LOTTE CHAMPIONSHIP

April 15, 2021

Lydia Ko

Kapolei Golf Club

Quick Quotes

Q. Here with Lydia Ko. Another sensational round here at the LOTTE Championship. How are you feeling after day two?

LYDIA KO: Yeah, today I feel like I gave myself a lot of good opportunities for birdies. Overall, yesterday, between yesterday and today I feel like my game has been pretty solid.

So hopefully stick to my game plan and just keep hitting it confidently and with commitment and see where it takes me for the rest of the two days.

Q. Take us through the second round here as you started off. When did you feel the momentum kick in for you?

LYDIA KO: You know, I started off well birdieing my first two holes, and then I think I just continuously gave myself opportunities. Especially around a golf course like this, the more times you're putting for birdie or having chances to putt for birdie the better.

Because especially when the winds come, I think it's a course where some players can go really low. So feel like I was able to do a pretty good job at that, and nice finishing off with a birdie on the last.

Q. A little bit I want to say past halfway through the your round the winds changed. Did that affect your round and did you have to quickly adjust?

LYDIA KO: It was surprising because No. 3 and 4 were all downwind yesterday, and I think 3 was downwind and then by the time I got 3 green the wind had switched.

So I was like, Well, the good thing is the par-5 7th is going to be downwind, so reachable. I hit a pretty good drive; didn't really do so well for the next four shots after that.

The wind direction is huge because I think it makes those holes play a lot longer or shorter. For the majority of the field I think we're playing the same kind of wind conditions, so just have to play what you get.

Q. It's been two weeks, just about two weeks, since your record-setting final day at the ANA Inspiration. Have you had time to reflect on how well you were going in the final round, and what that is been like transferring that spectacular finish to the LOTTE Championship?

LYDIA KO: Yeah, I think that final round I really took and fed on my momentum throughout the day. When you get off to a good start it sets the pace. Sometimes even if you do make a bogey at on the 1st you feel like, Okay, I got 17 holes to get back into it.

The week off I actually took some time off. I've come to Hawaii quite a few times but never really looked around, so it's been a great opportunity for me to go on a couple hikes, lie on the water, by the beach.

It's just so beautiful out here, and definitely nice to be able to play some good golf on top of that.

Q. What's it been like adjusting to Kapolei Golf Club? What are some of the differences you've seen between Ko Olina and this golf course?

LYDIA KO: Yeah, I really like it here. I know that the golf course and the whole team here had really short notice for us to come here. I was talking to one the superintendants and he said he only had a month to prepare.

Considering that I think the golf course is in really good shape, the greens are rolling pure, so we're grateful that Kapolei allowed us to come and play here.

It's fun and it's nice to mix it up a little bit, especially when we've been on the same course for a while.

Q. Jerry just asked as well, but what have you been talking about with Sean recently that really has continued the finishes that we've seen from you over in 2021?

LYDIA KO: I think Sean has obviously helped a lot in the technical aspect, but he's been super helpful for me for a lot of things that goes on between the ears. He has been there to like slap me out of it if I'm not thinking right or overcomplicating it. He's kept it really simple for me.

I think he's just somebody that like has built up a lot of confidence, and I think at the end of the day the confidence and belief in yourself is the 15th club in the bag and almost the most important club.

I think when that's there you are able to play with a bit more freedom, and he's really helped me with that. We're continuously going to work on the same things. I know some days it's not going to be good, but as long as I know and have a better understanding of my game, I think it just makes it a lot more simple.

Q. Kapolei is definitely a gettable course, as we've seen from you over the past two days. What's it going to take for you on Friday and Saturday as you look to continue going low?

LYDIA KO: Yeah, I think when I checked out the weather forecast and it's going to be pretty similar the next couple days to the first two days. I know the leaders from yesterday have tee'd off or are just going out now, so I don't know where I'm going to stand at the end of the day.

But I think especially around a golf course where there are some low scores you just have to focus on your game and do the best with what you have in front of you. Sometimes when you're trying to chase down birdies and just like compete against everybody else it just makes it more complicated.

For me, just hitting each shot the best I can and give myself good looks for birdies and see what happens after two more days of golf.

Q. Second nine over there, maybe No. 7, I don't think you had a putt outside of eight feet. Just how did you feel with the wedges and short irons?

LYDIA KO: Yeah, I don't think I had that many long shots coming into the greens. Obviously when it's a golf course where you're hitting a few more mid to short irons in makes it a little bit more gettable.

Yeah, I felt like I hit it pretty solid over the last couple days, so it's nice, especially with the wind, to not have as many longer putts. In the wind long game is one thing; also putting can be pretty difficult.

Yeah, I feel like Dave and I did a good job of being smart and also being aggressive at the times when we can go at it.

Q. 9-under today; 24-under your last 54 holes. This isn't even the lowest round of the year. Is this a result of all the hard work you've put in and the confidence coming back?

LYDIA KO: I hope so. Sean has constantly told me to trust my training, and I think I've been able to do that a little bit better. Coming into this week obviously coming off the really, you know, the best round in a really long time, I kind of didn't know what to expect.

Obviously you feel like your game is moving in the right direction but you don't want to kind of slack off. Having a good round under my belt yesterday definitely helped. This is a golf course where especially when the wind is down it's pretty gettable.

I think Dave and I were able to do a pretty good job of that. Hopefully kind of stick to my course management and plan for the rest of the -- not weekend, but the next two days.

Q. Call it the weekend. Just sounds right. Back in the late '90s it's infamous that Tiger, when he was working with Butch finally got it one day. Called Butch one day and he said, Butchy, I got it. Is there a point for you where you've had that feeling and you can call Sean and say, I got it or it just a continuous work in progress?

LYDIA KO: I think we're continuously doing the same things. The great thing between Sean and my relationship is I think he's really built up a lot of confidence for me, and I think at times he's had more confidence in me than I have had in myself. We keep working on the same things and really keep it simple. He said even this morning, Just trust and be committed to my game.

And I think that's kind of the mindset I'm trying to take. Every day is a new day. Some days I do feel like I got it and the next day I feel like I'm doing the same thing and I don't even know what I'm doing anymore.

But that's the hard thing about this game. For me, it's just been a little bit easier just because I know what I'm working on and having a better understanding of my game.