DIAMOND RESORTS TOURNAMENT OF CHAMPIONS

January 21, 2021

Nelly Korda

Tranquilo Golf Course

Quick Quotes

Q. Thank you so much for taking the time with us. Started off of 1 with a bogey but ended so strong, even with an eagle. Can you talk to us a little bit about your round today?

NELLY KORDA: Yeah, you know, haven't played for a couple weeks. Getting back into it, so there were a couple nerves there. But handled myself quite well. Made some putts.

That eagle on 17 felt nice. I almost made an eagle on 16. That would've been pretty cool, to go eagle, eagle.

But all in all, I had a pretty solid day.

Q. Talk to us about those two 16, 17, and what specifically happened on those holes.

NELLY KORDA: So on 16 I hit a really good drive. I hit kind of like a low stinger to get that -- to get a bounce off that downhill slope. It went to probably like 20 feet. Had a pretty good look at that. It was pin high. I was like, That's a good club.

And 17 I kind of flared my drive out to the right and had a 3-wood in. Wasn't sure where it was. Thankfully it was on the -- I guess it hit in the rough and just trickled on the green and rolled pretty long putt in, so that was nice.

Q. And you talk about the couple weeks that we were off, and it seems like so much to celebrate, Christmas, New Year's, but also your brother's success in the tennis world. Talk to us about your break and how that was.

NELLY KORDA: Yeah, that was really cool. He didn't go to Australia so we spent Christmas together. My sister came over after CME so we all got to spent some good, quality time together.

Delray he played really well. I drove over for the final match, which he got injured unfortunately. But I had to be there for his first final. I was really excited for him and hopefully he just keeps building on that.

Q. It was a great Christmas with #Kordashians.

NELLY KORDA: Yeah, Kordashians.

Q. We've all been waiting for the Korda sisters to be together. Getting closer by the minute. Are you as anxious about it as we are?

NELLY KORDA: You know, we always think that solid play, you know, that's the answer to everything, is solid play. I think it would be really cool to do that and to be in that position, but we don't really think about it too much. We both root each other, on but at the end of the day we do want to beat each other as well. It's healthy, but a good competitiveness.

Q. You were speaking of tennis earlier, and we all remember when the Williams sisters played together. There was a lot of anxiety. They didn't really want to play each other. Do you guys want to play each other?

NELLY KORDA: Well, tennis is a little different because that's head-to-head. Golf is you're playing the golf course, trying play your beast.

At the end of the day you're head-to-head with the golf course, so hopefully we both continue to play solid golf going into Sunday and we'll see how it goes.

Q. Have you talked about what that would be like in terms of would you guys talk that much to each other?

NELLY KORDA: We've played together twice my rookie year. I remember her making a -- at Blue Bay, either like she made like a pretty long putt for like eight or nine. She hit it -- I don't know what she did on that hole. I was like, Do I talk to her? Do I not talk to her?

But she just burst out laughing after. So we talk, and it's like playing with anyone else. You talk, you chitchat here and there, but at the end of the day, you know, you're trying to get to business, get down to business.

Q. Are you physically 100% now?

NELLY KORDA: Yeah, I am.

Q. How vividly do you remember the first time you ever beat your sister?

NELLY KORDA: I do. First tournament my rookie year in Bahamas. (Laughter.) First one out and I beat her there.

Q. Even as --

NELLY KORDA: I don't remember. She's five years older. We were in different categories.

Q. And this event is so fun. We were talking to some players about how lucky players are to play this event with the celebrities. Any celebrities you were hoping to play with this week?

NELLY KORDA: Yeah, this is my third year playing, so I love Derek Lowe, Kevin Millar. I really enjoy playing with Mardy Fish because of his tennis background. I do really like playing this event because it's cool. You get to pick their brain and it's a little different. It's kind of like -- it's a lot looser out there. You're having a lot of fun.

It's been a really nice -- it was really nice to play with Mark and Mardy because it was really like loose out there.

Q. And just out of curiosity, are you a country music fan at all?

NELLY KORDA: Yeah, here and there. I don't really like hard-core country. I like a little bit of pop country.

Q. We were wondering what you listen to?

NELLY KORDA: Country-wise I listed to a lot of Chris Lane. I dabble in everything. There is house, general pop, rap. It's all over the place.

Q. My last question is it's a new year and we were wondering if you put in any New Year's resolutions in place, golf or nongolf related?

NELLY KORDA: Just try to stay healthy this year and happy. Yeah, that's mainly it. It's been an interesting time, especially with my injury last year, so my goal is definitely to stay healthy.

Q. Understanding the age difference, was there any event where the two of you might have been in more of a head-to-head final round type competition?

NELLY KORDA: Not until I got on the LPGA, no, honestly. And she's missed a bit throughout the years as well as I've been out here due to injuries.

But honestly, we just started playing together in events as I got on the LPGA.