THE LPGA DRIVE ON CHAMPIONSHIP

January 25, 2024

Lydia Ko

Bradenton Country Club

Quick Quotes

Q. Joined now by Lydia Ko after her first round here at the LPGA Drive On Championship. No fives on the scorecard. Just talk about the round. Maybe how this golf course suited you and what went into this round today?

LYDIA KO: I played really solid, especially in the first half of our round today. The wind was really strong, and I had actually seen the forecast yesterday that normally the wind you would think would pick up throughout the day, and it was actually going to die down towards our back nine, so in ways I think we got pretty lucky.

Last couple days it has been really windy, and I think the wind plays a huge factor around here. Some of the holes, you know, it might normally be a straightforward hole, but because of the wind it makes it a lot more difficult.

I played solid, and I honestly think my chip-in somewhere mid-round, mid-front nine, was definitely a good momentum for me because that could have easily turned into a double.

Q. Absolutely. Compared to last week, we kind of watched you do very, very well on the course at Lake Nona and now here. What is it about your game that's firing on all cylinders?

LYDIA KO: Yeah, definitely nice to be able to win the first event of the year, especially because you don't have anything really to reference your round off or your game.

Grant Thornton was only five weeks ago, but that's a completely different format, and so wasn't like I was coming in with a ton of like really good momentum.

But just trying to feed off what was going well last week, and overall I thought I played really solid. Just kind of working on the same things. I did a 45-minute lesson with my coach on Monday just making sure that, hey, last week was great, but I'm focusing on what's ahead and trying to play the best golf I can this week.

Q. What is it about hard golf courses that brings out the best in your game? I feel like you always play well when the conditions are a little trickier, the greens are a little slopey.

LYDIA KO: I'm not sure. If there was an answer I would probably put that into play every week. Sometimes you get into a good rhythm of things, and this golf course I think can really get out of hand quick. Pars are really good, especially on some pin positions.

I think the rules official was good in the sense of making sure that the undulation on the green or the wind wasn't going to be like putt-putt out there. I think the greens and the wind is a big factor.

You're trying to play the best golf you can, and sometimes you have to take your medicine if you put yourself out of position.

Q. Obviously hit some really good golf shots. How key was the flat stick today?

LYDIA KO: It was good. I thought I putted really solid last week. The greens are very different. I think by the weekend last week it was really quick, but honestly, that speed around these kind of greens, I think the course would be completely unplayable.

You just have to adjust to the speed and the conditions of what the golf course is like. Even though the greens may be a little slower than last week, it is still rolling pure. I feel like if I put a good stroke on it, then I've got a decent chance of holing it as long as I have a good read.

Q. What is it about getting off to a hot start, winning an event that maybe -- I don't know how to say this -- mentally propels you to go win the next one? Is there a confidence shift that you want to go get the next one?

LYDIA KO: Yeah, you are obviously coming in with good momentum, and it's nice that we're going from Florida to Florida. It's not like we're in Florida and then we're having to go to Houston or anything like that.

So it's nice that we can play a couple weeks and it's a drive for me, because I live in Orlando. Just makes the start of the season stress free especially because we have the Asia Swing coming up.

In ways because you've had such a high of a week you are like energy-wise maybe a little bit more drained, but I tried to take Monday off and not play so that I can see the golf course on Tuesday and make sure that I'm fresh by today.

But I think it is always good to kind of keep playing, but at the same time trying to find the balance of not doing too much as well.

Q. What's the mindset heading into the morning?

LYDIA KO: I think it's meant to be not as windy as like the peak of the wind like we had the start of our round.

I think you have to take advantage of that. I think the wind, even though it's somewhere from the south, can make the golf course play very different.

Hit like a gap wedge into No. 2 on the practice day and today 8-iron, so could be like multiple club differences. But just playing smart. Just kind of do hopefully a little bit or a lot like I did today, and just keep giving myself opportunities.