THE LPGA DRIVE ON CHAMPIONSHIP

January 24, 2024

Nelly Korda

Bradenton Country Club

Press Conference

THE MODERATOR: All right, joined by Nelly Korda here at the LPGA Drive On Championship. Before we get into being home and all that, how does the game feel after making your first start at TOC last week?

NELLY KORDA: Yeah, feels pretty good. Didn't really have too long of an off-season. Got to play Grant Thornton with Tony, which was really exciting. Followed it up playing with my dad at the PNC, which was super fun to end the year that way.

Had probably three, four weeks, three weeks to decompress and get ready for the new season. Not too much time off, but happy to be home and excited to get this week going.

Q. Just can you talk a little bit about being home, getting to play de facto host. I saw you posted a coffee rec to some of the girls out here. What's it been like being home and how has that affected your routine?

NELLY KORDA: It's definitely weird staying at home and sleeping in my own bed and having a closet full of options for the week and not living out of a suitcase.

But it's been nice. I live 40-ish minutes away so not too close. My parents probably live like 15, so I'll be stopping by their house for dinner probably every single day. A little spoiled.

But it's going to be nice. Going to have a lot of friends and family come out that usually don't maybe if they don't want to drive to Tampa or Naples. It's going to be close, and hopefully get a good home crowd.

Q. What's it like playing a golf course that you're pretty familiar with? Played it a bunch over the years.

NELLY KORDA: Yeah, gosh, I only got to play here maybe a couple times in like juniors and then I played like two or three times for the U.S. Open qualifier. So I know the golf course, but haven't played it a bunch.

I'm usually out at Concession, Sara Bay, and the Ritz. Yeah, being familiar with the golf course always helps. I know that -- I haven't played it since the redo. Came out a couple months ago just after summer when they finished kind of the redo.

So a little different. Definitely took out some trees. I think they did something to the greens as well. Overall, it's nice to play a golf course that you kind of know.

Q. (No mic. Regarding an advantage.)

NELLY KORDA: No, I don't necessarily think so, because, again, I don't come out here that often. It's kind of like going to a tournament where you've played kind of most of your career where you like let's say Lake Nona, I've played out there probably just as much as I've played out here.

Q. When you're playing a tournament like this in your hometown, is there added pressure?

NELLY KORDA: I would say that just you feel more support. Obviously you want to perform well in front of your friends and family, but overall I think you can look at it in a very positive way where you have more support this week and that kind of gets you going a little bit more.

Q. What's the challenge of this golf course after the renovations?

NELLY KORDA: I've only played nine holes. Played yesterday. But the severity of the greens, they've flip flopped the two nines, so 9 is actually -- or 18 is actually 9. Let's say No. 8, the green there, if the wind picks up and the green speeds kind of become a little faster and firmer, the severity of the greens is going to be tough to judge out here.

Q. You mentioned Concession. What does it mean to have an AJGA event named after you held there?

NELLY KORDA: It's going to be so amazing. I'm very excited, honored that I could -- I have a tournament named after me and TaylorMade and I can bring the best of the best to Concession, my home club. Hopefully the girls put on a good show.

I'm wanting to set up the golf course on Monday. We'll see if they let me. Monday is like the finishing day of the event. So I'll see if they let me help in the course setup.

Q. How does that happen? How do you get a tournament named after you? What's the process?

NELLY KORDA: TaylorMade kind of brought the opportunity to me, and there is no way I could ever say no. The AJGA gave me so much in junior golf, and it's a huge honor to be part of that process.

Q. With so many cool events on the calendar this year, obviously Olympic gold medalist, what are you looking forward to most this year with it being an Olympic year, Solheim year, St Andrews? Pick of the litter I guess.

NELLY KORDA: I feel like the years are getting better and better with the course lineups. Last year we played at Pebble. This year we have Solheim, Olympics, and then St Andrews. Just the lineup of events is getting better and better every year, which is always fun to look forward to these events.

