AIG WOMEN'S OPEN

August 20, 2020

Nelly Korda

Press Conference

THE MODERATOR: Here with Nelly Korda who just finished up a great round. I think that was a battle of survival out there. Walk us through that first tee shot and just those first couple holes as you tried to figure out what the weather was going to do for you.

NELLY KORDA: Yeah, it was crazy. I hit a driver on the first tee and they actually moved up the tee I think 30 yards today, and I hit my driver 187 yards, so it was the first couple holes were brutal. I had a hard time walking. So I was happy when it kind of started dying down and I just tried to keep my level or my head level and just keep chugging along.

THE MODERATOR: That was quite a group you were playing with, with Georgia and Nasa, three very different games. Do you talk about the weather or were you in your own bubbles.

NELLY KORDA: We didn't talk much about the weather. We all get along. I asked Nasa where she was during quarantine. It was a very friendly group. I like playing with them.

THE MODERATOR: You had a handful of birdies, couple of bogeys, but talk to us about No. 16, the eagle you had on the par 5.

NELLY KORDA: I actually didn't hit my drive very good. You have to kind of hit it over that creek and I just had like 200 yards in and it was blowing downwind. I hit a 7-iron to probably like 20 feet and drained the putt. It felt really good because I was 2-over at the time. Made a couple mistakes coming in and it felt good.

THE MODERATOR: Talk about this whole experience of coming to a major, no fans out there which you would have loved to have seen but the overall experience of what it's like now finally competing in the season's first major?

NELLY KORDA: It feels great. I was definitely itching to get back out there. It's obviously different, even traveling, you have to have the mask on, but the R&A and the LPGA are doing a great job with keeping us safe and it's different for sure. I would love to see fans out here, especially at British we have amazing fans that come out. It's a little sad but at the end of the day it is what it is.

Q. Can you tell me how you have grown -- I assume you like links, but your journey on learning to better appreciate links and how to play it, how that's come along when did you start to like it?

NELLY KORDA: To be honest, this is pretty much only my second or third time playing links golf. This is by far the worst weather that I've had playing links golf, and I don't know, I guess the more experience you have, the more obviously under pressure you play, the more you learn and the more you grow as a player obviously. But yeah, it's a completely different game. I think the golf courses are kind of similar in Australia, as well. So just as I said getting more experience kind of playing these types of golf courses definitely helps.

Q. What was the toughest shot that you had today out there?

NELLY KORDA: Oh my God, I think the first three or four holes, I hit like -- I had like 140 on the first hole and I hit a 5-iron and didn't even get there because they just ballooned straight up in the air.

Q. How many rounds did you play at Troon prior to today and did you talk to anyone, perhaps any PGA TOUR friends that you had about it and how to work your way around it?

NELLY KORDA: No, I didn't talk to anyone and I played Monday, Tuesday Wednesday and I went straight out the door for today.

Q. You mentioned how strong the wind was at the start of the round. How did you stay patient through those difficult holes?

NELLY KORDA: My caddie for sure. He kept reminding me that obviously I'm going to make mistakes, but everyone's playing through this weather and you've just got to stay patient out here and just take it shot by shot. Find your ball, hit it again. That's my mentality this week, or today, especially.

Q. Apologize for a clichéd question about your father, but he played in a sport where mental toughness was a key aspect of what you did and through a lot of grueling matches, etc. In Grand Slams. Do you think you've inherited some of that? Is that the kind of thing that today would be useful to you where you have to grind it out mentally? Is that a family trait that's been passed down?

NELLY KORDA: Yeah, I think so in a way. You have to kind of build it up within yourself as well, but I think the way we grew up and the way our parents raised us, they kind of incorporated that mentality, I guess.

Q. The cliché would be that someone from Florida or the states would be, no, this isn't for me and I'll take the easy way out. You've displayed completely the opposite?

NELLY KORDA: I like to grind through things. I don't give up, so I think everyone out here definitely does not want to give up. So it's going to be a hard week, but at the end of the day, it's actually a lot of fun to play in this type of weather.

Q. Yesterday they rolled out the future venues for this championship, and some spectacular courses including Muirfield. Can you just talk about your reaction to that and what you think that means for the Tour?

NELLY KORDA: I thought it was amazing. Yeah, we're going to be playing such amazing golf courses coming up within the next five years, and I think, you know, getting to see all those cool golf courses -- and actually, I didn't know this, but I heard this was the first time that we're playing at Troon, as well. So you know, it's really cool and I think we're making really good steps while we're playing awesome golf courses.

Q. Is there any update you can give us on your sister? Saw that she withdrew due to injury?

NELLY KORDA: She actually withdrew due to medical reasons unrelated to COVID, but at this time, that's all the details that I have.

Q. I'm just wondering, we're expecting more strong winds tomorrow, as well. How much confidence can you take into tomorrow knowing how well you battled against the elements today?

NELLY KORDA: Yeah, I heard it's supposed to be actually a little worse tomorrow, hoping that it won't be, but you never know, and you know, you just go in every single day with a positive attitude. You know in the back of the head you have to tell yourself that you are going to make mistakes but to just stay positive because that goes a long way.