NW ARKANSAS CHAMPIONSHIP

September 23, 2022

Lydia Ko

Pinnacle Country Club

Quick Quotes

Q. All right, here with Lydia Ko. Nice way to start your week here, 4-under 67. Walk me through your day.

LYDIA KO: Yeah, I started off well birdieing two of the first three, and then kind of got into like a par stretch.

But, yeah, overall it was real solid. I don't think I put myself in too many crazy positions. Could have been better, but I don't think it was one of those like stellar days where could have been like super low, but it was just a consistent day out there.

Q. Past champion; you know what it takes to win at Pinnacle. What did you see out there that maybe was familiar or the good vibes that you have at this golf course?

LYDIA KO: Yeah, played with the same pro-am group for at least since like 2015 I think we said. So, no, just obviously coming back and seeing them, they ask me like, Hey, do you want to play with us again in the pro-am? I was like, yes, no-brainer.

Doesn't matter if I'm playing when it's dark or when it's dark on the other side, too, they are always out there watching me play. So I feel like in ways I'm just playing in front of like family, and I think that's probably the most thing I look forward to when I come to play this event really, to see them.

Q. Any of your shots today or any time you walk this golf course, do you remember shots you hit during that win or are you kind of a live it, it's gone, forget it kind of person?

LYDIA KO: Yeah, I think I started off really well the year that I won. Like I think I birdied like 1, 2, like 4 or something.

And, you know, you do try and take advantage of those holes, but some of the holes are playing a little different. Like No. 4 is a lot longer than the tee that it was before.

So like my game is a little different, you know, like hitting it a little longer, so like some of the lines may be different, but, yeah, I think you do still try and draw on the good memories and kind of feed off that. You're trying to be aggressive but smart when it is some of the tougher holes.

Q. Just finally, good start. Any positives you'll take with you going forward?

LYDIA KO: Yeah, I hit the ball pretty solid, so try and maintain that. Keep it simple. You know, try and not make clumsy mistakes.

Those are also hard. You know, looks clumsy when you look back, but it's never really clumsy right in that moment.

But, yeah, just being patient. Obviously this is a three-day event, so just trying to be aggressive, and I think that's what you got to do on these three-day events because you do have one less round to catch up if you're coming from behind.