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CME GROUP TOUR CHAMPIONSHIP

November 18, 2016

Lydia Ko

Naples, Florida

Q. You were on the range late last night with David Leadbetter; showed you a video of the hole in one swing at the Olympics. What did that do when you saw that?
LYDIA KO: Brings back a lot of great memories. Even though that moment I really didn't expect to make a hole in one. I got so close so many times. To know my first hole in one would be at the Olympics, it was something I couldn't have ever dreamt of.

To see that swing, you know, I was hitting the ball really well at the Olympics. It gave me all the positive thoughts. I hit the ball pretty well yesterday. He said, I think we only need a few minutes and we'll be okay.

Q. What kind of changes are we talking about? You admitted to all of us in the media that you were in a little bit of a slump. What happened on the range last night?
LYDIA KO: You know, it was just more about my iron play. I hit my drives really well yesterday. My irons were kind of on and off. Not that many where I was looking for birdies.

So it was just very simple. Just in the takeaway where I wasn't going too out. It's something that you normally do, but especially when you're hitting it good, it's more about the basics and the little things.

Q. A course record 62; now you're at the top of the leaderboard. What does it do for your mindset going into he weekend?
LYDIA KO: You know, today, going into today, I just wanted to focus on my game. I knew I had a great pairing Eun Hee and Mi Hyang. Mi Hyang said, Hey, whenever you play with us you seem to play well.

Maybe it's the good vibes I got from them. Obviously it's a great round. It's a better position, even better than I could have imagined. Even on the weekend I just got to focus and keep playing great.

Q. (No microphone.)
LYDIA KO: No, not at all. Seeing Shanshan's 66 yesterday I said, Wow. She played pretty fantastic. Going into today definitely my goal wasn't the 62. The first three holes made great birdies. I was going in with really good momentum, and I was able to carry that for pretty much the rest of my round.

I think I was putting good, so if I was within a distance that I felt comfortable I felt like, Hey, I could hole this.

Q. Everybody has had something that clicked during a round; just came together. Did anything out there click for you that brought it all together today?
LYDIA KO: I think it was the putting. After the three birdies my first three holes, you, know 4 and 5 I was trying to scramble up and down. If I hadn't made those almost would've kind of broken the momentum.

Making those and then making birdie on 6 I think kind of continued that good flow. So I think would've definitely been the putting. I got really lucky on 15. Could have almost gone over off the green, but it hit the back of the hole. It was that kind of a day where you see the putt it almost feels like, Hey, the ball is just going to feed into it.

Q. What adjustments did you make today as opposed to yesterday?
LYDIA KO: I think it was those few putts and just a few closer shots. It's always nice when you finish off with a birdie on the last.

But those putts where it was lipping out or was close, those kind of ended up going in. No, I think making those birdies on the first few holes definitely gave me good momentum for the next holes coming up.

Q. Speaking of momentum, got to give you a lot of confidence moving forward.
LYDIA KO: Yeah, I mean, so much better than I could have ever imagined. I'm going to go and have -- I've been eating all day -- but I'm going to have some more food and then just have a couple putts and hit a few balls and kind of go.

I think hopefully that will give me good momentum going into the weekend. I mean, I started off kind of average yesterday, but I was able to fight back. I think that gave me good momentum going into today.

Q. So much on the line on Sunday. Did you feel like you had to make up some ground to catch up from yesterday?
LYDIA KO: I think the big key mindset for me is that I've been not really thinking about everything that could happen. For me to win player the year I know I need to win this championship. A lot of things come with that.

So to me, it's more important to finish off my season strong. I think that way I don't feel more pressure about everything that's going on.

The girls are playing great. Shanshan has not been out of the top 10 since the Olympics. With this field you know you need to play as great as what they're doing.

To me, I'm trying to slowly focus on my game. I think that kind of takes away everything that goes around.

Q. Had you seen a replay of that ace before Leadbetter showed it to you?
LYDIA KO: You know, David sent it to me. He videoed it and then sent it to me by message I think a couple days later or that day. I have it on my phone. I was so close twice at KPMG, and to think I would have my first one at the Olympics, I would pay $1 million to not bet on me and I did it there.

Q. How long were the par saving putts at 4 and 5?
LYDIA KO: 4 was about four, five feet; and then on 5 was like 15 feet. Just on the fringe. Yeah.

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