THE ANNIKA DRIVEN BY GAINBRIDGE AT PELICAN

November 14, 2024

Nelly Korda

Pelican Golf Club

Quick Quotes

Q. Okay, here with Nelly Korda after her first round at the The ANNIKA driven by Gainbridge at Pelican. I would like to start right here with that chip in on 18, which I know is a daunting hole.

NELLY KORDA: Yeah.

Q. Just tell me about it.

NELLY KORDA: Yeah, I pulled my 8-iron a little bit. Kind of shot through the green and practiced that chip a good bit in the two practice rounds I played on the back nine.

Just rolled in perfectly. Happy not to putt.

Q. It was pretty similar to a chip Caitlin hit there yesterday.

NELLY KORDA: Oh, yeah? I didn't watch that. No.

Q. You weren't there.

NELLY KORDA: Yeah, I played the front nine.

Q. That's right. Fun fact though.

NELLY KORDA: Yeah.

Q. I mean, after kind of what you've been dealing with the last month, how good does it feel to get a 4-under, and a solid one, to end on that note?

NELLY KORDA: Yeah, I mean, whenever I go through these things I'm just kind of grateful to be out here playing. Didn't really know what to expect. Was definitely a little nervous on the first couple holes, just not knowing what to expect of my game because I have not been playing too much.

You know, under pressure it is very different from when you just kind of go out on a cart by yourself and you kind of just play a round. But pretty happy with the way I played. Hit a couple loose shots in the middle of the round, but other than that, I mean, that's something that I can work on.

Q. Obviously this is like your style of golf; made for you. What is it about Pelican that really brings out the best in your game?

NELLY KORDA: Yeah, I've had a good bit of success out here. Kind of reminds me of my home course at Concession. Kind of similar style. Feel very comfortable, and honestly, I love playing in Florida too, on bermuda. It's what I grew up on. Obviously so many different styles of golf courses, but I'm just comfortable on this grass.

Q. What did you see in your game today that you liked a lot?

NELLY KORDA: At the start of the round I hit a lot of really good shots. I don't know what happened in the middle. I don't know if it was just because I'm not used to walking and playing because this is my first -- this is the first time I've walked 18 since Cincinnati.

So may be got a little tired or lost some concentration in the middle of the round. But brought it back, talked to Jason maybe about what he was seeing. It's kind of tough for him to see stuff from the angle he's standing on. Just talked through and tried to dial in for the last couple holes to finish off under par.

Q. Any good saves in that stretch?

NELLY KORDA: Yeah, these greens are slick, so even when you have probably a 20-, 30-footer, you have another 5-footer coming back usually; sometimes downhill.

So I had a couple saves like that where I had to make some longer par putts than I wanted to. Good confidence boosters.

Q. Were you here for the hurricane? Were you in Bradenton?

NELLY KORDA: No, I wasn't. No, I was in California actually with my coach getting ready to go to Asia.

Q. Okay. What were your impressions of the golf course knowing...

NELLY KORDA: Yeah, I saw some footage from what the golf course looked like over a month ago, and I mean, it's in incredible shape for them to bring it to what it is today. I mean, it is a little softer but that's a given with the amount of rain and flooding that they had on this golf course.

The greens are just very, very pure. Props to the whole staff out here for making this golf course ready for us. Not even ready, but in amazing shape.

Q. Have you struggled with migraines at all before the Solheim Cup?

NELLY KORDA: No. That was my first time. Ever. Yeah. I never knew what -- I was lucky enough not to know what a migraine was before then.

Q. How much did that scare you?

NELLY KORDA: I just wasn't sure what was kind of going on. I never thought it could have been an injury. I just thought maybe with everything, all the stress that I went through during the year, that like my body was kind of in overdrive in a sense.

So I was just trying to sleep as much as possible. Yeah, sometimes your body gives you signs, right? It's smart. I need to listen to it a little bit more.

Q. So when is the last time you had one?

NELLY KORDA: Been a while, yeah. The migraine I had at Solheim, I've not had one like that since.

Q. Which day was it?

NELLY KORDA: It was during a practice day. I think Tuesday, photo day. The photo day, yeah.

Q. Nelly, given the depth of talent out here, what's the sense of accomplishment winning Player of the Year and doing it early?

NELLY KORDA: Yeah, I mean, I never would say that like beginning of the year when I put my goals down on a sheet, I don't think I ever put, let's say, Player of the Year or the year-end awards.

For me it's playing well and consistent. I feel like those eventually lead to the awards, so I never put added pressure on myself to win those.

But to see how my team and I work together, the amount of work that we put in, you know, through all the ups and downs, it just feels very, very good to do this with them.

Q. The swimsuit edition...

NELLY KORDA: This one, yeah.

Q. How did that come about? What was that experience like?

NELLY KORDA: It was so cool. About probably two months ago we got the call to do it. I knew that I was just going to be coming back from Asia. That was the original plan.

And MJ Day, the editor, she was so amazing. The whole crew was so amazing. I was very shy at first. I'm not used to doing anything like that; so outside my comfort zone.

I think that's what's great about these opportunities, is that you do get to step outside your comfort zone and do something different. I was just really excited for the opportunity to do this. I mean, it was so cool. The whole crew was amazing. By the end of day I was having so much fun with them.

Q. Is that ever something that crossed your mind in the past?

NELLY KORDA: Not really seriously, no. I've seen that, and like, oh, that would be cool to do one day. To finally kind of get asked to do it was fun. Yeah.

Q. Did you run into Kathy Ireland at all here?

NELLY KORDA: No, I did not, no.

Q. Lots of covers.

NELLY KORDA: Oh, yeah? Okay.