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CANADIAN PACIFIC WOMEN'S OPEN

August 23, 2017

Lydia Ko

Calgary, Alberta, Canada

THE MODERATOR: Welcome back, our last press conference before we begin tomorrow is with world No. 5, Lydia Ko. Most importantly known here in Canada, needs no introduction as a three-time Canadian Women's Open champion. Your first two times as an amateur in 2012 and 2013, and then as a professional in 2015. Welcome back to Canada.

I'm going to ask you the same thing I asked Ariya, what about Canada agrees with you so well?

LYDIA KO: Maybe because I nearly moved here. I feel like there are a lot of similarities between New Zealand and Canada. The people are great, super nice. It's just the towns and the cities itself remind me a lot of New Zealand.

So I know I'm going to a different country, but it feels like home almost. The Canadians have really taken me in as one of their own. So, yeah, I love coming back here and obviously having my first LPGA win always puts a special memory in my heart.

Q. You say you almost moved here, was that when you were making a transition over to North America or how did that come about?
LYDIA KO: When I was 7, before moving to New Zealand, we were planning on maybe moving to Canada. But last minute we ended up going to New Zealand. So who knows. I might have been in this position talking as a Canadian not a New Zealander. But, no, I mean, either way everybody has been great. I've been hearing a lot, today especially, hey, I want you to come second today behind Brooke (laughing).

So it's great to see so many people out here. It's only been the Pro-Am days and practice days, and for them to come out and support us and being in Brooke's hometown, I think it's going to be great for the next few days.

Q. Like I said, you've won this event three times. Looking for your first victory of 2017. But still you've been playing well. Tell me how you feel coming into this weekend and might this be the week for you?
LYDIA KO: I hope so. I know that there's a lot of positive things going on. So I'm trying to keep my head high and keep working on my game. With golf you feel like everything's going good, but it just doesn't click. So I'm hoping for it all to kind of click soon.

I've been working hard with my team to be a bit more consistent, and I think consistency is so important on Tour because you're playing week-in and week out, and to have that consistency is going to help to, I guess, build confidence too.

I love playing in Canada, so hopefully I'll be able to have a good result this week.

Q. Lydia, you've made a lot of changes over the last year or so. What's been the biggest hurdle for you to get over in terms of new challenges?
LYDIA KO: I guess they're all different with clubs I feel like the whole staff and team at PXG have worked so hard with me to try and build me the confidence that I am playing with the best clubs out there, and I do feel like it. I know like every time I go back to PXG and go back to Scottsdale and we try to fine tune things, and the Tour rep, John, has done so much with me to build that confidence. I think confidence is the biggest thing.

I guess coach -- changing coaches, obviously there is a little bit of technique difference between my former coaches and my current coach, Gary. But all the changes that I've made, I feel like they've been good changes, even though I haven't been able to play as well as I have in past seasons, I still feel like the changes that I've made has been a progress in a good way and not in a negative aspect.

So we're all working hard to kind of build that momentum. I think when you start getting those top 10 and being in contention, those are the confidence builders that lead to better results going down the road.

Q. So we last saw you at the Ricoh Women's British Open, week off in the Solheim Cup. How do you spend those two weeks? We've heard everything from I put my clubs away for a week to I was practicing every day. How do you spend a break like that?
LYDIA KO: The first week I was actually in Scottsdale. I got to spend a bit of time with the team at PHG. Went to Scottsdale National and played the bad little nine there. Yeah, I also did a photo shoot with Women's Golf Journal -- well, Women's Golf Magazine. Yeah, I had to try and be a model that day, and it's hard when you're kind of out of your shoes and you're doing things that you normally wouldn't do. But I had so much fun, and the team there was great too.

It was a whole variety. I got to spend a couple of days back home in Orlando and came here via New York. So I've kind of been all over the place. But I guess two weeks goes by really fast, especially with a big week last week with Solheim, it's kind of cool to be able to see the girls play when you're outside the ropes.

Q. How often or how many times have you had a chance to play this course? I was told you might have been here in the spring?
LYDIA KO: No, I wasn't. Is it summer now? Okay. I'm like is this spring? Then I did play in the spring. No. I didn't come here prior to this last few days. I came here on Saturday evening and I got to play nine holes on Sunday. I played Brooke & Friends Pro-Am on Monday, and yesterday was kind of a late day with the weather delays I played seven holes.

I kind of got to see the golf course. Obviously, playing this morning was really nice. I feel like every day the weather has been a little bit different and the strength of the wind too. So it's good to see the golf course playing in different conditions.

Q. Is the weather why you went to New Zealand rather than Canada?
LYDIA KO: I mean, I love snow, but I don't know if I could take snow for four months a year. But, no, I mean, weather is beautiful in New Zealand, but we could have four seasons in one day too without the snow in Auckland.

No, it's great. I guess I've never really experienced that many years where I've spent such a long winter. But, no, that's why maybe it's great that there are some of these amazing golf courses and you can enjoy it while there's sun and no snow that's covering it.

Q. Tell me your thoughts on this golf course? Have you gotten any tips from Brooke or anyone who has been around?
LYDIA KO: Not really. But I think this is a very traditional golf course. I know there's a lot of trees. The back nine is quite a bit of a different layout to the front nine, which is quite unique. You know, there are some longer holes, some shorter holes. It's a great mixture of holes.

I get why this is such a great golf course. It's in amazing condition, and despite the rain we had yesterday, the greens are still rolling really well, and it's not totally soft. So obviously the superintendents have put in a lot of time to make it into this pristine condition for us. Hopefully there will be no more rain the next few days and we'll be able to play some great golf on this great golf course.

Q. I'll wrap up by asking you about Monday and the experience with Brooke & Friends. We heard there were so many spectators out for one event where the scores didn't even count. You talked about the that the last two days as well. Tell me about that experience. And one of the great things about this game is the ability to give back that we have with events like that.
LYDIA KO: Yeah, I think Brooke was first off on the first tee and I was 1B. Just to see the amount of people that were covering the tees, I know the people that were on the range while she was talking and kind of giving a clinic.

It's really cool to see that support. Obviously we're in her backyard, and being here, especially with her playing so well, I think this is a great opportunity for the women's game and also growing golf in Canada too. Her and Lori Kane and so many of the other Canadian players have done so much to make golf in Canada so big.

It's very exciting to play in their home country and to see the support that I've been seeing the last few days, it's great. That's why I said I've been hearing, Oh's, I want you to come in second this week," so much. But it's so cool to see the support. I'm sure she appreciates so many people coming out to support her foundation on Monday and then coming out to support her to play well these next few days.

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