MIZUHO AMERICAS OPEN

June 1, 2023

Lydia Ko

Liberty National Golf Club

Quick Quotes

Q. Okay, here with Lydia Ko after her first round at the Mizuho Americas Open. Take us through your first round today at Liberty National. Tricky course in some places. Can you just tell us how the course played for you?

LYDIA KO: Yeah, when I saw the weather forecast today it said it was only going to be 8 mile an hour max, and I was out there and I was like, whoa, I don't know if I wasn't aware of the wind's strength the day before, but it's pretty -- it's a lot windier than I would think for a typical 8 mile an hour wind.

But, yeah, I think it was playing tough on some holes just because there was a lot of crosswinds. At the same time, some holes are playing are a lot down so you could take advantage of that.

But doesn't matter what golf course, when it's windy and there is bunkers where your drive normally goes to, I think you have to play smart.

I think I did that pretty well today.

Q. Liberty National is an iconic course. How cool is it we get the opportunity this week to play on a course like this and Baltusrol coming up, Pebble?

LYDIA KO: Yeah, I feel like we're soon going to be New York or New Jersey people. Even though I'm not playing ShopRite, we have four events in New Jersey.

Yeah, but, yeah, I think it's nice, convenient that players can drive from here to the next event. This week I feel like is a little bit of an experience. Obviously this tournament has had a lot of the different championships here before.

Outside of that, just staying in New York, ferrying over, you know, it's not like your typical week. I don't think people should like -- people are outside looking in, oh, this is their lifestyle all the time. That's not true.

But with Mizuho and the tournament organizers and Michelle hosting this event with the AJGA girls here, I think it's not your usual event, and I think it's such a cool week for us. Hopefully I'll be able to play some good golf on top the fun time I'm having.

Q. And that's my last question. How do you play good golf on this course? You mentioned being smart. What does that look like specifically? Is that with your irons? What's that best part of the game that helped today?

LYDIA KO: I think smart off the tee. Sometimes it's not driver off the tee. I think I hit a bunch of 3-wood, especially on my front nine, which was the back nine, just so that it's not going to the most narrowest part, but then also hitting driver just to be able to attack some pins.

I think it's just balancing it out and knowing, okay, is this really an attackable hole or is this like a birdie hole.

I think being smart in that sense is really important.

Fastscripts by ASAP Sports...