THE MODERATOR: Here with Nelly Korda, our defending champion of the Pelican Women's Championship. I want to ask about last year first. Take us back a little bit through your final round there and the playoff.
I know you only played one playoff hole. Just the anticipation of playing against three other really good players that you played in.
NELLY KORDA: Yeah, last year, I haven't been back here until yesterday, and it was a definitely a very interesting finish. I think I tripled 17 and then I birdied 18 to get into the playoff, and then I birdied my first hole in the playoff.
So, yeah, didn't make it very easy for myself. Definitely lost a couple years off my life with the stress that I caused. Other than that, amazing memories coming back here. Hopefully I can make some really good ones this year.
THE MODERATOR: Yeah, getting yourself into a playoff and seeing you're playing Lexi, Lydia, and Sei Young, what were the nerves like for that?
NELLY KORDA: Well, I was still kind of getting over my nerves from 17, tripling that, so anything that I kind of did on 18 and the first playoff hole to me was a bonus just because of kind of my huge blowout on 17 that day.
THE MODERATOR: It was a really good finish to that year for you. You had a really great year. On to this year, I know battling an injury at first, but still being really successful out here. Can you recap the year for us before this penultimate event?
NELLY KORDA: I would recap it in it was a rollercoaster. Yeah, there was definitely a lot of ups, a lot of downs. I played some solid golf since coming back, but I've also overdone it and also played some poor golf.
So definitely a learning year, more about myself, more about my body. I would say every year I'm very grateful for every year, grateful to be out here. It was definitely a little scary at the start. But overall, I've played some really good golf. I'm proud of that.
THE MODERATOR: Speaking of this year and getting ready for this tournament, what's the prep been like? I know you had a couple weeks off since you didn't travel to Asia. Just what the prep has been like over those weeks, and hopefully you've been taking some rest time.
NELLY KORDA: Yeah, I missed my cuts in Arkansas and I missed a cut in Dallas. In all honesty I probably shouldn't have played that because I was on the road for such a long time throughout Europe.
But the time off was really nice. I did play a tournament in between that in New York, so it was good to not have all five weeks off and to get the competitiveness out of me a little.
But, yes, the rest definitely was very appreciated. My body really needed that.
THE MODERATOR: As you prepare for like a big event like CME, how does playing in this tournament help you prepare for that with the $2 million prize on the line?
NELLY KORDA: Yeah, I think whenever you kind of get to play on similar grass in similar weather I think it helps a lot. I'm a Florida girl. I kind of grew up on these golf courses so I really like it, but for girls that don't necessarily play on bermuda and grain, I think it's a good tournament to play before going into our Tour Championship that is played on very similar style golf course.
Q. You talk about a bit of a rollercoaster year. Was it difficult to build rhythm this season?
NELLY KORDA: For sure, yeah. I think I missed so much of the year that I kind of wanted to make it all up in a sense. As I said, I'm learning constantly, learning about my body, and that's a great thing about golf, is that it humbles you and once you think you kind of got the hang of it, it kind of makes to come back down to reality.
So, yeah, it was definitely hard to kind of get a rhythm this year. When I was playing well, it was great, but when I was playing bad, I could definitely tell that not playing at the start of the year, not doing anything throughout my injury, played a role.
Q. Yeah. And I was going to ask you about the challenge of the 18th hole, especially when the tee is back. When you look at...
NELLY KORDA: At this course?
Q. At this course.
NELLY KORDA: Okay, yeah.
Q. When you look at your birdie-birdie finish after the triple at 17, is that as good an answer as you've ever had to adversity on a golf course?
NELLY KORDA: For sure, yeah. Especially I was very angry coming down 18 the first time after the triple. But to come back and birdie it twice after, definitely showed that I never back down and never give up.
Q. With the tee back, what clubs are you hitting in?
NELLY KORDA: Well, a little different. Last year it was a little firmer. This year it's a little bit more moist. So this year I've had like a 6- or 5-iron in, and last year I was past the bunker on the left and I had like a 7-iron in to that back pin.
Q. You mentioned setbacks. Have there been any other physical setbacks throughout the course of the year or just the...
NELLY KORDA: It was just like the physical part. It was just the injury their dealt with. And then I kind of just mentally fatigued myself, which a lot of the people go through that. Every athlete goes through that.
Q. Now that we are close to the end of the year and you've had a chance to look back, one of the best adages in sports is nobody ever comes back too late. You can only come back too soon.
NELLY KORDA: Yep.
Q. Do you think that you may have said, you know, I could have maybe taken it another two, three weeks?
NELLY KORDA: No. I think I came back at the time that I needed to, or that was acceptable. My body has been great all year. I've been very fortunate for that, knock on wood.
The only thing that I may have made a mistake in is then trying to catch up and just being on the road too much and not taking a breather and stepping back and being fresh.
Q. This is more of a fun question. I remember last year, I believe at this tournament, we were talking about where you keep your trophies, and one of your off-season projects was to build up your office and have a nice place for them. So what does that look like now?
