COGNIZANT FOUNDERS CUP

May 10, 2024

Nelly Korda

Upper Montclair Country Club

Quick Quotes

Q. Here with Nelly Korda after her second round at the Cognizant Founders Cup.

Just talk about powering through. Bogey-free in some pretty tough conditions. What went into the round today?

NELLY KORDA: Yeah, hit 17 out of 18 greens so that definitely helps. I tried going 18 for 18 but came up just short on 17.

I just hit it really well. Hit it really well off the tee, too, which is crucial out here because the thick rough and wet conditions can get pretty brutal.

Overall, pretty pleased with my game.

Q. How do you make yourself comfortable when things are uncomfortable like the conditions today?

NELLY KORDA: Yeah, you kind of just have to say to yourself that everyone is going through these conditions and that you just got to battle through it.

Everyone is in the same boat, and you just kind of have to rise above it mentally and then enjoy the time that you have out there.

Q. For you, I mean, that front nine was just spectacular. Looks like birdie, birdie start.

NELLY KORDA: Yep.

Q. To do that again when it's wet, windy, cold, how much success does that set you up for later in the round when you can get off to that hot of a start?

NELLY KORDA: Yeah, sometimes birdieing the first hole is actually bad. You're like, is it downhill from here?

I was very pleased to hit that fairway on the first hole. Then I hit a really good approach shot in.

And then with my length and hitting the fairway on No. 2, I had a wood into that green so I just two-putted that.

Everything is just about staying very in the moment, staying very present in these kind of conditions, especially on this golf course. Seeing -- I'm on the opposite wave of Rose who played really, really well today, played really solid today, and Madelene going off same wave as me but playing really well.

Sometimes you get too ahead of yourself and maybe start pressing too much and making mistakes. Did a really good job staying present and in my own little bubble. Jess says it could be like a drinking game now how many times I say it.

But, yeah, I just did a good job at that, not trying to press too much and see where I could get my opportunities.

Q. This golf course is so narrow off the tee. Usually a player with your length you would say, let's take advantage of it.

NELLY KORDA: Not today.

Q. How much of a premium are you putting on just putting the ball in the fairway so you're not having to hit out of that wet rough?

NELLY KORDA: Yeah, honestly I don't think it matters how long or short you are. If you're a little bit of a shorter hitter and in the fairway versus a longer hitter in the rough, the person in the fairway is going to have an advantage out here just because it's just so thick with the rain that they have gotten.

So, yeah, it's definitely -- it's very crucial to be straight off the tee, because that will lead you to a better opportunity hitting it closer to the pin.

Q. You pretty much started when Rose was finishing at 9. Were you aware that she was that close to you at that point?

NELLY KORDA: Oh, like she was on the 9th hole? No, I didn't know what her score was at because once I kind of start my warmup I don't check the scoreboard, leaderboard, and it's not on the range, so I don't check it.

No, I just kind of was at 3-under. I mean, even if she shot how many she shot under, I had to stick to my game plan and try to execute that, because compared to -- I feel like the morning yesterday doesn't score as low as the afternoon did yesterday.

I just knew that the conditions were going to be tough and I just needed to focus in on what's right in front of me.

Q. When you look back on this round, I mean, I think on 9 and 11 you had putts that were long but right there.

NELLY KORDA: Yeah.

Q. Are you sitting there going, this could have been a really good round?

NELLY KORDA: Well, I would still say it was a really good round in the conditions.

But, yeah, I mean, gosh, I putted really well today. Even when I didn't hit it close my putts just scared the hole.

Overall very pleased with how I played today and hopefully I can take that into the next 36 holes.