FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Thursday, June 28th, 2018

NOTABLE QUOTES – KPMG WOMEN’S PGA CHAMPIONSHIP – THURSDAY’S ROUND 1

Golf Channel Notable Quotes

KPMG Women’s PGA Championship

First Round (11 a.m.-3 p.m. ET)

Thursday, June 28, 2018

Kemper Lakes Golf Club

Kildeer, Illinois

 

**Golf Channel will recap all of Thursday’s opening-round action from the KPMG Women’s PGA Championship tonight on Golf Central tonight at 7 p.m. ET, produced and broadcast on-site at Kemper Lakes Golf Club.**

 **2nd round coverage of the KPMG Women’s PGA Championship will air Friday on Golf Channel from 11 a.m. -3 p.m. ET. Golf Central Pre Game will prepare viewers for live action at 10:30 a.m. ET**

 

On Jessica Korda, current co-leader after the morning wave at 5-under par

Kay Cockerill – “She has shown a lot of patience today.”

Paige Mackenzie – “Her momentum has been building. She lost a little the last couple of weeks but all of the tools are there.”

 

Jessica Korda speaking with Golf Channel’s Lisa Cornwell following her round

Jessica Korda – “It was great, finally a golf course that benefits the long hitters. The last couple of weeks it has been a lot of rescues, 3 and 4-irons off the tee so this is really, really nice.”

Korda – “It’s golf. I’ve been rolling it really well and they have been hitting the lips and just not going in, so I just continued on the same path that I have been. Sometimes they fall and sometimes they don’t and that is the beauty of golf.”

 

On Charley Hull, one shot back at 4-under par after Thursday’s opening round

Cockerill – “Charley always looks so calm when she’s playing. She is in to each shot one at a time.”

Mackenzie – “There is a lot about her that is old school. She doesn’t overthink it. She is extremely decisive when she makes her shot. Doesn’t take long to pull the trigger.”

 

On Minjee Lee, 3-under par 69 after her opening round

Mackenzie – “One of her greatest assets is she doesn’t beat herself. She doesn’t make a lot of mistakes. She keeps the ball in front of her and plays very smart golf.”

 

On defending champion Danielle Kang, 1-over par after Thursday’s opening round

Mackenzie – “Here game is suited for major championships because she is a tremendous ball striker. She also loves the big stage. Major championships suit her personality as much as her game.”

 

Danielle Kang speaking with Golf Channel’s Lisa Cornwell following her round

Danielle Kang – “I tried to keep it under wraps the whole day, but I’ve had a really bad stomach ache before I even teed off. I don’t know what caused it but I am thinking it was the waffles. I threw up after nine and I just kept trying to not feel it. Steady as possible. But it was ok. I’m hitting the ball great so I hope I feel better for the next three days.”

Kang – “I’m definitely striking it really well. My putting speed is great, so there is nothing about my game today at the end of the day to be disappointed about. I played solid golf. Who knows, even if I felt great I don’t know what I would have shot. Yeah, it’s just funny. You know, you practice, you are ready for the week and you come and you get a stomach ache. I’m like, ‘Come on, what is this.’ But I hung in there, so it’s ok.”

 

On Lydia Ko (playing in the afternoon wave)

Mackenzie – “There are lot of things that are unrecognizable, a lot of maturity as well a lot of changes that she has gone through. Kind of proves that she is capable of doing what she can do with a lot of different tools and golf swings.”

Jerry Foltz – “Raised a lot of eyebrows when she made all those changes. She raised some eyebrows when she made the club change, but when she made the coaching change again, you really started to wonder if she would get back to how good she was when she got to be number one player in the world. She has shown signs of it.”

 

On So Yeon Ryu (playing in the afternoon wave)

Foltz – “A very complete all-around game. Incredible poise and patience on the golf course, which a major championship demands, and a well-above average putter.”

 

On the KPMG Women’s PGA Championship

Mackenzie – “The collaboration between the LPGA Tour, PGA of America and KPMG, to say that it is elevated would probably be an understatement. They have created a new standard of what a major championship should be. It is quickly becoming a favorite event on the LPGA Tour schedule for these players. A lot has to do with the identity around this event is playing on great golf courses that really create a huge stage for these players to play on.”

Dan Hicks – “Major championships are a different kind of animal. You just have to stay patient, keep grinding and see where you come up in the mix on Sunday.”

 

On Thursday’s first round at the KPMG Women’s PGA Championship

Mackenzie – “We are seeing some scoring. We are seeing some birdies out there. A lot of receptive greens, but we also notice that you are penalized if you mishit it. To me, it has been a major championship from the start, and we are seeing them start to separate the field.”

Gary Koch – “Those players playing this afternoon, having seen and watched that there are birdies out there, it is changing their mindset. At the start of the day, pars were good scores on this golf course. Now you know there are some birdies to be had.”

 

-NBC Sports Group-