CME GROUP TOUR CHAMPIONSHIP

November 18, 2023

Nelly Korda

Tiburon Golf Club

Flash Interview

Q. All right, here with Nelly Korda after her third round at the CME Group Tour Championship. Start with the big moment of the day, your hole-in-one on No. 8, your first on the LPGA Tour. Take me through it.

NELLY KORDA: Yeah, my first in, gosh, 14 years. I had 148; just hit a controlled 9-iron; wind was off my right. Actually kind of pitched pin high and then spun left.

I haven't seen the video because you're kind of -- the pin is kind of hidden from the angle of the bunker.

But, yeah I'm super psyched. Already had a couple friends send my their Venmo.

Q. I know you said you couldn't see the pin. At what moment did you realize it had gone in and what was your reaction?

NELLY KORDA: Whenever everyone started going crazy. My reaction was Jay coming at me with two high fives saying, finally. I make it a goal every year to make a hole-in-one and for the past 14 years I failed. It's finally nice to get that one.

Q. I know you have a plaque with you; $20,000 now will go to St. Jude as part of their giving challenge throughout the season. How does it feel that your hole-in-one goes to something more out there?

NELLY KORDA: Honestly, you're playing for bigger than yourself usually, and to be able to be a small part in donating such a significant amount to St. Jude feels pretty good.

Q. What did you see out there today that you didn't have the last couple days? I know been solid all week; today was a little bit different.

NELLY KORDA: I mean, the hole-in-one definitely helped. I don't know, I think I was just a little bit more comfortable. I guess a little bit more aggressive. Just few more putts dropped compared to the other few days. A little bit more consistency.

Yesterday I had a good back nine but the front nine I just wasn't hitting it as good. Today other than the two holes where I bogeyed both in a row it was pretty solid.

Q. This golf course is one that you got to play a few times to get all breaks and the lines in the greens. Having had success here in the past, how much do you rely on that when you're chasing down the leaders?

NELLY KORDA: Yeah, the knowledge of the golf course definitely helps. Like on 1 with that pin, if you're just short of it you always think it's going to break left, and today I had that exact same putt and knew it was going to go straight and I made it.

I think just the knowledge of the subtle breaks out here is definitely pretty big. The golf course still surprises me every year, so I always think I have to figured out until I don't.

But being aggressive and just trying to stay away from the double breakers, trying to leave yourself a lot of uphill putts you can being more aggressive with rather than the downhill.

Q. A you look ahead to tomorrow, going to be chasing from a few back.

NELLY KORDA: Yeah.

Q. When you have that course knowledge, feel comfortable out here, does it just make it a lot more easy to attack? And really nothing to lose, and really a win hopefully within reach at some point in the season.

NELLY KORDA: Yeah, definitely nothing-to-lose mentality. I think Nasa, I saw she's like 20; I'm at 14. It's going to take a really low one to catch the leaders.

I would say anything is possible. I'm going to go out trying to play my game and take it one shot at a time and see where that takes me.

Q. The hole-in-one you made 14 years ago was your first?

NELLY KORDA: Yeah.

Q. What do you remember about?

NELLY KORDA: Gosh, it was in Orlando. I was playing a practice round with my dad. I think I hit -- I think it was like -- I don't know what the name of the golf course is now. I hit like a 7-iron and saw it disappear. There was a cart girl coming around the corner and my dad took a shot immediately. I did not, but my dad did to celebrate.

That was my first hole-in-one, and I waited 14 years for the other one. Now I can maybe join him in taking the shot.

Q. That was my next question. Will you have a celebratory shot?

NELLY KORDA: Maybe after the week.