SHOPRITE LPGA CLASSIC PRESENTED BY ACER

October 2, 2021

Jin Young Ko

Seaview, A Dolce Hotel

Quick Quotes

JIN YOUNG KO: I had a lot of good opportunity for birdies and I did a lot of miss shot, but I made it really good putts today, so I didn't make bogey today, so it's very happy, and I can't wait to play for tomorrow.

Q. What is working in your game to not have any bogeys on the card in a round?

JIN YOUNG KO: To be honest, putting. Like my putting still good since Portland.

Q. You have went on a run last fall and won the CME Group Tour Championship. What is it about it time of year that suits your game?

JIN YOUNG KO: Yeah, pretty good, like better than earlier of the year. I changed my swing coach, so my swinging or putting, everything is getting better right now.

So I really want to play CME, like last year. Hopefully to win.

Q. And who's your new swing coach? When did that happen?

JIN YOUNG KO: Same coach as last year.

Q. Oh, okay. You did it last year. I see. Okay. There was a stretch today where I think you had five birdies in six holes. What got you going there or what worked well during that stretch basically?

JIN YOUNG KO: Well, yeah, I would say like I was into the -- like my game was like perfectly on the front nine, but I was thinking, Okay, I want to get more birdies on back nine.

But I little nervous when I was thinking about that, but I had pretty good round today. I didn't know that I got five birdies in six holes. Really?

Putting was good. Yeah, putting, swinging, everything was good.

Q. And you've been in this position a lot in your career, leading the tournament, top of the leaderboard heading into the final round. What kind of mentality or mindset going into the round? Do you play the final round any differently than the first two rounds?

JIN YOUNG KO: Well, like depends on where is the position. Like if I'm going into the final round like rank No. 1, it's going to be more like -- I will do more aggressive play. This course is a little shorter so we can get a lot of birdies.

So, yeah. I will do. I will do aggressive play tomorrow.

Q. Is there something you like about this course or what about this course suits your game? Obviously you're playing very well.

JIN YOUNG KO: Well, this course is like links course and I love the links course to play. I miss to play British Open this year. This course is just like links course.

Q. You didn't know that you had had five birdies in six holes. How did you get in a mindset where you just don't know that you're doing that?

JIN YOUNG KO: I don't know. I was little tired because I played early morning today, so I was a little sleeping on the course. I was thinking, Okay, I can do. I really want to go to like bed, so hurry. (Indiscernible).

Q. Is there anything that you read, listen to give you such a win-or-nothing-else mentality? Anything outside the golf course that you take from?

JIN YOUNG KO: I have a lot of friends so I'm talking with my friends all the time, like FaceTime or voice call, something. Positive thoughts.

Q. They give you positive thoughts. Do they spur you on to win?

JIN YOUNG KO: Some friends.

Q. Some do?

JIN YOUNG KO: Yeah.

Q. Do you feel any pressure from them or want to make them happy?

JIN YOUNG KO: Yeah, they wants to make me happy because they know my job as professional golfer is really hard traveling in the world. They know, so they really want to like a lot of the joke to me and I really like that.

So, yeah.

Q. And have you always had that mentality, like you and I have talked about this last week? When you were little did you always had that mentality?

JIN YOUNG KO: I don't think so. Just like my father was -- my father is strong -- my father has strong mentally so he wants to me be like more stronger and stronger.

So I will try to, but it's tough.

Q. Because your father's name?

JIN YOUNG KO: Secret.

Q. Secret guy? That's fair.