THE CHEVRON CHAMPIONSHIP

April 18, 2024

Lydia Ko

The Club at Carlton Woods

Quick Quotes

Q. All right, here with Lydia Ko after a solid round to start The Chevron Championship. Just talk a little bit about how your game felt out there today.

LYDIA KO: Yeah, I think there were a little bit of nerves on the first couple holes and drove it on the green in two on the Par-5 13th, setting up a good birdie opportunity there -- well, eagle to birdie, and then made another good birdie on the next hole.

I think that kind of calmed the nerves a little bit and I played solid really after that. Didn't put myself in that many difficult positions. You just have to stay patient. I felt like there were a few putts I wish I could have holed but all in all good start to the day.

Q. You teed off this morning. Talk about the conditions might have changed throughout your round, maybe winds picking up a little bit.

LYDIA KO: Yeah, especially when we were turning it was a little windier than I thought it would be, especially considering we were playing in the morning.

No, picked up and then it lays down, so it's not really a set five-mile-an-hour wind or ten-mile-an-hour wind. In some ways some of the holes play a little bit more easier with the wind and vice versa.

So you just have to play with what you get. We've had some crazy winds the past couple events, so compared to that I feel like this is very calm.

So, you know, I'm very appreciative of this.

Q. And just to pick up what you said there, a little nervous in the first few holes. It's almost humbling to hear that, 20-time winner. I was telling Kay here. How do you combat some nerves and what does it mean that you still get the nerves?

LYDIA KO: I was talking to my mental coach yesterday and saying I don't really feel the nerves yet. I'm not nervous yet. But she said if I do feel nervous when tournament day comes and I'm on the first tee, she said just embrace it and take it as if, you know what, this still means a lot to me and I still want to perform at the highest level.

So I think that was good advice going into today. I think it doesn't matter what event we're playing or what circumstances, when you're younger you want to get away from the nerves. To some extent as long as you can control it the nerves are good for you and you're able to excel and get the adrenaline to hit some shots that you may not be able to execute when you're just practicing.

Q. How old were you when you first started playing golf?

LYDIA KO: I was five years old. I'm 26 right now, so that's a long time ago. How old are you?

Q. I'm eight?

LYDIA KO: Eight, so, yeah, almost like half your age. That's when I started.

Q. What got you into playing golf?

LYDIA KO: My aunt actually was a golfaholic. She was a professor, full-time professor, but loved to play golf in her time off. I got to start I guess golf because of her.

I hit a shot with one of her old clubs and apparently I made contact, so she cut down a couple of her old clubs for me. That's how it started; here I am now.

Q. What tips would you give to junior golfers like me?

LYDIA KO: I would say enjoy the moment. There is going to be some frustrating days and there are going to be days where it really couldn't have gone any better.

I think all those moments make you a stronger person, a stronger golfer. Just take in that roller coaster ride and enjoy it.

Q. Have you ever had a hole-in-one before?

LYDIA KO: I have had actually two hole-in-ones before. Once at the Rio Olympics, which of my first one ever. Definitely a very cool spot to make one.

And then one at the U.S. Women's Open. That day nothing was going for me and I made a hole-in-one on the signature hole there, so that was definitely the highlight of the week.

Q. How old were you when you got your first one?

LYDIA KO: In 2016 I was 19, yeah.