THE LPGA DRIVE ON CHAMPIONSHIP

January 25, 2024

Nelly Korda

Bradenton Country Club

Quick Quotes

Q. All right, I'm here with Nelly Korda after her first round at the LPGA Drive On Championship; 6-under 65 today. Can you walk us through your round?

NELLY KORDA: Yeah, I actually started with a bogey on the first hole and then made a longer putt and then gave myself some good opportunities.

I actually made two birdies after my first bogey, and then made a tap-in eagle on 8.

Then made a long one on 9.

The majority of my putts came -- birdies came on the front nine today.

Then kind of hit some loose shots on the back nine but still came in 1-under par. Overall pretty happy in pretty tough conditions.

Q. Speak to the conditions. I heard about some wind and greens being slopey out there.

NELLY KORDA: Yeah, the greens are very difficult. Obviously when you have kind of gusty 20-mile-an-hour winds it definitely makes it even a little harder.

So sometimes clubbing up two clubs and trying to hit a punch shot to stay under the wind was key. Everyone is dealing with it, so just got to take it as it goes, try to give yourself as many opportunities as possible.

Q. Last birdie seemed like about 20 feet. How big was that to right the ship a little bit there?

NELLY KORDA: Yeah, I didn't hit my tee shot very good on the past two holes and kind of a little left, so it was nice to -- and I didn't really even hit a great wedge shot in.

I was pin high so knew it was a right-to-lefter. It was nice to get that one on that hole so I could be under par on the back nine.

Q. Obviously you don't want to start off with a bogey, but you kind of were gelling right after that. What sort of got into you going forward after that bogey?

NELLY KORDA: Yeah, I mean, honestly, I didn't even hit -- I hit just a loose tee shot on the first hole, and then didn't hit a bad putt. She were just really slow.

That took me back a little. And then I had probably a six-footer left to right and wasn't -- I hit it good. It lipped out.

Overall, I didn't try to focus on that too much and tried to focus on the opportunities I was going to have at hand and capitalize in the next hole and the hole after that to get myself 1-under through three.

Q. The tap-in eagle, talk me through the approach shot.

NELLY KORDA: Yeah, I hit my driver really well on this hole. Gosh, I think I had 257 into the pin and hit my 3-wood really good. It was helping off the left. Played it nicely off the slope to a tap-in.

Q. The fan support, I mean, a lot of people out here; your parents were out here.

NELLY KORDA: Uh-huh.

Q. Did you feed off that?

NELLY KORDA: Yeah, I love every single time I get to play in Florida. I feel like people come out and support.

But it's better to play literally in your hometown, so definitely felt a lot of the support and it was great.

Q. And obviously it's early in the tournament but when you have another player in your group playing well do you feed off each other. I know you don't want to get in a match play situation but...

NELLY KORDA: I think we all had a lot of fun. Meg hit some good shots into the greens today, too. Overall we had a lot of fun. Super nice when you have an easygoing group like that.

You felt like the tension is not as built up and you're just out there having fun playing golf.

Q. I know you said yesterday you haven't played this course a bunch, especially after the redo. What do you think after getting an 18 hole competitive round in? Seemed like you liked it a lot.

NELLY KORDA: Yeah, I'm almost in the mindset of I'm going for 18 more playing in the U.S. Open qualifier, quick lump and going out again.

Yeah, it reminds me a lot of the golf course Sara Bay as well, so another Donald Ross. I like Donald Ross that have smaller greens and you have to hit really good second shots in.

You know, can't complain about today so I like it had.

Q. I know you said you played Sara Bay a lot more than -- as far as the courses you play when you are home. They are different courses but green complexes, are they similar?

NELLY KORDA: Yeah, so it's Donald Ross.

Q. Because it's a Ross course?

NELLY KORDA: Yeah, I played Sara Bay just before I left for Orlando. I usually go there before I go to tournaments. And typically out at Concession. Yeah, the green complexes are pretty similar.

Q. Because you played this course so much or enough, is there a section of that course that you think could be a deciding factor for somebody on Sunday, something they really have to be careful, a section of holes?

NELLY KORDA: I haven't played this golf course -- this week is the first -- like I played it a couple months ago, but competitively I haven't played out here since 2016, so that's been a long time.

I know they redid a few things. I would say staying below the hole and not hitting it over the green and getting into the swales on tough pins. Just knowing where to miss.

Every day the pins are different so every day you have to figure out where is your out, right?