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CME GROUP TOUR CHAMPIONSHIP

November 16, 2017

Lydia Ko

Naples, Florida

Q. (Recording in progress.)
LYDIA KO: No. I don't think I've made a par like that before. I pulled my second shot a little bit. It actually ran out a long way than I thought it would. Luckily I got a drop.

It was not the easiest lie. It was kind of uphill lie and it didn't have the best lines either. Then I hilt it way too hard and it kind of like half plugged in the bunker. I said, Oh, great. What am I going to make?

Luckily it was the perfect place to hit it for a 4.

Q. What did you hit out of the bunker?
LYDIA KO: Just my 58-degree wedge.

Q. What did you hit into the green?
LYDIA KO: 5-iron.

Q. How long was the putt?
LYDIA KO: I mean, I don't know. I just tried to hit it like four yards out the bunker, because I knew there was a little downslope from the front edge, the edge in front of me, and then it would run out of.

Because it was in a little bit of a depression, I knew that it would run out.

Q. How important was it to have that kind of finish?
LYDIA KO: I think after making eagle on the 17th you don't really want to even that up with a double on the last.

I've made all sorts of numbers on the 18th before. It's definitely nice to be able to please the crowd a little bit and do that on the last.

Overall pretty solid, and definitely a good back nine to put myself in a good position.

Q. You played really well in Asia; started off well here. Are you sad to see the season come to an end after this week?
LYDIA KO: Sad, but then I'm excited for some time off, too. I just want to finish the season on a high note. The girls are playing great so it's been a lot of fun.

It is good to be able to play some solid golf these past few weeks and put myself in better positions going into the weekends and going into the final round.

I think the more I do that, the think the confidence kind of builds up. Golf is such a confidence game. If you start making birdies or putts and playing well, it builds up. That momentum kind of carries on.

Q. Sum up your year for us and what your attitude was coming into this final week, what you wanted to accomplish.
LYDIA KO: I played pretty solid at the start and had a pretty frustrating few months in the middle of my season. Indy really helped. Obviously I wasn't the one holding the trophy at the end of that week, but just getting that second place finish really gave me the confidence at Evian. That was my best finish in my majors this year.

I realized, Hey, patience is such a big key. Week in, week out, the talent doesn't change that much, but if you feel confident and you're out there committing to your shots, then you're able to play the best golf you can.

So Indy really helped with that. You know, obviously I would've loved to be the one that was the champion, but I felt like I learned a big lesson from that even outside all the results.

Q. What is it about this tournament that makes you play so well?
LYDIA KO: I like that we can drive here. Mom can pack some Korean food from Orlando and drive here. The fans are great. The course set up has kind of changed the last couple years. They have put in some extra bunkers and put some more grass or rough shots in this year.

So, no, I like that. It's close to my home base in the U.S. and it's always in really good condition. The course is in great condition. Hopefully we'll be able to play some good golf on it.

Q. Describe the approach on 9 where you almost holed out for eagle.
LYDIA KO: Yeah, I was telling Pete, my caddie, that I've never had that short putt for birdie on that hole before. I think 18 and 9 are really two tough holes coming in finishing those, both of the nines. To make a birdie there, I was going to pick up the ball and run away.

It's tough holes where you kind of have to be pretty strategic about it. Sometimes going at the pin is not the right thing, and I wasn't really aiming there anyway. I pulled it a touch. I got the right bounce, and I will definitely take my three on nine.

Q. Hit a lot of great putts today. Is this something you've been doing recently or something new?
LYDIA KO: I don't think I've changed my stroke that much. The greens are so pure the last few days that can't really blame anything apart from my eyes and me if they don't go in.

Yeah, I'm just trying to put a confident stroke on it. If it goes in, great. If it doesn't, hey, I can't do much about it. I'm just trying to keep it simple.

Technique-wise we haven't really done much. Couple speed things. That was really it.

Q. I know you made some changes over the year. Are you conventional with the left-hand low sometimes again, or...
LYDIA KO: I'm doing what I used to do: Left-hand low for the shorter putts, and then the longer putts the conventional. And again for when I change it, I just do it by feel. If I've got a 15-footer but it's pretty slippery, I might use the left-hand low just so it doesn't have that much pace on it.

It's really a feel thing. Mainly for the shorter ones using the left-hand low.

Q. That's pretty much what you were doing most of your career then, right? Does it feel like the same thing? Some differences?
LYDIA KO: I think depending on the actual putter grip, obviously sometimes it feels a little bit different. I'm pretty sure even though it's left-hand low there are so many different ways to do it. Like how I grip it is different to how Inbee grips it.

I think over the years it may have changed a little bit, but you kind of have to go -- for me it's a lot like go with the flow and whatever feels the best and performs the best is kind of what I have to go and use.

Q. Eagle on the 17th. What were you club and yardages?
LYDIA KO: I don't have my yardage book, but it was a 3-wood into the green and I had like 220 something into the pin.

Q. The putt?
LYDIA KO: Was like maybe 15 feet. I will take that eagle putt any day, every day.

Q. It's early, but what do you need to continue to do get your second win here in Naples?
LYDIA KO: I need to play solid or even better for the next three days. No, I think you can see by the winners on our tour this year it's pretty impressive. I don't know if that's ever happened any other place. I.

Know you have to play really solid for the rest of the tournament to be in contention. I'm just going to have a good time there. Yeah, just enjoy this last event of the 2017 season.

Q. You're certainly longer now than you were in the middle of the summer. When did that happen, and has it been an evolution?
LYDIA KO: I think the more confident and comfortable you are the more you can just grip it and rip it and put some the speed into it.

I'm feeling more confident, so that way I can hit it without thinking, Hey, is this going to go right or left. You know, my mom said, Hey, don't worry about where the ball goes. All you can do is put a confident, good swing on it. If it doesn't happen to go straight, then, hey, you have to move on.

I think that's the key for me. Even if I do make a mistake, for the next shot don't worry about it. Just put the good swing or good stroke on it.

Q. Any specific goals this week?
LYDIA KO: I said it would be good to finish the season with a top 10. I would be pretty happy with that.

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