But I think what I'm looking forward to most or necessarily more of my goal in mind is just to stay healthy and play a full year. That's kind of what I'm focused on.

Q. What have you worked on in the off-season? Obviously pretty solid year last year; just missing that victory. What did you work on or tweak in the off-season, if anything, to pick up the victory this year?

NELLY KORDA: Gosh, I didn't really have an off-season. Just did kind built from last year and worked on the same stuff coming into this year.

I'm not playing Asia so taking seven weeks off after this week. I'm flying out to see my grandparents on Monday. Jess is going to give birth soon. So going to be a lot of exciting stuff in the next seven weeks. Hopefully I can get into the gym in the next seven weeks and build a base for this year and make sure that my body is healthy for the upcoming here.

Let's say depending on how you play, I mean, can be a very busy summer.

Q. Jason maybe became a father last year. We always jokingly called you Aunty Nelly. Now you're actually going to be an aunt. How excited are you looking forward to this new chapter?

NELLY KORDA: Yeah, entering my auntie era, 2024. I'm very excited. Mostly excited just to see this new chapter and Johnny and Jess' life. I think it's going to be really exciting.

Q. Going back to Bradenton Country Club, I know you mentioned you haven't played it a bunch, but you did have so the success with the U.S. Open women's qualifier out here. How much of that experience can you rely on?

NELLY KORDA: Yeah, it was so long ago. I mean, it was like my first year on tour. That's the last time I actually played this event, or at this golf really competitively.

I'm entering my eighth year on tour so that was eight years ago. That's a long time playing a golf course.

So I'm just going to make a game plan this week. As boring as it sounds, you have to be really simple with golf. Take it one shot at time, see how it goes. Every day the weather is a factor, so take your opportunities where you can. Everyone is going to make mistakes, so minimizing those. Golf is about minimize your mistakes and taking the opportunities where you can.

Q. What do you like about Donald Ross designed courses?

NELLY KORDA: He ranges from so many types of golf courses. Typically I just like the Donald Ross golf courses that have the smaller greens where you have to hit a really good second shot in.

I do play at Sara Bay. I think the golf courses are pretty similar. And, again, I mean, the toughest part about the golf courses are definitely the second shots in and the greens.

So it's not going to play easy, especially if the wind is up. This is kind of like old school bermuda where if you hit it into the rough it's very penalizing where just sinks to the bottom and you don't know how it's going to come out.

So making sure that you're hitting your fairways, greens, and giving yourself opportunities. That's the most important.

Q. What do you remember about your Olympic experience? What really stood out that you're going to take with you the rest of your life I guess?

NELLY KORDA: Yeah, getting to share it with my sister probably. That was the best part about it. It was a weird year. You couldn't have family or friends out there. Didn't really have the fans even though all the volunteers coming down 18 really made to feel like you were playing in front of a lot of fans.

Honestly, that week is such a blur. All these weeks that you win kind of in a sense you blackout, where it just -- you kind of get into your zone and you just groove.

Yeah, and I don't know. I mean, for me the best part and a half week was get to go share it with my sister.

Q. Playing this Olympics?

NELLY KORDA: Depends if I qualify, yeah.

Q. Talk about your rise. I've done stories on you when you were younger and you sister and dad. I know you want to get to No. 1, but talk about what it took to get to where you are in the world and how much work you have put in.

NELLY KORDA: Yeah, every athlete goes through the grind of just practicing, competing, and making sure that you're putting everything you possibly can into your body.

So having not just one but two matters played professional sports really helps, their guidance. I have a lot of trust in them. They're my go-to, and also having two siblings that also do it for a living really helps.

Constantly bouncing ideas off them and constantly trying to improve, as well as not over-complicating things and keeping it simple.

Q. How much contact do you have with your sister? You're so busy.

NELLY KORDA: We talk every day.

Q. Every day?

NELLY KORDA: Yeah, yeah. We all talk every day. Yeah.