HSBC WOMEN'S WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP

February 28, 2025

Lydia Ko

Sentosa Golf Club

Quick Quotes

Q. Solid round. Just talk about the birdies and what stood out to you out there.

LYDIA KO: Yeah, I actually thought I made really solid yesterday. It was kind of -- the conditions and everything made it a lot more difficult to score. The wind was a little bit calmer today. I think you needed to, I guess, take advantage of those kind of situations. But yeah, you know, not a lot went wrong, and I just kept giving myself a lot of good looks. I think the real key to me for playing well is hitting a lot of greens, and I was able to do that a lot better today versus yesterday. I think that was probably like the biggest difference in the score.

Q. Everywhere you play, I think you have a lot of fans following you around, and you take the time to interact with them. Can you just share what it means to have all these fans supporting you?

LYDIA KO: Obviously I'm very grateful. Especially some of the people that I've seen here. There's a girl that comes with a sign every year, and her mom is pulling her in a cart all the way around the golf course. People have shirts with a picture of me; even I don't want to own a shirt with a picture of me. For them to support me, whether it's here in Singapore or wherever we play, obviously we are very grateful.

I think COVID was kind of the time where we realized how big of a significance the spectators are. Seeing the crowds get really excited and go on the emotional roller coaster with us is part of the game and the thrill. As players, we are obviously very grateful to have their support.

Q. Can you just talk us through the back-to-back birdies at 12 and 13?

LYDIA KO: Yes, I hit a really good shot into 12, and it was less than three feet. It's always nice to have a stress-free birdie. 13 played a little bit shorter today with the tee box being moved forward. But it was a little into the wind, so I personally couldn't reach the green. So I had a really good pitch shot to another similar distance.

Yeah, it's hard. Putting is not easy around here I think. So trying to get myself as close to the ball, obviously, is going to increase my probability of making it. I think I did that fairly well today. So hopefully I can continue that these next couple days.

Q. What do you think it's going to take for someone to win on Sunday?

LYDIA KO: Probably a past champion would know a better answer than me in that sense. But I think you do have to putt well around here. Some pins are pretty difficult to get to. So having good distance control is good, but yeah, I think the fairways are a lot narrower than when we first played the Tanjong Course. I think the top and bottom clubs are going to be the crucial ones.

But we've had ultra long hitters, and I guess a short hitter, both win this championship. So I don't think it's a course that fits one type of player. I like that when it kind of brings a lot more of the field into the final day.

Q. So the leaderboard is very tight. Do you look at the leaderboard or something else to know your position?

LYDIA KO: I mean, I obviously look at the leaderboard when it's right in front of me but I'm not the person to really look for it intentionally. But there's plenty out there. So you definitely can see where you're at. I'm just trying to focus on me and just take good quality shots and see where that puts me. You know, all I can do is do a good job for myself and see where that puts me with all of the players.

Q. Do you use a driver for the second shot --

LYDIA KO: Yes, on 13, it was around 230 to the front, and even if I hit a really solid 3-wood, I knew it was going to be short. I kind of duffed the driver off the deck to be honest, but I knew that regardless of me hitting a 3-wood and being short was going to be the same as if I kind of miss-hit a driver. So that's why I hit a driver off the deck, and I do that quite often.

So it wasn't really like a rare shot for me.

Q. Can you explain a little bit your approach shot?

LYDIA KO: Yeah, I had like 30 yards to the pin. The pin was at the front. So I knew that I need to spin it pretty quickly, and I caught it really well. But when it's that kind of distance, obviously there's a chance for it to run out more than if you're hitting a fuller wedge shot. But I hit it perfectly and it checked short right of the hole, and it was probably the best outcome I could have asked for outside of holing it. It was good to carry on that momentum from birdieing the 12th.

Q. 71 yesterday and then you bounced back with that round of 67 today. What was the difference today?

LYDIA KO: Actually very marginal differences. I played very solid yesterday but didn't hit as many greens, which obviously leads to a lot of grinding out there.

But I hit my irons a lot better, and I feel like my game has been trending in the right direction. To see a few putts drop here and there, yeah, it was good.

I don't think I typically play really well on this golf course and I thought this year would be a good year to kind of turn that around. The scores haven't really been that low these past couple days. I'm just trying to focus on me and hopefully just keep climbing up the leaderboard.

Q. Last year, you won the Gold Medal, you got into the Hall of Fame, and I know you have more goals, but how much are you enjoying life now?

LYDIA KO: I'm definitely having more fun, and in ways, I feel like I'm in a position where I can go for things and try new things and obviously not veer of what was good from last year. But I think it is a little bit of a different mindset.

But yeah, I still have goals, and while I'm still playing, I want to play the best golf I can and contend as much as I can. There's no better feeling than being the person that's hoisting the trophy at the end of Sunday.

A lot of personal goals, but I think I'm going out there with maybe a little bit more freedom and I think a clear, I guess, result of that was in Bradenton. I was 6-over through seven and that was probably the worst start I've ever had but I was able to turn it around really quick because I tried something on the golf course and that feel has been good and it's helped me since now.

Yeah, it's definitely a very thankful position to be in.