U.S. WOMEN'S OPEN

July 7, 2023

Lydia Ko

Pebble Beach Golf Links

Quick Quotes

Q. Talk about your round a little bit; just walk me through it.

LYDIA KO: Yeah. It was a lot better than yesterday, but yesterday honestly, apart from one hole, I played really solid. I made two bogeys yesterday, and apart from being 5-over on No. 5 -- it's coincidental that it's 5-over on No. 5. Apart from that I think I played really solid.

Yesterday was kind of a day where I didn't do that many wrongs, but you don't make up-and-down on a few approach shots and then a few loose shots here and there and not able to convert a few birdies. I think that was kind of the difference.

But today I was able to make a lot of crucial birdies. Turning the back nine which was my front nine, knowing that it is a tougher nine, and both those par-5s on the back nine are difficult, it's like three good shots to give yourself a birdie opportunity.

You know that the back nine after that you can have a little bit of a breather, and making birdie on the first hole was definitely a good momentum shifter, especially knowing that you can reach the green in two on No. 2.

I think just played a little bit better, but that's weird. That's golf. I feel like that's what's been happening the last few weeks is not a lot wrong, but it's just a few shot swing, and you realize, oh, that's like four or five shots different to the day before, so I'm just trying to make it a little tidier.

I know the good is good, so just making sure that the bad is not too bad and keep it in play, and I'm excited to be able to play the weekend here. It's such a beautiful place, an iconic location for us to have the U.S. Women's Open. I would have been pretty gutted to have not been able to play on the weekend.

Q. How would you say the course is playing maybe yesterday compared to today?

LYDIA KO: I think today is a little windier. Even in the morning it was a little windier. But I was watching the featured group yesterday morning, and then it seemed like it was a lot more grayer like with the overcast. That just makes it a lot cooler to be out.

I think temperature-wise we got lucky where it wasn't super cold in the morning and you're trying to have your hand warmers and keep yourself warm. But today I think just it is a little windier, so some holes are playing very differently.

But I think around this golf course the wind is a factor, but it's also the combination between the wind and the pin position because if the wind is strong but you can play it to your advantage and that helps you stop the ball, then hey, that's not a bad thing.

But then some holes it just makes it double the work.

Q. In terms of strategy over the weekend, anything changing between yesterday and today?

LYDIA KO: I don't think so. Nothing really changing. I feel like we have a pretty solid course management, like what holes to be a little more aggressive on and where to hit a 3- or 5-wood off the tee.

Even the ninth hole yesterday I hit my driver and it went to the bottom, whereas 3-wood today went to that same position.

I think the course is only going to get firmer and faster, especially if it stays dry. That's typical USGA trick; Monday to Sunday there's a pretty big contrast. I think just stick to my game plan, and if I'm out of position, take my medicine because if I made bogey or double on 5 yesterday, that's already a two-, three-shot swing.

I think just knowing where I am and I think being smart, and I think that plays obviously good golf but is also smart and has a smart strategy throughout the golf course is going to do pretty well out there at the end of the week.