Q. Here with Lydia Ko. Take us through the second day hear at Pelican Golf Club. What was working so well for you out there?
LYDIA KO: For most of the front nine the wind was a little calmer than yesterday, so made a few of the pin positions a bit more approachable.
I don't know if it was something that the rules officials saw after the first day and wanted to make a little softer or it was just that playing in the morning made it a little softer. I think it was playing less firm than yesterday, which made it a touch easier.
But this course, I think it makes a huge difference with it being windy or not. I think that's the really tricky factor. Yesterday I had many birdie opportunities, so to have a few more and to play solid going into the weekend.
Q. I know some people have been saying you kind of have to miss it in the right spots on this course. Would you happen to agree?
LYDIA KO: I think so, especially for the second shots. I think for the tee shot, for most of the holes I think you can get away with it. But for the second shots, some greens your landing area is pretty small. You kind of have to think, okay, if things don't go exactly the way it's planned, what is your best option.
So I think I was able to do that a little bit better, which makes it easier when you are just off the green. But the greens are pretty firm, so missing it in that right spot is probably key.
Hopefully we're hitting it into the right spots as well.
Q. You say the greens were pretty firm. Being able toto record the amount of birdies you did despite the two bogeys on the card today, what was going right for you? Approach shots in or was it more the putter, you were feeling great with those shots?
LYDIA KO: I had a few more birdie opportunities compared to yesterday. Obviously finished strong with a couple birdies coming in my first round, but I was scrambling a lot to make pars. The course, especially with the wind direction, sometimes the hole can play a lot longer or shorter, so you kind of have to play that to your strength.
But, no, holed a few good like 15-footers and made a really good birdie on 2, so I felt like it was kind of like two shots going into that hole.
But, yeah, I just feel like everything kind of came together, and I've been hitting my driver really well. Hopefully continue that and a few more looks for birdies on the weekend.
Q. You had the past three weeks off. We all did as a as tour. I know you were able to play with a couple neighbors as well. I think you were able to hit it up again with Lindy Duncan, as you do. What was that like, to be able to take those three weeks off and still keep a competitive mindset and get in practice reps?
LYDIA KO: I played in Dubai in the middle week in this the Omega Moonlight Classic, so that was really fun. Was able to say officially that my eyesight is not good in the dark. Was very questionable actually where I think if I ever go there again I need some sort of glasses to help me out.
Yeah, I think it made me very thankful that we're playing under sunlight. No, it was nice to have a couple weeks off. I think I started practicing on Tuesday last week after Dubai, and Lindy and I played Tuesday to Sunday like every single day. Sometimes I think couple days we played 27 holes.
So it's nice to have a friend and a competitor that you know we're playing against, and most of the time we play for push-ups, so we were doing a lot push-ups throughout the week.
But I think she really pushes me to hit it further, hit it closer. So it's been really awesome for me to have someone like Lindy to practice alongside.
Q. Do you find yourself playing more in practice than you ever have than range time, for example?
LYDIA KO: Yeah, I think now that my long game I feel like is going in the right direction it's -- sometimes, you know, hitting it great on the range is one thing, but you need to take that to the golf course, whether that's a technical thing that happens on the course or could be a mental thing as well.
So I've been trying to play a little bit more. Just kind of get my swing feels, and then when I'm out there playing, just try and play the golf course. You know, something that my mom and also Sean has said is you're playing golf and you're not like to make something, so sometimes you feel like you got your B Game but you're able to scramble your way through.
So it's not just about having the perfect swing or anything. I think that's kind of got me to think less technical and think more of the course management.
Q. What specifically have you worked on on the greens? What is your key thought there?
LYDIA KO: I think I've been trying to do a little bit more of speed work. I used to just take a couple balls all around the green and just putt and do a lot of short putting. I think especially early in the week I try and do a speed drill just to dial it in. Whether one day I could be putting it too short or too long, so I'm just able to reflect on that and take that to the golf course as well.
I think when I putt the best is when my speed is good. Then I can see my line from there. So I think that just makes it easier on the longer and the shorter putts, so that's what I've been trying to work on.
I had the new putter going into Georgia, and that week was probably the most putts I've holed compared to the whole year, so I feel like that gave me a little bit of confidence. I think with golf, you know, even though it's all there, you just got to have that one thing moving in the right momentum.
Then you just see it going in. You see it going on the fairways. It's a momentum thing for me, and I feel like I'm trending in the right direction for that.
Q. What's the putter?
LYDIA KO: It's called the Thunderbolt, so I'm hoping it just thunder bolts into the hole. Great name from PXG.
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