THE AMUNDI EVIAN CHAMPIONSHIP

July 22, 2021

Lydia Ko

Evian Resort Golf Club

Quick Quotes

Q. Let's start with the birdies today, 5, 9, 12 and 15. Did any one of those in particular help get the round going for you?

LYDIA KO: 5 was definitely a good comeback after a bogey on 4, and to be honest, my bogey on 4 was probably a really, really good bogey. I hit it way right, and thanks to Jerry Foltz, we found the ball, and I put it back in play and then made a really good bogey. That one I kind of got away with.

Then I hit a really poor shot on No. 1 for my tee shot, and I smoked my 3-wood to like 15 feet, so it was more like I think I got excited with shots like that where it could have really set me back, but I was able to hit good recovery shots to kind of get the momentum going.

Q. Is that something you've learned from playing here for so many years?

LYDIA KO: I was honestly like, I think my driver went 100 yards off the tee on the first, and I hadn't done that before. I've hit it in some wild spots around here and I've also hit some really good ones, but if you just lucky you just have to be thankful and kind of play those shots.

Yeah, I think you just have to be smart. At the end of the day it is a major championship, so it's not going to be super easy. Sometimes a bogey is -- if that's the worst thing that's going to happen, it's not really the worst-case scenario. Just being smart, but at the same time when you've got the green light, be aggressive with it.

Q. As a past champion of this event and having not played here last year obviously with the pandemic, when you stepped foot on-site, did it make it that much more sweeter to come back to Evian?

LYDIA KO: Yeah, it's definitely nice to come back here. The weather is beautiful. In '19 I only got to play two rounds in the summer, so I haven't played a lot during this time of year, but just overlooking the water with the lake, the scenery here is so beautiful. To kind of miss it, this is probably a photographer and player's paradise, so just trying to enjoy it and hopefully play some good golf on top of that.

Q. When you step away from a course for a year like Evian and then you come back, is there a little bit of refreshing the mind of how the course plays, and has the course -- is it playing a little different than what you remember it?

LYDIA KO: To be honest, I'm hitting it like 20 yards further than I did in 2019, so a lot of my lines and sometimes club selection is different to what I've had in other years.

Even for me last week, where a bunker wasn't in play, it is in play, or where it was and now it's now. I think I'm almost trying to take it as a whole new golf course, and just being smart, and if I don't feel comfortable, sometimes 3-wood is not a bad option, as well, off the tee.

Yeah, I think I'm just trying to be strategic and talk a lot with Derek and make sure that we both have conviction before I hit.

Q. From your past experiences when you can start 3-under in a major championship, how good does that set you up for the next three days?

LYDIA KO: Yeah, definitely a positive way to start this week. I would say today was a little scrappy. I think it could have been better. Leading up to this event, like even last part, apart from a couple shots I hit the ball really well, and I think that's kind of what you need to have around here. I just make sure when I'm out there I'm trusting my game and playing with conviction, and I'm just sticking to the game plan and kind of go from there.