KROGER QUEEN CITY CHAMPIONSHIP PRESENTED BY P&G

September 8, 2023

Lydia Ko

Kenwood Country Club

TV

Q. Lydia, always nice to chat with you. We were talking quite a bit today about your career in general and how amazing it's been and the fact that you're kind of going through a little bit of a mini restoration right now trying to get your game back to where it was where you had a phenomenal year last year. How would you analyze where you are now mentally, physically, and with your game?

LYDIA KO: Yeah, I think last year was kind of like a Cinderella story. You know, off the golf course, getting married to the person I love the most and, you know, winning CME, the last one of the year, it was kind of the cherry on top of the cake.

You know, going into the year obviously every year is a new start, and even if you do have a good year you don't really know what it's going to be like, because that two months, a lot of things can happen between a week and the two months. For sure a lot of things can change.

I think I went into the year with like a lot of self-pressure. You know, you do want to continue to be on a good momentum and play well when you are playing well because I've gone through my own ups and downs, and when things aren't going well, it's not very easy to come back out of that.

I think actually missing the cut at Chevron was a bit of a wakeup call for me. In ways it was good to take a step back and see what I need to work on in my game.

To be honest, I don't feel like I'm far off. I think my short game has not been as good as previous years, and I think that's where the few shots are making a big difference.

I was trying to be too perfect and it's not about being perfect. Like yesterday my round was far from perfect, but you bring things together and keep grinding and it kind of happens.

I think that's what I've got to slowly trust and know that I'm not trying to draw a straight line from point A to B, and point B to C and make a birdie. As much as you want it to be that easy, it's not.

If I said I'm okay with how I've been playing this season I think that would be a lie. It has been frustrating and I think disappointing, not from anybody else but I think internally. You do want to back up a season like last year with another one.

A lot of things have gone through my mind. This is my tenth year on tour and you start thinking like, oh, maybe is it that time. You just don't know. I think a lot of thoughts do go through.

But no matter if I miss the cut like last week or I shoot a 4-under, I think my family has kind of been there to support me, and I think that's been like the biggest thing.

I was actually talking to Stacy Lewis' parents after Saturday's round in Canada. Might have been the worst round I've had in my career and I like was talking to them and I kind of burst into tears because Stacy's mother said, hey, no matter what, like your husband is always going to be there for you, no matter if you shoot a 62 or 72 or 82.

That just that really hit me. I'm very grateful for the people around me, and I don't know how long I'm going to be playing, but while I'm playing, I want to try my 100% and give it all I got.

You know, hoping that things do go my way, but I just got to be patient. The game of golf has given me so many opportunities, and I feel like I've met so many incredible people along the way that it's -- even if I had to stop right now, like I think it's been a blessing.

I just got to accept that, but sometimes it is hard to accept the fact that -- like all the things that have happened so far has been great, but while I'm playing I'm just going to keep going at it.

I think golf has given me gray hairs and maybe like some wrinkles, but at the same it's given me so much joy. Through golf I even met my husband. I think at the end of the day it's a gift and I'm grateful to be able to do this.