DIAMOND RESORTS TOURNAMENT OF CHAMPIONS

January 23, 2021

Jessica Korda

Tranquilo Golf Course

Quick Quotes

Q. Anything interesting happen today?

JESSICA KORDA: No. Nothing. (Laughter.) It was really fun. I can't believe my only par on the back nine was a par-5. Oh, well.

Q. Thank you for taking the time with us. What a great round today. How do you feel after the third round with such a great finish?

JESSICA KORDA: I mean, it was awesome. I started off really strong today and then mellowed out a little bit. Was trying to get to some tougher pins; just playing it really safe.

Just on the back nine I don't know what happened. I just turned it up. I had a lot of great looks and we were just really relaxed all day.

Q. What was going through your mind holes 3 through 9?

JESSICA KORDA: Like I said, I was just trying to hit the green. I made a really good up and down on 8 for par. And I was just trying to play kind of safe. It was bad weather. We weren't sure how far the clubs were flying because all of a sudden the air was a bit heavier.

So we were just kind of trying to gauge where we were and take opportunities where we could. Opportunities came on the back nine.

Q. Of all the amazing holes you had today, I think that was nine birdies and even one eagle, what would you say is the most memorable hole, and what happened on that hole?

JESSICA KORDA: Everything. Honestly, I need to look back at it. It was really incredible. I hit some really good shots. I didn't have too many long putts. So definitely ball striking obviously helped.

Tricky reads, so I brought my caddie, Kyle, in on a couple of them. Then it kind of became routine.

But, yeah, no, great day. Great group. Just very relaxed.

Q. Did you ever start doing the math out there?

JESSICA KORDA: No. Once I made eagle on 17 I looked at my scorecard and I was like, Ooo, okay. (Laughter.)

And 18 is so tough, so I didn't know what that was going to look like. I kept the music on today because I heard just about everything yesterday and so I was like, No, we're going to pump this up a little bit.

Q. Bret and Larry were doing the math, and they said at some point we got to start getting out of the way and being quiet. Did you notice?

JESSICA KORDA: Yeah, they were walking so far behind me. I was like, Hey, guys. Larry started picking up. He's like, No,, no, no you're good. You make this putt, and I did, and I was like, You like that?

And I didn't process what exactly was happening until, like I said, when I made that putt on 17. I was like, Oh, okay. That's nice.

Q. Was there a shot or birdie early on the back nine that kind of flipped the switch, and can you take us through the last two holes?

JESSICA KORDA: Not really. Honestly, I just played solid. I was trying to play to the fatter part of the green. Trying to play kind of stress-free golf. That's kind of what I was sticking to. Not really trying to pay attention. I saw Danielle was like 19-under and I was like, Wow, this is incredible. That's really low.

So I was just trying to play my own game and not pay attention to a whole lot other than the next shot.

Q. What did you hit in on the last two?

JESSICA KORDA: 4-iron in on 17 and then I hit a little 6-iron into 18.

Q. And the distances on those, the putts?

JESSICA KORDA: Oh, putts?

Q. Yeah.

JESSICA KORDA: I think I had like 18 feet on 17 and I had 9 feet on 18. Ish.

Q. So in a departure from the normal groupings they're going to have the top three LPGA players playing together tomorrow, which means we'll get the sisters together.

JESSICA KORDA: You guys finally get your wish.

Q. Are you excited about that?

JESSICA KORDA: Yeah, it's awesome. I obviously love playing with the celebs because they keep it really loose and they're so much fun and I love getting to know them as well.

What an opportunity this is to get out of our golf bubble in a sense and reach out and mingle with people that love to play golf. Just a great experience.

So we'll see tomorrow. Be back to the three of us tomorrow. (Laughter.)

Q. Back to normal.

JESSICA KORDA: I didn't know that.

Q. Do you remember the first time that you went out and played with your sister, how old you guys were, who won?

JESSICA KORDA: I mean, I was winning up until she came out on tour. Ultimately.

You know, the five-year gap, it's pretty noticeable in golf, especially in distance and how to plot your way around a golf course. She has a great caddie in Jason and they've meshed so well, so he's definitely helped her in that.

Her herself getting comfortable out here. We've been playing golf together for a very long time. Up until basically I turned professional, and then I would play with her as much as I could when I was home. We played almost every day when we were kids.

Q. You said she never beat you until she came out here?

JESSICA KORDA: Not like on a golf course, not really, no. First time she beat me I think was in Bahamas -- not first round, but I think it was that first week I think on the third day, because I know she eagled coming in. She played the back nine on the first day.

So I was watching her and I was like, This is the day. Get it out early. (Laughter.) We kept tying, and I think on the third day she broke out and I was like, Yes. It's over.

Q. Question I have is just curious, does your family have a group chat? And if so, what's that like during tournaments?

JESSICA KORDA: We do have a family group chat. It's our dad's 53rd birthday today. He was loving it out here. Honestly, today was just about dad. I talked to my brother a little bit yesterday after the round obviously being disappointed with three bogeys coming in. He's such good hype man. I love talking to him always. And my sister and I are right next door to each other, so we talked last night.

Q. Do you see 59 as a barrier we're going to start seeing out here?

JESSICA KORDA: Just depends. Like if you have a day like today where -- today -- days like today don't come often, so you really cherish them when they do. Everything has to come together to have a day like today.

So I'm very grateful that it came. Very excited. I have to play tomorrow. (Laughter.) I'll enjoy it later for sure. But right now, you know, we still have tomorrow left, and just going to keep in good spirits and keep it going.

Q. Understanding that you didn't add things up until 17, but when you're stringing birdies together like that, does it start feeling like, oh, this could be a special round?

JESSICA KORDA: No. I honestly wasn't thinking about it. Like I said, I was just next shot, the next shot, where is the pin. The weather kind of makes you concentrate on the next shot. You don't have a whole lot of time to think about everything else.

It was misting and then a little bit of wind, so we were trying to gauge how far it was going to fly. So there was a lot of kind of thinking behind the scenes before we hit the shot, so I didn't really have a whole lot of the time to process what was happening.

Q. Who is your swing instructor right now?

JESSICA KORDA: (Shrugs shoulders).

Q. Don't know? Don't have one?

JESSICA KORDA: We'll see.

Q. And did Peter and Regina, were they following you or Nelly?

JESSICA KORDA: I don't know. I think my dad was between that and I saw some Malibu buckets. He was enjoying himself today. Good for him. It's his birthday. He's gets to whatever the heck he wants to do.

They were between us though for sure. I saw mom on a couple holes, and you can hear them.