CME GROUP TOUR CHAMPIONSHIP

November 20, 2021

Nelly Korda

Tiburon Golf Club

Quick Quotes

Q. How would you describe the round overall?

NELLY KORDA: Windy. Long. No, it was a good round. It was kind of up and down. I made a birdie and then I instantly bogeyed or got myself into trouble, and then kind of that situation on the par-3 too kind of scared me a little.

Overall kind of (wind interference.)

Q. How do you stay focused and patient with all the challenges, battling the wind like that?

NELLY KORDA: I think everyone is going through it, so I just try to keep my head in it as long as possible and just take it shot at a time.

Q. First two days you, not too happy with the putting. How would you assess the putting today overall?

NELLY KORDA: Skeptical. Definitely going to go hit the putting green after.

I haven't really been too pleased with putting. (Wind interference.)

Q. Joined by Nelly Korda after a third round 67 at the CME Group Tour Championship. You positioned yourself right at the top of the leaderboard. Again.

NELLY KORDA: Sound a little annoyed saying that.

Q. No. I'm happy. What's it feel like to have fought through the wind and battled and put yourself in this position with one round to go?

NELLY KORDA: Yeah, it feels good. That eagle on 17 definitely helped. I think that was kind of -- I felt like I was struggling a little all day not kind of converting any putts and kind of not hitting it too great, but that eagle definitely helped.

Q. The par-3, 12 where you pulled it over here, can you walk us through what all happened there?

NELLY KORDA: Well, I've been there every single year the past three years in a row. It's like I don't know what it is. It's like a mental block with that pin. I'm like, okay, just place me in the pine straw on the left.

Yeah, I mean, I was kind of over and I was like looking at where I wanted to land my chip shot and I looked down and I saw that I hit -- kind of like moved the ball a little, and then it went back into its place.

But I didn't want to take any chances, so I called a rules official right away. If I was going to get addressed a penalty then I was going to get addressed a penalty.

They looked at the video footage and it went back into its spot, so I didn't.

Q. Was there any distraction from that? Did you still hit the shot you wanted?

NELLY KORDA: I mean, maybe a little distracted. I was kind of like making sure my club was hovering behind the ball after so I didn't do it again.

But, yeah, I mean, when you kind of go through something like that -- and Mitch came up and he was like, Well, if it didn't move back you get a stroke penalty. One stroke penalty is a big difference out here. That moves you a good bit down the leaderboard. I was definitely a little stressed.

When they looked at the video footage they said it went back to the original place, which that's what I saw it did, but I'm not the one that makes the call. They are.

Q. Could you walk us through 17 too. Looked like 17 was the longest tee shot of the day.

NELLY KORDA: Yeah, I really -- I struck my driver really well and then I just had -- I had like 145 over the bunker and I hit like a little controlled 9-iron. It was so downwind and I hit it perfectly.

Q. Just curious, not to harbor on the 9-iron -- by the way 14 was a pretty good shot, too. Full 3-wood with the wind?

NELLY KORDA: Yeah, full 3-wood. Actually yesterday I leaked it out to the right into the hazard, so I was a little skeptical about that one.

Q. Why did you do it again?

NELLY KORDA: I just had a yardage I could not not go for it. Like I had to go for it.

Q. And then tomorrow, which is setting up really kind of exciting, you Jin Young are both up there and it's really packed at the top and there is a million five on the line and all that stuff. Do you care about that stuff, or is that for other people to get excited about?

NELLY KORDA: Yeah, it's for other people. I'm just out there going to do my job, taking a shot at a time, and see where it takes me. That's all you can do.

Q. Do you ever feel any bigness at a tournament, whether it was Atlanta, whether it was the Olympics, just moment stuff? Do you play through all of it as if it were the same tournament?

NELLY KORDA: Yeah, I try to. That's the attitude I put into it. Obviously there is weeks that are easier than other, but that's the attitude I try to take into every week.

Q. Does it work?

NELLY KORDA: I mean, it's been working so far, so I'm going to keep doing it.

Q. You mentioned being pretty tired at the start of the week.

NELLY KORDA: Yeah.

Q. How would you rate your energy level with one round to go?

NELLY KORDA: Good enough to give to a good chance hopefully. (Laughter.)

My energy level ares are good. I made sure to sleep and not to take it too hard at the start of the week so I would be ready going into Sunday.

Q. Were you aware of what Jin Young was doing since she was in front of you and you could see everything in terms of that birdie run?

NELLY KORDA: I did see some bombs drop, but, I mean, that's normal for Jin Young.

Q. I wanted to ask about the chip in on 5.

NELLY KORDA: Yeah.

Q. Was that maybe I can make this or was that just hit a good one?

NELLY KORDA: That was more of like just hit a good one because I just hit that tee shot a little poor.