HONDA LPGA THAILAND

February 24, 2023

Nelly Korda

Siam Country Club Pattaya, Old Course

Quick Quotes

Q. Here with Nelly Korda. I know got a little bit slower on the back nine, but pretty good round today, 6-under. Tell me about that little eagle chip-in. That was pretty saucy.

NELLY KORDA: Yeah, I didn't hit my drive very well and I had a kind of 3-wood -- I was in between clubs on my second shot, so I opted with the 3-wood off the downhill slope to kind of chase it back there.

Hit it a little long, and I knew -- I actually practiced that shot during one of the practice rounds, so lucky me. I just landed it. It was a tricky shot. It was undulated green kind of with not much room to work with, a little downhill left-to-righter, and then coming back left and I just landed it perfectly.

It kind of rolled in like a putt.

Q. The front nine was pretty solid. Obviously got off to a really hot start. What had you worked on yesterday that you found something on the front nine?

NELLY KORDA: I think I was just hitting it a little closer. Obviously trying to take advantage of the reachable par-5s as well.

And then I stuck it to like a foot on No. 2, and again another par-5, and then I was just hitting it closer and at the end of the day making putts I just wasn't yesterday.

Q. I didn't see the shot, bit looked like you drove the green on 15.

NELLY KORDA: I did, yeah.

Q. That's always got to feel kind of cool.

NELLY KORDA: Yeah. Actually back at home at Concession, No. 12 out there is a reachable par-4, same thing, so I was trying to envision that shot, because whenever I play out there it's such a cool hole. It's like pretty narrow shot that you have to focus in on the green, and it kind of reminds me of that shot.

Q. Far too early to be talking about winners, but this golf course and this tournament tend to have some friendliness towards the Kordas. What would it mean to capture that victory and match your sister? It's kind of cool to both win the same tournament.

NELLY KORDA: Yeah, it would be great. Still 36 holes away from that; lots of birdies away from that, too.

So hopefully I put myself into position after 36 holes and hopefully I have a good weekend, but any single time that I can put myself into contention and hopefully, you know, battle for the title is super special.

Q. Now that you're in the spot, is it pedal down on the weekend? Figured some things out it looks like and obviously ball striking is there.

NELLY KORDA: Yeah, hopefully. I mean, every day kind of brings on new challenges, so going to the putting green after today and hopefully I can drop some putts tomorrow.