnight.

But it's definitely a different lifestyle. She was definitely one of the smartest kids in our high school, so I kind of expected her to kind of go out there early. It was just really cool to see what their lifestyle is to mine.

Yeah, it worked out perfect timing for us when I was there last week.

MEGHAN FLANAGAN: I want to ask you about, is it Daniel Hunter, how did you guys end up in, looked like a parking lot, was it a parking lot?

LYDIA KO: It was in a parking lot. It was at our hotel. Like it was where I was staying, so we just took a photo before we said good-bye. But he's a swimmer and I think to my knowledge, he holds the record for a 50-meter or 100-meter swimming record freestyle I think. So obviously a very talented athlete. Our height difference was very noticeable on that photo.

But no, it's been like really cool to get to talk to him, because golf is so different to swimming, and you know, how he trains and how he works out is so different to how I work out.

Even like yesterday morning, goes to training at 5:00 A.M. and takes a break and goes to the gym again. For me, it's done over this kind of one period of time and then I'm back in. Sport by sport is so different, even with Israel Dagg, who is a rugby player. His routine is so much different to mine. It was cool to talk to Daniel and see how he prepares for Rio and trying to qualify and all that.

MEGHAN FLANAGAN: At least you'll have a friend in the athlete's village if he makes it.

LYDIA KO: That would be pretty cool. I think that's part of the Olympics where obviously golf is a very individual sport but you get to see other athletes that represent the country that you're representing. Just get to meet each other and end of the day, just create friendships on and off the course.

Q. Did coming so close last year give you any extra desire, motivation to go all the way this year?
LYDIA KO: I mean, I played really solidly last year. I would take that. Just Inbee played phenomenal. Especially around a course like this here; to say that you're not going to make a single bogey is like -- it's crazy.

So I thought I played really solidly, so it kind of gives me a confidence going into this year. But I think even throw the course is similar and I'm sure the setup will be similar, I think the wind is going to be a huge difference. It has been really windy the last few days, so I'm imagining it will be the same the next couple days.

So I think that plays a huge factor, especially around some of the holes where we're by the water or where there's no trees, there's nothing blocking it. So it's going to play tough. So some holes are going to play much longer than the previous years.

Q. Was there ever a time you minded being out-hit and when you see somebody like Lexi thrashing it as far as she does -- does it impinge on your consciousness?
LYDIA KO: I've never been a long hitter so I don't know what it feels like to be way in front unless I'm playing with juniors or Pro-Am partners. It's obviously really cool to play alongside players like Lexi or Brittany Lincicome or like Yani, who hits the ball a really long way. You know especially with Lexi, she's hitting it long and pretty straight, you can see it by her results from last year and all that.

It's really cool. You kind of stand back and go, wow. Just even the swing speed or the sound it makes, you kind of put yourself outside of the ropes and go, wow. That's their game. I wish I could hit it as long as Lexi, but unfortunately I can't right now. Maybe with some illegal clubs or something.

I feel like I'm hitting it longer this year than I did last year just a couple yards and that makes a difference, even though it's minimal amounts.

But with my coaches and Callaway, we are all working to try and get it a couple yards further off the tee, whether it's technology or within the swing and working out. But at the same time, trying to keep it consistent because I think at the end of the day, consistency is really important.

There are players that are not super long but have won multiple times, like Ai Miyazato who is so consistent and her putting is great. There are obviously a lot of aspects that go into playing good, and obviously I wish could I hit it like Lexi, but it's kind of out of my bags.

MEGHAN FLANAGAN: Drive for show, putt for dough, is that it?

LYDIA KO: Yeah, but Lexi was driving for show and putting for dough, too.

MEGHAN FLANAGAN: That really helps. Thank you for coming in. Good luck this week.

FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports

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