THE LPGA DRIVE ON CHAMPIONSHIP

January 27, 2024

Lydia Ko

Bradenton Country Club

Quick Quotes

Q. All right, I'm here with Lydia Ko after her third round at the LPGA Drive On Championship, third round 69. Walk us through your round and the quick start you got off to today as well?

LYDIA KO: Yeah, I birdied 2 and 3. Those weren't easy birdies, but I just hit really good shots in there. It was a little bit I think stress-free at the start of the round.

But the wind was really strong and I think the back nine plays a little harder than the front anyway, so I knew that trying to shoot as low of a score as I can making the turn was probably going to take a little bit of weight off my shoulders.

Today was much windier than yesterday and holes played completely different. Overall I played really solid. In good position going into tomorrow.

Q. I know obviously went really well in the first round. Is it almost more gratifying to kind of grind out a score like you did today in the challenging conditions?

LYDIA KO: I think so. I feel like it could have been 3-, 4-under par, but at the same time, there could have been a couple bogeys around the turn as well. So you kind of take some and give some.

But you just have to play really solid and on a day like today, especially even if it's downwind you have to be really sharp with your numbers and the greens have shown all week that you need to be in the right section of the areas.

You don't have to hit a really bad shot to be completely out of position. You do have to have your A game and for most parts I didn't put myself in too many awkward positions and I think that's key on a day like today.

Q. Brooke Henderson said it best, if Lydia is back we all better watch out. Back-to-back weeks in contention on Sunday. How much are you looking forward to tomorrow and how fun is this for you to have another chance to win tomorrow?

LYDIA KO: Yeah, it's been a lot of fun. I think playing really well on this first day was kind of like, oh, last week wasn't a fluke, you know. It's not just a one-week thing.

So to be able to back up a win with a good round I think was really helpful. Yesterday I don't think I had my best, even though my score was only one-shot difference from today. I felt like I played a lot better today which is obviously a good position to be in.

Sometimes your scores aren't a true reflection of how you are playing. Few putts here or a couple bounces. But to be able to play solid after my first win in over a year was definitely I think a sense of relief.

You know, I think I was more motivated by that.

Q. I know you said it's going to be last week it'll be impossible to keep the Hall of Fame out of your mind. One of many thoughts in your read. What do you anticipate tomorrow will feel like? Do you think it'll be major like?

LYDIA KO: To be honest, I was telling Tom that I almost feel more comfortable being a point away than two points away.

I think the two is like you're there but you're kind of not there. It's like two wins and you're like, man, it's hard enough just winning one. Or a major and especially because I haven't really been in contention in majors in a really long time.

So it's just I feel a lot more comfortable and that might be just because I won last week as well. So to kind of know that I can win again, I think that might be the sense of like, hey, if I keep working on the right things I'm going to be able to put myself in contention.

And then, at one point, that opportunity is going to come. So, yeah, I don't know if that's because it's the third day thing and tomorrow there is still one more round to go. But there is still so much golf in my position right now and I'm the one chasing so I'm going to try and shoot the best score I can and see where at that leaves me.

Q. Is your husband here?

LYDIA KO: No. He's in Hawai'i playing golf, yeah. Actually.

Q. Oh, nice.

LYDIA KO: Yeah. We have separate lives.

Q. Are you going there next?

LYDIA KO: No, I am not. He's there on a boy's trip.

Q. Good for him.

LYDIA KO: Yeah.

Q. Lastly, we have several rookies in the field. What would be the best piece of advice you would give them from where you are in your career?

LYDIA KO: I played with Minji today. She probably didn't shoot the score that she would've liked, but I thought her game was really impressive.

The rookies here don't really feel like maybe when I was a rookie. Might be because I was 16, turning 17 at that time. That was a long time ago when I think back. They don't play like they don't have much experience. Obviously more time you play on tour you just kind of build that up.

It's been super impressive to see. I think one of the Korean LPGA players, I said, hey, don't try and play every single event. If you play six, seven weeks it's pretty hard to sustain your energy levels and concentration.

So I said, just like try and like listen to your body and manage your schedule really well, which is I think something that you get to learned to better over time.