Aramco Team Series - Spain Round Three

Friday, 19 August, 2022

Sotogrande, San Roque, Spain

La Reserva Club

Jessica Korda

Tereza Malecka

Noora Komulainen

Malcolm Borwick

Quick Quotes


Q. Jess, you are in the clubhouse with 33-under par. It's a great team score. You won last year in New York at the Aramco Team Series. What is it about this team event that suits you and your team?

JESSICA KORDA: I think we just really had a good vibe out there. We tried to keep it as light as possible.

You know, it was a lot harder today. The wind is definitely up, so it was a bit tough, but everyone played and contributed. When somebody was out, another person had their back, so beauty of team golf.

Q. Beauty as well is a round of 61 yesterday. That certainly helped the team score. One of your lowest. Were you thinking about a 59 standing on the 17th?

JESSICA KORDA: I was not. If you saw where the pin was yesterday and where the wind was coming from, I think the pin was as far away from my thoughts as it possibly could have been.

I was trying to hit on the green, and I had no idea where I stood up until maybe 13 or 14.

So nothing I was thinking about.

Q. Well, you backed it up with a solid round today, so well played.

JESSICA KORDA: Thank you.

Q. Tereza, has it been a dream playing with Jess? We have noticed that after every birdie you give your caddie, Thomas, a kiss. We don't normally see that. Jess, is that something that -- maybe not for Kyle.

JESSICA KORDA: I mean, I'm good. Kyle, Laura, we're good. (Laughter.)

TEREZA MALECKA: Okay, at least that was the first part. I will skip the second part. It was a massive dream. Like Jessica is a great player and great woman, and I really enjoyed it. It was a pleasure to play with all of them and I really enjoyed it.

And about the kiss, yeah, I mean, it's keeping me going. A little reward after a good putt or something.

Q. I don't want to know what happens if you make an eagle. (Laughter.)

TEREZA MALECKA: Oh, I have today actually. It was a double kiss.

Q. Oh, double kiss. Okay, that's good to know.

TEREZA MALECKA: Yeah.

Q. Noora, you've had a wonderful time out there the last couple days, and you played nicely as well.

NOORA KOMULAINEN: Yeah, well, I mean, I really enjoyed playing with these guys, with Jess. You played so well yesterday. That was just so amazing to watch her firing 11-under.

And today Malcolm was playing incredible golf, so we had a lot of good time out there.

Q. Malcolm, you're normally a polo player, so you put the polo stick away and have taken out the golf clubs. You had a wonderful time.

MALCOLM BORWICK: I've had an incredible few days. I'm going to go back to playing polo. The nerves you get playing tournament golf is aging me as the days go on.

But it's been incredible. Playing with the girls, frankly the level of professionalism and purity with which they hit the ball consistently is amazing.

What we do in polo is much more of an adrenaline-based sport, much more reflexes. This is so cerebral. You have to reset every time and try and rub away the mistakes.

So massively, massively grateful for all the advice and the coaching. And the good spirit. We had a really good time, so it's been a great couple days.

Q. It certainly looked out there like you were having a wonderful time. 33-under par in the clubhouse. Amazing score. And, I mean, have you played with anyone that has shot 61 before?

MALCOLM BORWICK: No. Yesterday was absolutely inspirational. Literally we were just trying to keep out of her way. Just don't talk to her. Just let her keep going.

Yesterday was all about the putt. It was just every time she stood over the ball it looked like it was going in the hole. That was the difference.

They all hit the ball amazingly close, but Jess' putter yesterday was super hot. It was great. Really fun.

Q. Clearly having a wonderful time in Spain. Well-played everybody.

JESSICA KORDA: Thank you.

TEREZA MALECKA: Thank you.

NOORA KOMULAINEN: Thank you.

MALCOLM BORWICK: Thank you.

(Applause.)

(Pause for photographs. )

Q. How are you feeling?

JESSICA KORDA: Feeling okay.

Q. Feeling a bit better today?

JESSICA KORDA: Not really. I just have a sore throat.

Q. We all know how hard it is to come back after a low one. How pleased are you to back up yesterday's great round with another good round?

JESSICA KORDA: Yeah, I mean, it's always harder to play the second day. First day it's all fun and games, then, you know, I think definitely the second round is tougher.

We had a good time today. It was tough out there to play. Made the turn at even par, which wasn't too pleased about, but settled in nicely on the back and made some putts.

Q. The whole thing about the mindset when you've gone so low, you turn up the next day, do you just forget about what happened yesterday?

JESSICA KORDA: Completely different situation. Everything that we did yesterday is out the window. The wind was up. Played earlier. Turn around was really short. Just completely different day.

What happened yesterday wasn't even on my mind. Just the way that golf course was playing, it was not the same at all.

Q. And we all know that there is a lot of golf to be played this afternoon so no one is getting ahead of themselves, but how do you like your position after two days? Kind of a dream to be 15-under, isn't it? You must be thrilled?

JESSICA KORDA: Yeah, no, it's awesome. I had a really good round yesterday and able to play well today, so one foot in front of the other.

Q. And tomorrow, how do you approach that?

JESSICA KORDA: Whatever tomorrow brings, tomorrow brings.

Q. Have you ever had a lead as big as this? (Indiscernible.)

JESSICA KORDA: No idea.

Q. You have no idea at all?

JESSICA KORDA: No. Golf you're playing against the golf course. I don't -- I'm not sure.

Q. Would you even look at the leaderboard later?

JESSICA KORDA: For my tee time.

Q. That's it?

JESSICA KORDA: Yeah. I mean, listen, at the end of the day I'm just trying to do my best out there.

Q. Sure.

JESSICA KORDA: Whatever anybody else does I can't affect, so I'm just going to do the same thing I'm trying to do the last couple days.

Q. In terms of your health, I know you say you got a sore throat, is it a case of you got to go back to your room now and just chill?

JESSICA KORDA: I'm going to go sleep. Our turnaround yesterday was really short. Got in bed by like 11:00, 11:30, so being back out at 7:00, 7:30 is not ideal.

Q. No. So you're going to go back and have a sleep, rest?

JESSICA KORDA: Yes.

Q. At least a late tee time tomorrow.

JESSICA KORDA: Hopefully.

Q. Your gentlemen amateur seemed a delight to be around. How much do you enjoy playing with an amateur, and especially someone like him?

JESSICA KORDA: Yeah, Malcolm played great. It was awesome. I think he shot the lowest round he's ever shot today, which was phenomenal. Yeah, he was just a joy to be around. Brought such a positive outlook on everything, and it was fun to learn about polo and how he started.

So kind of just getting myself out of the normal rhythm we're in and have a different chat out there was really nice.

FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports
123896-1-1041 2022-08-19 14:16:00 GMT

ASAP sports

tech 129