THE AMUNDI EVIAN CHAMPIONSHIP

July 27, 2023

Lydia Ko

Evian Resort Golf Club

Quick Quotes

Q. All right, a bogey-free round for you today. What is it about this course here at Evian that just brings out the best of your game?

LYDIA KO: Yeah, I think sometimes you hit it certain pin positions and you see and you're like, I remember when I hit it to three feet here and made birdie.

I've played this golf course with some of the best ball striking, some of my worst ball striking, and I think because of that, I feel like I've played it in a lot of different spots here.

Like every time I played No. 1 I remember the time I pretty much hit it on the 18th fairway and hit this like -- and that was last year or something -- and I hit this great fade and I hit it on the green and made birdie.

You know, I think the longer you play at a golf course you realize like you make so many different memories, whether it's good or bad, and I think I try and draw on the good memories.

It's just I think a fun little golf course. The golf course itself has changed with some hole changing, like par-5s to par-4s, and par-4s to par-5s, so it's not the same, but I just try and draw back on them.

I feel like the French spectators or whoever that have come out have always been very supportive, so I am trying to play the best golf I can for them and put on a good show.

Q. You talk about just all the experience of it all. You were just talking to Suzann Pettersen and I think I overheard you say, I remember first playing when you won this event in 2013. Just how much has this event affected you?

LYDIA KO: Yeah, I think I only played this once as an amateur, and I was in the final group with her. I remember I hit a chip on the last and I was like two shots behind, but she made a great two-putt and par and won I think by two shots.

But that was the first time I put myself in contention really at a major championship, or at any other LPGA event, so it was just really fun and for me.

Like Suzann was one of the players that I had seen on TV and now she's a European team Solheim Cup captain and a lot of things have happened since those 11 years, but I remember when I saw her win and her getting that champagne shower on the last thinking, I would love to be in her shoes one day.

I feel lucky to call myself a past champion her alongside her.

Q. Three birdies in the last five holes coming in today. You talked about having a new putter in the bag. How much did that help you navigate this course today?

LYDIA KO: Yeah, I think I holed a lot of good par putts, and even on my 17th hole, today on the 8th, I had like a ten-ish-footer for par and I was able to hold that, and hold a couple other ones that were similar to that.

So, you know, like I said earlier, it's just I think sometimes the birdies are obviously important because it takes strokes off your total, but sometimes the par saves are just as important because it keeps the momentum going.

For me I didn't have the greatest start with my long game, so I tried to -- like making those par saves, like I wasn't losing shots even though I wasn't putting myself in good positions.

I knew that if I set out for birdie that's like 1-under, so it feels like a bigger swing than that. So I think these just as important as times and I think sometimes when like birdie putts don't fall, you start losing patience.

I think I was really patient out there and I think that is such a big key at any event, but especially at major championships. It's 72 holes of golf and it requires a lot of patience.

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