CPKC WOMEN'S OPEN

August 20, 2025

Nelly Korda

Mississaugua Golf & Country Club

Press Conference

THE MODERATOR: Welcome to the media center at the 2025 CPKC Women's Open. I'm joined by Nelly Korda.

Nelly, this is your first start back since 2023. What are you so excited about being back at CPKC Women's Open?

NELLY KORDA: Yeah, I have always really enjoyed playing in Canada. I think the fans are always really passionate. It's fun to see kind of how passionate they are about Brooke, too, the amount of people that come out to support her. So that's been always really fun when playing here in Canada.

And this time of year the golf courses are always so pure, so it's nice coming from Florida where this time of year they've punched two-inch holes into the greens. Just the golf courses are always in very, very nice condition and we get to play some amazing golf courses up here in Canada, too.

Just a treat.

Q. The tournament is obviously not a major, but of course the strength of field is very strong. The golf course as you just mentioned as well. This is a six-time RBC Canadian Open host venue as well. What have you seen from this tournament venue-wise, strength-of-field-wise that really stands out to you?

NELLY KORDA: Yeah, I think everyone kind of wants to always play this tournament. It's always highlighted in their calendar throughout the year; especially obviously with Boston being next week, the schedule really flows nicely. That has a part in like why the field is so strong this year, too.

And we get to play some amazing golf courses. Like I said, the fans are unbelievable at this event every year. We get treated really nicely. Those are the little things that always make us come back.

And I would say playing in front of the fans, it's always so fun to do that. For me, I'm just always in awe every single year since my rookie year of the support that Brooke gets here, and it's quite amazing.

Q. In terms of your season so far, statistically absolutely incredible. I've always heard you kind of say add them up at the end we'll see where we net out. Any part of you that is bubbling under the surface that is like, I want to get back to world No. 1, I want to win, let's go?

NELLY KORDA: Yeah, I wouldn't say -- I never thought like I want to get back to world No. 1. I just want to play well. I want to be in contention on Sunday. I've been putting in a lot of work on every part of my game. Statistically I saw my stats, and seeing that I'm always in the top and some of my stats are maybe better than even last year, it's just crazy.

That's just golf. By this time last year I had six wins under my belt and my stats are better and I have zero wins under my belt this year. I think the most important thing is kind of sticking to your process, always trying to be in contention coming into the weekend, and kind of figuring out your groove, too.

Q. Just curious, when you arrive at a venue you've never been to before, what is your process of learn the golf course as quickly as possible?

NELLY KORDA: I'm the type of player that doesn't love to practice at events. I do my practice and grind in my weeks off. When I'm at the golf course I'll have Monday, Tuesday to prep. So I'll play usually nine and nine knowing I'm in the pro-am on Wednesday as well.

You don't do any practicing typically in the pro-am. But chip around, get the lines off the tee, figure out a game plan. But sometimes you play Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday and the wind completely switches on Thursday, or you play on Monday morning and the greens completely firm up during the weekend.

So you kind of just have to adapt. It's mainly kind of trying to pick a very in a sense vague game plan and going with that.

Q. What are your initial thoughts on the golf course this week?

NELLY KORDA: Yeah, it's amazing. It's in great condition. The greens are so fast. Just depends on how hard the wind is going to blow.

Q. Welcome back to Canada.

NELLY KORDA: Thank you.

Q. Curious, what's it say of the strength of competition on the LPGA Tour that this year there have been so many different winners, that really anyone could win any week?

NELLY KORDA: Yeah, the golf has just gotten so much better. Everyone is getting so good. If you just look at the teams that the girls have around themselves, they're investing so much into themselves, their game, everything, so they can compete week in, week out at their best ability.

You can see that transition from my rookie year. I mean, just the amount of people and dedication player is putting into their game. At the end of the day, I mean, you have to stay on top of it. You have to continuously push yourself and try to raise the bar because everyone around you is getting better.

I would say this year, when it comes to the strength of all the Japanese players, I mean, they're playing unbelievable golf. I would say it's the most I've seen come over in a really long time, but they're unbelievable. So every year you kind of have to raise the bar and you have to, no matter what, not get lazy with any part of your game.

That's also motivating too. When you go home in your off weeks you're always trying to get better.

Q. The teams around the players, that's like more strength and conditioning, maybe more --

NELLY KORDA: All of it.

Q. All of it?

NELLY KORDA: Yeah. You see all of it, yeah. Especially for the international girls that come all this way and don't speak the language. They have translators and they try to have a sense of home when they are on the road.

Q. Following up on a couple questions already, you talk about looking at the stats from last year to this year. Some even better. To be second in scoring average again and to have not won yet, is that frustrating when you look at some of those stats?

NELLY KORDA: Yeah, it's always like just a little bit of like a question, like how? How am I up there?

Yeah, but it also is like in a sense motivating, too, knowing that I am putting in all the work and playing well. Everything just hasn't clicked. For you to win out here or to win in general, it's so hard; everything has to click. Bounces have to go your way. Everything just has to click.

Unfortunately it just hasn't. But never say never. I mean, we still a bunch of events left in the season. Doesn't matter how you start, it's how you finish, so we'll see.

Q. And your thoughts as all five majors are done, made the cut in all of them, contended. Thoughts on how you played in the majors?

NELLY KORDA: Yeah, good here and there. Obviously U.S. Women's Open was close and then the rest of the majors were kind of okay.

Q. And then we talked about world No. 1. What is your reaction to having had that distinction for so long, 71 weeks, and for Jason to be wearing the green bib that long? I would imagine even though you say you're trying to play your best every week, I would imagine there is a lot of pride there.

NELLY KORDA: Yeah, for sure. I mean, getting that No. 1 ranking in the world, like at the end of the day no matter what, like even if you say you don't focus on that, I mean, that's kind of -- it's an amazing accomplishment.

For me to accomplish it, not just once, but I held that ranking a couple times, I mean, it's not just me. At the end of the day I'm the one hitting the golf ball, but I have a whole team behind me that I have to thank for that accomplishment.

But that's just golf. It's sports. It's just constantly moving around. It changes like the wind in a sense and you just have to stick to your own process. If you play well, that's great. All you can control is the work that you're putting into it.

Q. What does your schedule look like upcoming, and what's the goal over the next few months?

NELLY KORDA: I'm playing everything until Hawai'i and then I'm taking Asia off except for International Crown. Then popping back up in Florida for the end of the year.