HILTON GRAND VACATIONS TOURNAMENT OF CHAMPIONS

January 22, 2022

Nelly Korda

Lake Nona Golf & Country Club

Quick Quotes

Q. Here with Nelly Korda after round of 3-under, 13-under overall. I have to ask, when they gave you the heavy jacket did you think you'd be busting it out in Orlando?

NELLY KORDA: No. And it's not that heavy. It's actually pretty light, so good for my caddie. It was like stored deep down in my golf bag.

Q. Overall a really good day. Unfortunately my scorecard is not jumping up here. You had a great day out here on the course, but survived some really iffy conditions out there.

NELLY KORDA: Yeah.

Q. Tell us how you feel you played today.

NELLY KORDA: Yeah, I think I played pretty solid. You know, I could have made some more putts, but in all I'm really happy with how my round went.

The conditions were really tough. I mean, it was cold, rainy, and got a little windy, so in all I'm very happy with 3-under.

Q. What's the mental challenge of that? One minute it's raining, next minute it's dry, you got to pull the jacket out. It started off not that bad. A little more mentally challenging to you?

NELLY KORDA: Yeah, felt like I was at British.

Q. Yeah.

NELLY KORDA: Yeah. No, I mean, I always say like everyone is doing it, so just try to stay in it and take it a shot at a time. I've always been that kind of boring take on it, but just take it a shot at a time, see where it is, try to do something with it, give myself an opportunity and go from there.

Q. Got your scorecard here. Four birdies on the card, one bogey. Any of those birdies particularly good for you today?

NELLY KORDA: All of them were great.

Q. Oh?

NELLY KORDA: Yeah. I'm just going to say all of them are great in these conditions.

Q. Love it. You'll always take it. You'll take a lead into Sunday. Curious, along your career path how much more of a comfort level do you have in this position?

NELLY KORDA: Yeah, I've always said like the more experience you get the I guess more comfortable you'll be. I don't think anyone is ever really comfortable sleeping on a lead in a sense, but I'm just going to see how I can grow from this opportunity, try to take my best golf into tomorrow, and see how it goes.

I mean, there is still 18 more holes left; you don't know what the conditions are going to be like. The leaderboard is stacked and the girls are playing well. Whatever happens, happens tomorrow. I try not to think about it too much.

It's the start of the year. I'm going to play the next three in Florida, take six weeks off, and start the year up again.

Q. And going to this first tee today, were you inspired by another pairing with Annika?

NELLY KORDA: Yeah, it was fun. She still has so much game. Think she shot 1- or 2-under on the back nine. She's not hitting it as far off the tee, but, gosh, her woods and her iron game into the greens is so good.

Like on 18, that was an amazing shot. So she still has a lot of game. It was cool to see.

Q. When you have to play a shot in that jacket, how much do you have to account for the extra layer and all of that?

NELLY KORDA: Actually, I swing really freely with this. It's a medium so I feel very loose. Actually I put on the jacket I had before and that was kind of restricting, but this one, honestly, I could swing freely in this.

It feels great.

Q. On Sundays when you're in the lead, do you look at the leaderboard at all coming down the stretch or not so much?

NELLY KORDA: I look at the leaderboard because of Jess. I like to see where and how she's doing. Other than that, like not typically. I try to not look at it and get ahead of myself.

But I do look at it to see where Jess is.