U.S. WOMEN'S OPEN

June 5, 2022

Lydia Ko

Pine Needles Lodge and Golf Club

Quick Quotes

Q. 1-under 72; can you talk us through your round today?

LYDIA KO: Yeah, I started off really well, birdieing the first couple on my first three holes. I think overall I played solid, maybe not as sharp as the last couple days, and finishing off three bogeys in the last four holes is probably not the best way to finish.

But other than that, I think in general I played really solid, and there was a lot of good golf, considering where I was hitting into the second day I'm happy with a top 10 finish here at the U.S. Women's Open which I think is only my second time.

So looking forward to more of these positions and putting myself more in contention.

Q. You obviously came up a little bit short, but what are some of your main takeaways moving into the future?

LYDIA KO: Yeah, I think this was probably the least nervous I was playing at the U.S. Women's Open. I was excited to be here. I really liked the golf course. I felt like it was -- the trophy was there for anyone that was in the field. When it's kind of like that, you feel like it's a very level playing field and you know you're trying to play the best golf you can.

In general I played solid. I think there were a few putts that I could have holed, a few loose shots that could have been better, but overall it was solid, so I think a lot of positives to take from this week.

Q. The scores were about two and a half strokes higher today than yesterday and previous rounds. What do you think the difference was today? Was it the greens, the pin placements, or a combination of both?

LYDIA KO: I think the course itself is getting a lot drier, and you can just see it even on the tee boxes. The tint of green is slowly fading away. It's the usual kind of USGA Championship where from Monday to Sunday the course changes drastically.

I think the pins were very close to a lot of the falloffs, which makes it a lot harder, as well.

Q. Can you comment on what Minjee has done this week and the performance she's put on.

LYDIA KO: I think she's played amazing. It's hard even if you have a comfortable lead going into the last day. It's hard because especially at a beginning like this and at the U.S. Women's Open, like anything can happen.

Yeah, for her to be so composed, and she's played amazing this season, coming off a win a couple tournaments ago, as well, so it just shows what kind of world-class player she is.

I'm sure this is not the last time she's in contention in majors and is the one hoisting a trophy, as well.

Q. This is your third top 10 in a major in your last seven major starts. How important is it for you to win that third major championship to feel fully back?

LYDIA KO: Yeah, I think we all try and peak at the majors. You're just trying to play the best golf you can and at the same time not think of it any more differently to any other event.

But to play solid, I think it just shows at what point my game is at, and I know there are things to improve, but there's still a lot of goods from there.