HUGEL AIR PREMIA LA OPEN

April 23, 2021

Jessica Korda

Wilshire Country Club

Quick Quotes

Q. ...you had today the hot start and what you battled.

JESSICA KORDA: It was a tough. Once we hit that mark of no movement for about 20 minutes, it was just really, really slow and it was hard for he to gain my momentum back.

I was still hitting really good shots. I just didn't have any opportunities. I was kind of always above the hole, and trying to nestle something down close to the hole is tough when you're trying to make birdies.

They were playing both so well. The shots that both of them were hitting, especially the front nine I was like, oh, my God. Just trying to stick to my own game and still be conservative and know that birdie opportunities will come eventually.

Q. What is the game plan? What's the trick to playing well here? You made it look really easy for the first two rounds and the first three holes today.

JESSICA KORDA: Honestly, it's just hitting it in the right spots. Pins were definitely tougher today than they have been the last two days, more tucked, so it was hard to be aggressive on a lot of them.

So I was just trying to play smart and caught a flier out of the fairway, which I didn't think was possible, on 9, and kind of took me a couple holes to get back into a groove.

The wind started to switch a little bit as well. So I think there was just a lot of stuff that was happening on the golf course that you probably can't see, but we were just hanging in there, waiting for an opportunity.

Once I had a putt that I could make, we were kind of ready to do to practice. There weren't too many today.

Q. When you won Diamond Resorts Tournament of Champions you said to me before the trophy presentation that you didn't expect to be there that soon, that quickly into the winner's circle. Now you have a chance to be the first person to do it twice so far this year. Does it surprise you at all, or is your game to a point where you expect to be had this position?

JESSICA KORDA: I'm just trying to be patient. You know, it's tough. It's tough to win out here. Still have 18 holes left and I just want to give myself an opportunity to win.

I think if I give myself an opportunity I'm in a really good position. If I can do that week in, week out, I'm just consistent.

Q. Going up against world No. 1 Jin Young Ko in the final round, pretty much head-to-head, with Brooke in the group with you. Thoughts on her game and how you match up?

JESSICA KORDA: They played incredible golf today. At one point through 15 she only made three pars. I told her caddie that but I wasn't going to tell her that. I told her in scoring. She made some incredible putts today, hit some fantastic shots. I don't even know how many birdies she made but there were a lot on her scorecard.

So I knew that she was going to come out and play great. That's what she does being world No. 1. You wouldn't expect anything less. I was just trying to play my own game, and that's exactly what I'm going to try to do tomorrow.

Q. Expect the same out of her tomorrow?

JESSICA KORDA: Sure.

Q. Jess, a 3-under 68 on day three of the Hugel Air Premia LA Open. The course seemed to fight back not only for you, but for everyone out there today. Scoring a little bit more of a premium than the first couple days. How challenging was it out there and how did you try to harness that aggression to score today?

JESSICA KORDA: It was tough definitely, hard to get really close, and then when you were close I felt like I was always on the wrong side of the hole, but there was nowhere else to go.

Last thing you want is to be aggressive on these downhillers, especially on poana greens. So I was just patient and kind of kept telling each other today, you know, patience is going to be key, and same thing for tomorrow.

Q. You played with No. 1, Jin Young Ko. Of her fans watching the broadcast I'm sure it was a fun battle. Take us into the competition, what was it was like on the course.

JESSICA KORDA: Honestly, you're just kind of minding your own business. Both her and Sei Young were hitting so many great shots, especially on the front nine. Made some long putts, too, like the clutch putt on 18.

But she played some great golf today and made a ton of birdies. Like I said, at one point she only had three pars on the scorecard through 15 holes, so that was just insane.

So, yeah, it really cool to watch. A little frustrated that I wasn't making that many birdies, but I was really realistic of the fact that I just wasn't in good enough positions and I just couldn't get close into the right position.

A lot of it is being on the right side of the hole.

Q. You made three straight birdies to open the round, 1, 2, 3; did you at all maybe when a couple of those bogeys crept in look back and say, Hey, I know what I need to do to get back into form?

JESSICA KORDA: I just needed an opportunity to be aggressive on, whether it was a drive or a putt. The wind started to switch, especially out on the back nine. Kind of starting a little bit on 9 and it caught us by surprise, so it was just trying to settle back in and give myself opportunities.