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CME GROUP TOUR CHAMPIONSHIPNovember 17, 2018Nelly KordaNaples, Florida Q. Here with Nelly Korda, going low with a 67 on moving day here in Naples. How would you describe the round out there today? NELLY KORDA: Pretty solid on the front. I had a chip-in, so that kind of got my round going a bit. On the back I struggled a little. Made a couple bogeys. Other than that it was a solid day. Q. You definitely were keeping pace with Lexi Thompson. Are you much of a leaderboard watcher? NELLY KORDA: Yeah, I am. I'm a leaderboard watcher because of my sister. But I saw that she's been making a couple birdies. She's playing really well. We'll see what happens tomorrow. Q. Speaking of your sister, you said you had watched her for years out here and that's why you felt so familiar with the course. What kind of benefit do you think that will give you heading into the final round? NELLY KORDA: You know, just being out here so much and being around all the girls makes me feel comfortable. Just going to take it shot by shot and see what happens. Q. You got your first win a couple weeks ago. What did you learn from that experience? NELLY KORDA: Just to stay relaxed, that anything can happen. Q. Second year playing at this event; through seven career rounds you're a combined 24-under on this golf course. What is it about this course that suits your game? NELLY KORDA: I mean, I've watched my sister play out here for a lot of years. Just being comfortable and knowing my way around here. I grew up in Florida too, so I'm used to the bermuda grass and just very comfortable. Q. You use the word comfortable. You look extremely comfortable. You're 20 years old and only have one LPGA win. Where does that comfortableness, that confidence come from? NELLY KORDA: I think just having a good team around me. I mean, my caddie keeps my pretty calm and composed. We don't get too excited and we don't get too angry, so... Q. That's always a good combination. Korda, always got to try and outdo her sister. Didn't just outdo your sister though, you shot the lowest round on Saturday. How, and how was the course different? NELLY KORDA: I was just hitting it really solid, putting well, and kind of got a couple lucky breaks. Just when I made a bogey I kind of bounced back right away. Q. When you look at this scoreboard now, I mean, you finished a few shots behind Lexi Thompson going into the final round. What's your goal for tomorrow? What do you think you're going to have to do? NELLY KORDA: Just to have fun and take it shot by shot. Playing in the final group of the tour championship obviously will be a little nerve-wracking. I'm just going to take it shot by shot and see how it goes. Q. I talked a lot to your older sister about what it means to her to have you out there. I also talked to her about some of the trash talk that goes on. So I want to know what's it going to mean if you finish the year on top? NELLY KORDA: I get a bag. Q. Is that what your bet is? NELLY KORDA: Yeah. Q. What kind of bag? NELLY KORDA: I don't know. Not sure yet. Q. You just get to pick it out? NELLY KORDA: Yeah. Jess already had hers lined up already. When we were finished with the final round she was like, I want this. Q. That's a little overconfident, maybe even cocky. NELLY KORDA: No. She had a good year last year. Q. Yeah, but now, that means you got to get a bag that's more expensive than the one she'd picked out, right? NELLY KORDA: Yeah. No, I'm going to be really nice to her. Q. You're the little sister. You're not supposed to be nice. NELLY KORDA: No, I'm nice. I'm an angel. Can I get the halo, too? Q. Is there a farm around here? I smell bull. NELLY KORDA: (Laughter.) Q. That's what your sister told me, too. You know exactly how to push her buttons when you argue. That's why she loves it, too. NELLY KORDA: Well, she knows how to push mine. Q. Where was the chip-in? NELLY KORDA: It was on, God, the par-3, No. 5. Q. That was sort of the jolt that got you going? NELLY KORDA: Yeah, I birdied the hole before. I made like a downhill slider from left to right because I bogeyed the hole before that. I bogeyed No. 3, birdied 4, chipped in on 5, and then birdied 6. Q. Nice little run. NELLY KORDA: Yeah. Q. Was it a long chip-in? NELLY KORDA: Yeah, it was definitely not easy. I was short and right in front of the bunker and I barely had any green to work with. Q. How many feet? NELLY KORDA: I can't remember that now. Sorry. Q. What's the best advice that Jess has given you about playing in the final group and being in contention? NELLY KORDA: Just stay calm. Yeah, just play your game. She says the same every week. Q. She said you didn't stress her out like you normally do when you won. NELLY KORDA: Yeah. Q. I said, Is that growth? She said, We'll call it that. How much have you grown this season? NELLY KORDA: I think a lot. Singapore kind of taught me a lot just coming up one short. Took me a while to kind of bounce back from that. I turned it around in Asia. Got my confidence back too throughout the year. We'll see how it goes tomorrow. Q. Nelly, you're a pretty tight-knit group out here. What was your reaction when you saw Lexi's Instagram post where she was very honest about her vulnerability? When she talked about feeling like she has troubles with her body image and getting down on herself. NELLY KORDA: I don't think I saw that post, to be completely honest. Q. Do you understand how you guys are perfectionists to a point and where it fuels your success, there is a flip side to it? NELLY KORDA: I mean, when you're in the spotlight you get criticized as well. You kind of just have to live with it. No one is going to have it easy when you're in the spotlight. Q. Is it worth it? NELLY KORDA: Yeah, it is, obviously, when you get to play in front of all these little kids, girls that look up to you. You hear these loud roars and just kind of makes you want to do is more and more. Q. Uh-huh. Jessica grow up with Lexi playing in junior golf. How much of that did you see? Did you get to play with them much? NELLY KORDA: No, never. I didn't get to see anything. She's five years older. When she was out playing I was in school. Q. Saw you give Meghan Khang a nice pat on the back there. The fact that she can do what she does out here at her stature, I mean, what -- you guys are good pals? NELLY KORDA: Yeah, we're really good friends. I think she's one of my best friends. We actually room together quite a bit as well. She's someone I go to dinner quite often with. It's good to have a lot of friends out here. Makes it easier when you're on the road for so long. Q. She gives up a lot of length to a player like yourself and other players, yet she finds a way to get it done. NELLY KORDA: Yeah, no, for her height she hits it far. (Laughter.) She hits it far. Q. Gets a lot out of her game. NELLY KORDA: Yeah. Q. Do you sort of relish the idea of going against Lexi kind of head-to-head tomorrow, top American player? Does that get you fired up? NELLY KORDA: I think it'll be exciting, but I don't know how many shots she's ahead. Just going to take it shot by shot and see what happens. There is nothing more you can do. There is a bunch of girls right at 9; Carlota is at 10. Going to take a good score. But we're all playing really solid. We'll just see. FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports   |
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