GAINBRIDGE LPGA AT BOCA RIO

January 28, 2022

Lydia Ko

Boca Rio Golf Club

Quick Quotes

Q. Pleasure following you again today. Obviously got off to a really fast round yesterday; followed up with quite a good one today. Explain how much more difficult it was playing today than yesterday.

LYDIA KO: I think the temperature was kind of a big thing. Par-5s that played pretty short yesterday, it played like a completely different hole. Yesterday I hit driver 3-wood and a little flick wedge into 10, and today it was like a low driver, 3-wood, and like an 8-iron.

So it just shows how much the weather and the conditions can make the golf course play so differently.

But, no, it was a little bit more of a grind. I don't think I was as sharp as yesterday.

Overall to finish 2-under and birdieing the 17th was good.

Q. No question about it. What's been the difference, the little something-something that you found this week?

LYDIA KO: Last week was a bit of a struggle on the greens, and considering I play out at Lake Nona, you would think I would read it a lot better.

But, no, I actually brought out a new putter this week. It's called The Catch, so I was like, Oh, this putter is a catch. Kind of seeing something new sometimes I feel like it brings a little bit of a different energy.

To kind of have putted well yesterday I thought it was a good to debut for the putter. At the end of the day all I can do is put a good roll on it. If it goes in, great; if not, you're onto the next.

(In progress.)

LYDIA KO: More of a grind than yesterday. I don't think I played as solid as compared to yesterday. I don't think I could have played much more -- much better than the first round.

When you get off to a hot start I think you do put a little bit of pressure. Even though you're a couple under par you don't feel like it was as good because you keep comparing. But I tried to not do that and be committed over each shot and play the best golf I can today.

Just with it being a little windier and chillier -- is chillier even a word -- windier and being chilly, I think it did make the golf course a little longer.

So having some longer irons into the green definitely makes it a lot harder, where yesterday I felt like I hit a lot of mid-irons.

Q. Speaking of the clubs in the bag, you were talking to Golf Channel there for a little bit about some the new ones, a new putter that you've called The Catch I believe?

LYDIA KO: Yeah, it's like spelled K-e-t-s-c-h or something, but it somehow is pronounced catch. So I was talking to the rep, Scott, and saying this putter is a catch with a fire emoji. But definitely rolled it really well yesterday and putted fairly well.

Holed a bomb today, and I think that was going miles by if it didn't catch the hole. So, yeah, I'm just -- there is a few new clubs, few clubs that I played with for a while, so in ways I'm getting adjusted to it, but I just got to make sure that I'm committed and I feel confident with the setup.

So just making sure that I'm doing the best job I can and just being focused out there.

Q. We always hear that it's hard to follow up a great round. Why is that?

LYDIA KO: I think like me, I birdied the first and the second and the third and I played two holes and I'm like, Man, I didn't play it that differently but I'm two shots behind yesterday.

I do think you start comparing it hole by hole a little bit. At the end of the day the golf course is completely different. This morning was very different. One was very easily a reachable hole yesterday, and I hit driver -- two good shots that ended up just short of the green.

So, no, I think the temperature plays a huge factor because the course is not running out a lot. So with it being cold, it just makes the golf course longer. This isn't on the short side anyway, but, no, I just tried to stay focused.

I think after a few holes I got over the fact of what happened yesterday, and then I'm just trying to play the best golf I can and give myself a lot of opportunities.

When you're giving yourself good opportunities at birdies, you feel like at some point some will fall.

Q. How important was it to gain strokes and have a good round today knowing that really, really cold weather is coming tomorrow and over the weekend, you know what I mean?

LYDIA KO: Yeah, I mean, are we in Florida? I'm like a Florida resident and last week was cold and this weekend is going to be cold again. You know it's cold when they've run out of hand warmers at the nearest supermarket.

Everybody is going to play in pretty much similar conditions. It's not like it's going to be extra cold for people that tee off a little bit earlier and not so much in the afternoon. Yes, there is a little bit of a difference, but it's not going to be miles different.

You just have to play with the conditions that you get. Luckily for us I got to practice playing in four, five layers of clothing last week. That will kind of be the go-to goal tomorrow as well.

Q. So wait, you headed to the supermarket last night and were unsuccessful getting hand warmers?

LYDIA KO: Yeah, my mom went to the supermarket and said they ran out of hand warmers. I know our Floridians, we're not used to cold weather, so it probably drops down to like 50 and we're like, Oh, my goodness.

Tomorrow is going to be even colder, so I was able to -- she was able to get her hands on some, so I'm okay for now.

Q. Could you just talk about the birdie putt on 14, I think it was. Looked like it was a pleasant surprise.

LYDIA KO: I mean, I was joking to Lexi that I hit it so hard that the smash factor on that putt was probably higher than my drive. Yeah, you know, I think for most parts these greens aren't as fast, as fast as last week, so I was leaving a few putts short. I was like, Okay, I'm going to get it to the hole, and I definitely got it to the hole in that point.

I definitely got the read wrong because that was not the pace I was looking for. Ended up being a perfect putt, so I'll take it.