THE LPGA DRIVE ON CHAMPIONSHIP

January 28, 2024

Lydia Ko

Bradenton Country Club

Quick Quotes

Q. All right, here with Lydia Ko after the LPGA Drive On Championship. Just what are your takeaways from this week, especially having back to back weeks of good play?

LYDIA KO: Yeah, going into last week who would've known that I would come first the first week and then to be in a playoff to be able to win again.

You know, I played really well this week. I think my second day was probably the most iffy. Other than that, just kind of shows that you can never give up until the very end. When I made the bogey on 16 I thought I was way back and then I saw the leaderboard and I was like tied with the lead.

So I kind of didn't have a good idea of what the group behind me was doing. To be able to eagle the 17th to set myself up for an opportunity to be in the lead, I think that was probably the highlight of the week.

Q. I know you've been in a ton of playoffs. Where does that one rank in recent years, even over your career?

LYDIA KO: I've been in a few playoffs. I think my last one was maybe the one with Nelly at Pelican. She won there as well.

But I played solid. You know, obviously sucks to miss a three-footer on the last and get it out of my hands. I think that was kind of the goal, the whole goal today. Like whatever happened I want to be able to finish the job in my control.

I missed that putt but I actually made a really good stroke and I just misjudged the speed on the first one. And then on the second one I just under-read it.

Other than that, I can't really complain when I've hit four decent shots. Just wasn't my time to be and Nelly made a really good up and down on the last. Just wasn't my win.

Q. Give us the specifics on 17. How far were you on that?

LYDIA KO: 218 to the pin and then it was like 190 something maybe to the front.

I actually put in a 3-hybrid this week. Normally I carry a 5-wood. After I hit that shot and it was that close I told Paul, hey, even if it's just this one shot, this 3-wood was worth going in the -- 3-hybrid was worth going in the bag.

I miss-hit it a little bit. Hit it solid enough that it carried the water and ended up being a tap-in.

Q. Tell us your upcoming schedule.

LYDIA KO: My next one will be Singapore and then China. I wasn't in Thailand up until my I guess win from last week, so I already had some like other things succeeded for the week of Thailand.

Unfortunately not playing that week. I'm actually trying to play the most I can at the start of the season and kind of take it easy a little bit more around the Olympics.

Q. You playing Aramco?

LYDIA KO: No, I'm not playing that one this year.

Q. So will you be at Nona that time practicing?

LYDIA KO: Yeah, I'm driving to Lake Nona right now, and then I'll be there and I know some of the players are there so we already have dinner plans for Tuesday.

So, yeah, it will be nice to have some down time. I've got four weeks off until Singapore, so just get plenty of rest but also do some work because I felt like the two weeks before leading up to Hilton was a little short.

So I'm excited to keep working on my game and hopefully more opportunities come.

Q. One more question: The next time you find yourself in contention, do you think it will be easier to close the deal on the Hall of Fame now that you've been through this?

LYDIA KO: To be honest, obviously I three-putted the second playoff hole, but other than that I don't feel like I lost the tournament. You know, I made a great eagle on 17, great par on 18, and then Nelly just went eagle as well and then birdied the last.

So it's kind of like what can you do? We played our hearts out until the very end and we put ourself into the playoff. You know, I tried my best out there. I don't know, like I think every situation a very different. I think I was a lot calmer last week than I thought I was going to be. I was a lot calmer I think today than I thought I was going to be.

So it's just I think depends on the situation. Always nice to be able to come down the last with a few-shot lead or cushion. It's always nice. It's not a game about just me. There are 143 other players playing.

All I can do is play the best golf I can and keep giving myself opportunities and hopefully it will happen.