THE CHEVRON CHAMPIONSHIP

April 23, 2026

Nelly Korda

Memorial Park Golf Course

Quick Quotes

Q. All right, joining us after the first round The Chevron Championship is Nelly Korda. Nelly, just a really great opening round. Talk about how it feels to come out here and almost dominate on the first day.

NELLY KORDA: Yeah, feels good. I put in a good bit of work before this event and also on Monday. Tuesday I came out and putted in the rain when we were allowed to before the pro-am and also Wednesday.

Overall, as everyone, we all prepped for this event, but it feels good to put a good round together.

Q. What were you impressed with today?

NELLY KORDA: What was I impressed with? Overall everything. I made some good putts for par as well. I actually made a really long one on my first hole which could have started out the day with a bogey and I didn't. I made a really solid putt.

Even on the second hole where I saved probably a five-footer for birdie and I think I saved almost a seven-footer -- sorry for par. And I also saved about a seven, six-, seven-foot slider for par on the first hole.

So made some good up and downs. Made some good saves for par. I think just overall I was pretty happy with every part of the game. Just maybe hit my driver a little bit far left and right on a couple holes. There wasn't just one direct miss.

But on a golf course like this where the rough isn't too high I think it's okay.

Q. Most of your birdies came on the back, but almost sounds like the front was a big part of building to that point?

NELLY KORDA: Yeah, definitely saving more pars on the front. Wasn't hitting it as consistent as I was on my back nine.

Q. A lot of rain here. What were the conditions like out there?

NELLY KORDA: Soft. Definitely had a little bit of mud on the ball.

But, yeah, I mean, it's not rolling out too far in the fairway so someone that's hitting it longer definitely has an advantage. There are times where my pitch mark was right next to my ball.

So you're not seeing too much run-out. It's definitely a second-shot golf course where you're thinking about the misses or the bigger parts of the greens, where you can be aggressive, where you can't be aggressive, and also in the back of your mind, okay, is short a better miss, is long better miss?

Because it was gusty out there where it may not seem like it, but through this golf course there are some openings in the trees where you'll just feel a really big gust and all of a sudden it just lays off.

So being committed to your irons was also a big part of today because I had one on like I think 12 where I was between an eight and a seven and I went with the seven, but the wind completely laid off and I kind of just flew it through the green.

Q. There has been a lot of chatter online recently about setups for major championships. What do you like to see when you come to an event?

NELLY KORDA: Long. You know, I think it should test every part of your game. I just think it should just play long and tough.

Q. How do you think the setup was today?

NELLY KORDA: I mean, they're dealing with a very saturated golf course so they can't push it too far because you don't get the run-out. I think I like when par-5s are gettable. Where you have to hit two really good shots and par-5s are gettable. I love when par-3d are tough, which a lot of them are. I had a hybrid into one and a 5-iron into another and I'm a longer player.

And then you have a couple shorter par-4s and a couple longer par-4s. That's what I really like.

I think when you make a golf courses really short, especially par-5s where everyone is laying it up the same exact area and at the end of the day it's a wedge contest, to me that's not very exciting.

Like the people that hit a really good drive and have the opportunity to go for it should be able to go for it and not where you're like okay this is a three-shoter today.

Q. Did you think that you might be playing the ball up today?

NELLY KORDA: I wasn't sure. I mean, you know, this being our first year out here you don't really know how the golf course drains. I was surprised on Wednesday how quick the greens were with how much rain they got.

So the golf course is in really good condition.

Q. How did you play the 5s, one and three? What clubs did you hit?

NELLY KORDA: I actually -- one as in my back nine?

Q. Yes.

NELLY KORDA: You're good. Started off the back. I hit my shot out to the right. Drive out to the right, so I laid up.

Q. Yeah.

NELLY KORDA: I had a 54-degree.

Then the three I hit a really good drive and I had a 6-iron in and I chunked it, so I ended up just short.

But I birdied both, so we're good.

Q. What can you say about the position you put yourself in after 18?

NELLY KORDA: Yeah, I'm happy. Just day one out of four; a lot can happen. So happy to be in this position and hoping to move forward.

Q. How difficult do you expect the opposite sides of draw to be tomorrow to adjust to?

NELLY KORDA: It just depends on -- everything with golf depends on weather. If it gets gusty out here and they tuck the pin locations it's going to be a lot harder. They can make it really hard out here. You know, there is a lot of fall-offs if they tuck the pins.

Again, just depends on the weather and the rules officials at the end of the day setting up the golf course.

Q. You mentioned the par-3s. How intimidating is it to have the longer par-3s with some of the really undulated, sloped greens out there?

NELLY KORDA: I love it. I mean, I love that there is some par-3s -- there is a par-3 out here that I had a hybrid in and barely carried the front. Obviously it's pretty gusty into the wind, but still, I mean, I do prefer when the golf courses are a little longer.

Q. I know you said that every year is different. How would you describe how you feel confidence-wise in your game and from your preparation dating back to the winner?

NELLY KORDA: Yeah, I'm just happy. I love to practice. I love the setup that I have at home. I don't think I go out ever without my coach David Whelan now. His commitment to me my entire career, if someone ever looks at my swing from when I was 14 prior to him to what it is now, I would say he's the one that built my swing.

To spend time with him, it's more like he relaxes me out practicing and I enjoy going out and grinding and having him there alongside me.

And then I also can't thank David Angelotti enough, my putting coach, for coming out this week and grinding with me.

I feel like I have a really great team around me. I have been with the same physio for so many years, Kim; Jason since my second year on Tour. I have all my professional LPGA wins with him.

So I think just there is a comfort and happiness inside me that makes me happy on the golf course, too.

Q. How long was the putt on seven?

NELLY KORDA: Seven?

Q. 12 feet.

NELLY KORDA: Par-3, so my 16th hole? It was like --

Q. Par-3 seventh hole, which was your 16th of the day.

NELLY KORDA: Okay, thank you. It was literally about four feet, four to five feet.

Q. So 5-ironna d 6iron on number two, both par-3s. Both fairly tight.

NELLY KORDA: Yeah.

Q. I wonder if you could say something nice about yourself.

NELLY KORDA: Pat myself on the back, yeah. I hit really -- the one honestly on number two, my 11th hole, I hit that one really good. I was really happy with that one. That was probably one of my better iron shots of the day.

You really have to commit to your target when you have, one, a massive slope that you have to carry; two, you have the wind coming off your left. For a drawer like me, you know, wind off the left, that's just an uncomfortable wind, especially the pin being tucked behind a bunker on the right which you don't want to miss.

So really dialed into my target and kind of hit a straight ball at my target just left of the pin and kind of -- the wind took it nicely and it dropped right next to the hole. One, it looked really nice; two, it landed absolutely the perfect number.

So those are the shots that you're like, oh, God, I love golf. And then I hit a chunk on the next hole and I'm like, great, yeah.