NELLY KORDA: Yeah, I wish I did it. I unfortunately didn't get to do that. Maybe in my new place. I'm in the process of building a house, so that's -- that place is gonna be a little better.
Q. How active have you been in doing all the selection for building the house?
NELLY KORDA: Oh, my gosh it's so stressful. I hate it. I literally hate it. I have an interior designer and she helps me a lot. I'm like, this is all you. Like I can't look through this many pieces of furniture. Like I just can't do that.
Q. I was going to say, do you have another example, a good story of like golfers, you also hate picking out different things?
NELLY KORDA: Oh, yeah. Honestly, it's awful. I hate it. It just causes me a big headache. I learned some words like roof trusses that I would've never if I didn't have to build a house.
But it's been a very interesting time to build houses. It's kind of fun. Kind of takes my mind off golf too when I'm home. I'm just going meetings too.
Q. Fun might be reserved for after it's done and you get to enjoy it.
NELLY KORDA: Correct, yeah.
Q. We are going to see you in Naples a couple times.
NELLY KORDA: Yes.
Q. The sponsor, the logo on your collar there because of the tournament coming up, PGA TOUR. How excited are you for once again representing the women in a tournament like that?
NELLY KORDA: Yeah, I think it's a super exciting time. Lexi and I are playing in that event. I'm going to be playing that event kind of like back to back with our Tour Championship, and playing the QBE Shootout, it's a great way showcase women's golf, to put our names out there, get more eyes on us. I'm happy to be a smart part of it, and very excited about the opportunity. I think it'll be is fun week.
Q. Where are you building?
NELLY KORDA: It's a secret.
Q. I don't want to know exactly. In the general area.
NELLY KORDA: I'm just building where I grew up.
Q. In Bradenton?
NELLY KORDA: Correct, yeah. I don't need people knocking on my door.
Q. Are you shocked by the price of lumber?
NELLY KORDA: Well, I was warned, so I was definitely -- I was warned. Yeah, so I kind of knew going into it.
Q. How does it feel coming back as defending champ with this event being it's kind of a unique for a third-year event and so much buzz around it this year? What are the biggest changes that you've notice from last year in this year?
NELLY KORDA: I haven't really noticed any changes from last year to this year. Obviously it's super nice to come back to a golf course that you have so many good memories at. This is only my second time defending at the golf course I won at. This year was my first time defending at Meijer and I won that there the previous year.
So hopefully I can make some good memories this year. Other than that, I don't think much has changed other than I think we're expecting some bad weather.
Q. I was going to ask that next. How do you feel about -- you're obviously eager to get out and defend the championship, and then to have that kind of uncertainty with the weather, how does that affect you in your preparation?
NELLY KORDA: It's the same for everyone. Mother Nature, you never know. See what happens. Hoping we're going to get an update soon on what the plan is. Right now, just prepping and my mindset is starting on Thursday.
We'll see.
Q. So I'm just curious, talking about Jamie Mulligan around this time last year, how has he most influenced your game so far over the course of the last year, and is there anything specific you've been working on in the run-up to this event?
NELLY KORDA: Nothing really specific. I think what Jamie has kind of taught me the most is my demeanor and staying calm, which for a lot of people they think when they see me on the golf course maybe I don't struggle with. They don't know the emotions that I have internally.
He's definitely a very, very thoughtful and amazing coach and I've had so much fun spending a year with him. But he'll be out at in Naples next week and we'll get some work in for the TOUR Championship too. We keep everything really simple, and that's what I really like about Jamie.
I've always kind of made sure that my golf game is simple and not overly complicated and, I like to play it that way.
Q. And just a quick follow-up. What part of your game are you most satisfied with right now?
NELLY KORDA: I would like to say all of it so it treats me well. (Smiling.)
I think in ever department I can always improve and get better, but I'm pretty satisfied with the way my game is trending right now.
THE MODERATOR: Last question here. As you prepare for a start one of these days, hopefully tomorrow, I know you just came off a practice pro-am and practice round, tell me what the course is looking like, what the challenges you see out there are, conditions, whatnot.
NELLY KORDA: Yeah, so I played around I think 10:30-ish. Winds were definitely starting to pick up. Pretty gusty. Golf course is in really good condition. Greens are rolling nicely. Fairways are nice. The bunkers are nice and like compact.
So overall, the golf course looks amazing. We'll see what the weather -- what happens with the weather, what it'll do to the golf course. Hopefully not much and we can start Thursday, Friday. I don't know. We'll see.
Q. Are you a hockey fan?
NELLY KORDA: I am a hockey fan. Why do you ask?
Q. Chicago Blackhawks.
NELLY KORDA: (Laughing.)
Q. There you go.
NELLY KORDA: Yeah, well, this year. Last year was Kings; years before it was Detroit, so...
Q. He's moved around quite a bit.
NELLY KORDA: Yeah.
Q. He was a real fan of ours in Detroit because he's so fast.
NELLY KORDA: Yep, he was.
Q. It's awesome.
NELLY KORDA: Thank you.
THE MODERATOR: Thanks, Nelly.
Fastscripts by ASAP Sports...
FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports