Jamie Farr Toledo Classic Presented by Kroger, Owens-Corning and O-I
Highland Meadows Golf Club
Sylvania, Ohio
August 9, 2012
First-Round Notes and Interviews
Pernilla Lindberg -7, Rolex Rankings No. 114
Meredith Duncan -5
Mika Miyazato -5, Rolex Rankings No. 18
Chella Choi -5, Rolex Rankings No. 52
Karine Icher -5, Rolex Rankings No. 57
Numa Gulyanamitta -5, Rolex Rankings No. 284
Putting was key for Pernilla Lindberg who shot a first-round 7-under par 65 to lead the Jamie Farr Toledo Classic Presented by Kroger, Owens-Corning and O-I. Lindberg carded eight birdies and one bogey and only needed 27 putts to jump out to a two-stroke lead.
“I had a great day on the greens,” said Lindberg. “It was really my putting that was the key today. I obviously put myself in good positions to make those putts. But it felt like every putt I hit all day had a chance to go in. So even the pars I made out there, they were still good birdie chances.”
Lindberg’s confidence has steadily begin to rise and it continued last week after a tied for fourth finish at the Ladies Irish Open on the Ladies European Tour (LET).
I feel like I've been working pretty hard on my game for the last couple of months,” said Lindberg. “In June, I felt that my game was going in the right direction, but I didn't get the scores out. Then over Evian, especially the Irish Open last week, I felt more and more confident and the things that I've been working on are finally showing on the course. So it felt like I had some momentum coming into this week.”
In search of her first career LPGA Tour victory, Lindberg heads in to tomorrow’s second round with a two-stroke lead over Numa Gulyanamitta, Karine Icher, Chella Choi, Angela Stanford, Mika Miyazato, and Meredith Ducan.
Sights Set on Solheim… The 2013 Solheim Cup might be a year away but Pernilla Lindberg already has her sights set on being a part of the European Team at Colorado Golf Club.
The Swede currently divides her time between the LPGA and the Ladies European Tour (LET) and has fared significantly better in Europe.
“I've been lining up Top 10 finishes over there (LET) which has given me the Solheim Cup points,” said Lindberg. “Of course, it's nice to see my name high on that list. I'm in second right now on the European Solheim Cup list, and that is absolutely a goal to stay up there.”
This year on the LPGA, Lindberg has missed six cuts out of the 10 events she has played and recorded a season best tied for 12th finish at the LPGA LOTTE Championship Presented by J Golf. On the LET, Lindberg has only missed one cut and finished in the top-10 three times.
Lindberg is currently second on the European Solheim Cup Team standings and beginning January 1, 2013 points will double which will force her to make a decision on where she will primarily devote her time.
“Coming down next year, of course, the points will be double compared to this year,” said Lindberg. “So we'll see what I have to do with the schedule next year. If I feel that I need to play a few more events over there, I might need to do that because the Solheim Cup is a big goal. But, hopefully, I can keep posting scores like this here and that will take care of it.”
BACK to the Basics… Meredith Duncan has had a difficult season this year plagued by a nagging back injury which has caused her to lose quite a significant amount of yardage. This year, Duncan has failed to make a cut on the LPGA Tour and has not shot a round in the 60’s.
“I just had a lot of stuff going on,” said Duncan of her recent struggles. “Couple of disc problems, some nerve stuff going on, It's been bad for a few years. It just hasn't really gotten any better. I've had three epidurals this year. The first one really helped. The second two really haven't done much so I just try to take it easy and be productive.”
Duncan returned to the basics on Thursday to shoot a first-round 5-under par 66 at the Jamie Farr Toledo Classic Presented by Kroger, Owens-Corning and O-I and is in prime condition to make her first cut this season.
“I just tried to hit fairways and greens,” said Duncan of today’s round. “I'm hitting it pretty short right now, just because I'm hitting it shorter. I have a bad back. I just tried to literally hit it in the fairway and hit the middle of the green. These greens are pretty small. So unless I've got a wedge in the green, I have a hybrid, and just hit it to the middle one and see what happens.
A Day of Fun… Mika Miyazato did something she had never done before during her bogey free 5-under par first round of the Jamie Farr Toledo Classic Presented by Kroger, Owens-Corning and O-I. Miyazato hit an impressive 18 greens and during her post round conference, she couldn’t contain her excitement.
“I had a good round today, bogey‑free round and a fine round and 5-under today,” said Miyazato. “Also, I’m very not surprised but 18 greens, I’ve never done that before so I'm very happy.”
Miyazato was anxious to continue her exciting day on Thursday and cheer on her home country of Japan as they took on the United States in the women’s soccer Olympic gold medal game.
“Yes, I like watching the tennis and everything,” said Miyazato of the Olympics. “I definitely want to see the soccer game today.”
Good Morning! Angela Stanford had a chance to sleep-in on Thursday and with a 12:15 p.m. starting time she went and shot a first-round 5-under par 66. While Stanford got off to a solid start this morning, tomorrow’s start at 8:50 a.m. could bring different results.
“For me, I'm not much of a morning person,” said Stanford. “I don't know if that's the right thing to say. I'm not a morning person, so sometimes it takes me a couple holes to wake up.”
During Friday’s bogey free round, Stanford playing alongside Chella Choi who also shot a 5-under par 66 and Hee-Won Han fired a 3-under par 68.
“I usually don't pay attention,” Stanford said about the way her playing partners are playing. “But as a whole, when a group is making a lot of birdies, it just seems like everybody's playing good. Usually that feels a lot better than everybody playing bad.”
Home Sweet Home…While the LPGA Tour had a week prior to the Jamie Farr Toledo Classic Presented by Kroger, Owens-Corning and O-I, Karine Icher had the rare opportunity to visit her home in France. Icher arrived late Monday to Sylvania, Ohio and while she is still suffering from jetlag, the trip was well worth it.
“Yeah, it was nice,” said Icher. “I spent a week home. We saw the family, the friends. It's important because it's only one time per year. We flew in on Monday. So we are a little bit on jetlag. But otherwise it was fun to see everybody and spend time in my country.”
One of 27 Mom’s on Tour, Icher travels with her daughter one-year-old daughter Lola and husband Fred Bonnargent who is also her caddie. While Icher makes her living as a player on the LPGA Tour and her husband as a caddie, their main priority is being parents.
“It's super nice,” said Icher. We have to be really well‑organized. But it's fun to be parents. First we are parents, then player and caddie.”
Finding Her Way… Getting used to life on the LPGA Tour can be a bit challenging for any rookie and during the first few tournament his year, Numa Gulyanamitta proved to be no different.
“It's been interesting,” said Gulyanamitta. “I've been trying to get used to the Tour and stuff, it's my first year. Don't really know where to go. First time I get to the tournament, I be like, Where am I supposed to go, where do I get my registration done? That's the first couple tournaments. Then after you've been doing that for a while, you get used to it. Now it's normal now. I can do anything like a normal LPGA player.”
If Friday’s 5-under par 65 is any indication, Gulyanamitta looks to be adjusting to life on tour just fine. Gulyanamitta made the turn at 1-under par but a chip-in on number nine propelled her to a 4-under par 33 back nine.
“Starting the back nine, I start rolling the ball good, start making putts,” said Gulyanamitta. “I hit the ball closer. I chip it in on nine. That's the start of things going good, like going up. It was kind of like an okay day, like just a normal day. I just happened to play good, made a couple putts that I need to.”
Nobody’s Safe… Be careful if you spot Meredith Duncan out as you could be in her next impromptu video. A self-proclaimed fan of “people watching” Duncan always had her flip-cam close by in anticipation of people doing something entertaining.
“I just like to people watch,” said Duncan. Who doesn't like to people watch? You can people watch anywhere in the world. So I happen to have my flip camera and catch people doing people‑watching things.”
During her time traveling on the LPGA Tour, Duncan has produced, filmed, and edited several videos on YouTube and she also made a cameo in Tiffany Joh’s Grip it and Rip it music video.
“You can see all kinds of things on the road, and I try to eat at local restaurants,” said Duncan. “You just see lots of really crazy things in this world. I always like to have my camera ready in case there is somebody doing something crazy, and there usually is.”
Of Note… Rolex Rankings No.1 Yani Tseng shot a first-round 1-over par 72 and currently stands tied for 90th…The 2010 Jamie Farr Toledo Classic Champion Na Yeon Choi opened up this year with a 1-under par 70.
Pernilla Lindberg, Rolex Rankings No. 114
THE MODERATOR: Pernilla, great round, 7‑under par, 64. Can you just take me through the day?
PERNILLA LINDBERG: Yeah, thank you so much. I had a great day on the greens. It was really my putting that was the key today. I obviously put myself in good positions to make those putts. But it felt like every putt I hit all day had a chance to go in. So even the pars I made out there, they were still good birdie chances.
Q. You had a good week last week at the Ladies Irish Open. You started out with the first round lead and finished third?
PERNILLA LINDBERG: Fourth, yeah.
Q. That had to help your confidence coming into this week?
PERNILLA LINDBERG: Absolutely. I felt like I've been working pretty hard on my game for the last couple of months. In June, I felt that my game was going in the right direction, but I didn't get the scores out. Then over Evian, especially the Irish Open last week, I felt more and more confident and the things that I've been working on are finally showing on the course. So it felt like I had some momentum coming into this week.
Q. Looks like the weather is looking bad this afternoon. Are you happy with what you've done?
PERNILLA LINDBERG: Of course. When I saw the draw on Tuesday afternoon when it came out, I knew that the forecast was looking like storms Thursday afternoon. So when I saw my early time, I was happy and figured, okay, I'll go out and take advantage of it.
Q. How good a day did you have? How many putts did you take? Hit any long birds?
PERNILLA LINDBERG: Yeah, putting, let's see. I could count them. I haven't yet, but it's somewhere I would say around 25, probably. But I haven't counted yet. I really made some good, long putts as well. I had a lot of birdie putts in the 30‑feet range that I actually made.
Q. More than one of those?
PERNILLA LINDBERG: Yeah.
Q. How many did you make?
PERNILLA LINDBERG: Let's see. I have to think through the holes here. I started with my first birdie of the day on 4. That was probably about a 20‑, 25‑footer. 5, it was during one of those heavy showers in the morning. My shot into the green I thought was really good, but it came up a little short. That putt was probably, I would say, 50 feet. Like I said, every putt I hit it was just it felt like even though if it didn't go in, they had a good chance.
So then 9, I hit it up to maybe 4 feet. 10, I hit it up to 3 feet. 12 was probably another of those 25 footers. Then I actually made my first and only bogey of the day on 13. I hit it up in the trees, punched it up short of the green. Hit a good pitch shot up to four feet and missed that. So that was my only little mistake on the scorecard. But then I bounced right back with making another 40‑footer on 14, the par‑3 for birdie.
Then 15 the next hole I hit it up to about 10 feet and made that. Then on 18, that was probably 20, 25 feet. So it was really ‑‑ sure, I hit some close ones, but otherwise the putting was the key.
Q. When was the last time that you had a day putting like this?
PERNILLA LINDBERG: I've had a few times, actually, over the year. My putting has gotten a lot better over the last two years. I switched to a belly putter two years ago, and it's been helping my game a lot. I would say the putting is the most consistent part of my game now. Even a bad day on the greens is really never that bad. Then when I can get really hot on the green, like today, that's when I can shoot the really low scores.
Q. If the Solheim Cup was next week, you'd be on the team. I know you split your schedule a lot for that reason. Can you talk about the way you scheduled and what that would mean to you?
PERNILLA LINDBERG: Yeah, so far in my career I've been playing a lot better in Europe. It's been a confidence thing. I've been going out and having really good results. Just not brought the same confidence over to the U.S.
But I've been lining up Top 10 finishes over there which has given me the Solheim Cup points. Of course, it's nice to see my name high on that list. I'm in second right now on the European Solheim Cup list, and that is absolutely a goal to stay up there.
Coming down next year, of course, the points will be double compared to this year. So we'll see what I have to do with the schedule next year. If I feel that I need to play a few more events over there, I might need to do that because the Solheim Cup is a big goal. But, hopefully, I can keep posting scores like this here and that will take care of it.
Q. Did you sense a round like this coming today? Is there any way to predict those things?
PERNILLA LINDBERG: No. Golf is a funny game. I got really sick. I got a pretty bad cold over the weekend in Ireland, and I felt okay playing there. But as soon as I relaxed after the last round on Sunday, it kind of just hit me. Then I had a long day of traveling from Ireland on Monday. So on Tuesday I didn't do anything. I planned on playing a practice round, so yesterday in the Pro‑Am was my only practice round. So even that, the preparation leading up to this week was not what I had planned for, but I guess that didn't really matter.
Q. You're better known in Europe. How important is it for you to do well here in the U.S. and make a name for yourself on the LPGA Tour where it's more of a household name?
PERNILLA LINDBERG: Yeah, of course. That is one of my goals. I've had a very good game and I've been able to show it over there. But if I can start showing my name on the leaderboard more often here, it's going to give me more confidence, and it's, of course, what everyone wants.
Q. That's a legitimately low number to be leading. But at the same time this course gives out birdies, do you change anything for tomorrow?
PERNILLA LINDBERG: No, I think I had a pretty good strategy today. There are a few holes where you can be really aggressive, and some holes where maybe they're playing a little bit longer and you just have to play towards the middle of the green maybe. Some of the greens are quite small out here.
Since I know how confident I am with my putting, you just have to be smart. When you can attack and hit it up close to the pin, take advantage of that and otherwise play for the middle of the green and give yourself a 20‑ to 25‑footer and that is still a birdie chance.
Strategy‑wise, it's still the same, and the conditions might change with how wet it is, and that can always change the plan a little bit.
Q. Or 40, 50 feet gives you a birdie chance. Who needs to be within 20? When you stood up over the putt on 18, for example, you sort of felt you were going to make it?
PERNILLA LINDBERG: Yeah, that was kind of the feeling all day. I actually missed the fairway on number 1 today. That's not a fairway you want to miss because it is pretty thick on the sides there to get up to that first green. I didn't really get it up on the green. I was short of the bunker and hit that off to ‑‑ I probably had a 20‑footer for par on 1 and made that. I got the momentum going there. After that, it felt like every putt I had a chance of making it.
Q. How good was the shot into 18? It looked like you sort of went through the branches a little bit?
PERNILLA LINDBERG: Yeah, I was a little lucky there with my second shot. It stayed far enough out that I actually had a line just towards the pin. But I hit it there with the 9‑iron, about 20 feet left of the pin. I was really happy with that shot, and I was really lucky that it didn't go farther into those trees.
THE MODERATOR: I'd like to welcome Meredith Duncan into the interview room. Meredith, nice round, 5‑under par. Can you just take me through the day?
MEREDITH DUNCAN: I just tried to hit fairways and greens. I'm hitting it pretty short right now, just because I'm hitting it shorter. I have a bad back. I just tried to literally hit it in the fairway and hit the middle of the green. These greens are pretty small. So unless I've got a wedge in the green, I have a hybrid, and just hit it to the middle one and see what happens.
MODERATOR: You had a bit of an up‑and‑down year.
MEREDITH DUNCAN: Mostly down.
MODERATOR: How does it feel to play well and start out like you have?
MEREDITH DUNCAN: It feels good. I didn't do anything spectacular today, made a couple of long putts. But it was nice to hit solid shots. That's what my caddie talked about. Let's pick a club and hit a solid shot to the middle of the green.
We're not necessarily worried about the total direction of the ball, just at the middle of the green. If it draws a little bit, then the left side of the green, if it cuts a little bit, then the right side of the green. So it's nice to execute that.
MODERATOR: Veering off today. I know during your time on the Tour you've made quite a few funny photos that you posted on YouTube?
MEREDITH DUNCAN: I just like to people watch. Who doesn't like to people watch? You can people watch anywhere in the world. So I happen to have my flip camera and catch people doing people‑watching things.
You can see all kinds of things on the road, and I try to eat at local restaurants. You just see lots of really crazy things in this world. I always like to have my camera ready in case there is somebody doing something crazy, and there usually is.
Q. You said you had back problems. Could you elaborate a little bit?
MEREDITH DUNCAN: I just had a lot of stuff going on. Couple of disc problems, some nerve stuff going on. It's been bad for a few years. It just hasn't really gotten any better. I've had three epidurals this year. The first one really helped. The second two really haven't done much. So I just try to take it easy and be productive.
Q. This course is always conducive to scoring. Were the greens receptive? I mean, there was some rain overnight.
MEREDITH DUNCAN: Yeah, definitely. You could just about, like I said, I'm hitting it shorter right now. So I had a lot of hybrids into the greens. The fronts, if you played it 5 or 6 short of the green, you could bounce it up pretty easily.
So I hit quite a few hybrids where I would just play short of the green and try to hit a soiled shot and let it bounce up. That's what it did.
Q. In general, was the course kind of soggy?
MEREDITH DUNCAN: No, it's not soggy at all. It's a little damp, definitely. But it's not wet or soggy at all. It's perfect. The fairways are great. We're playing ball in hand just in case this afternoon there could be some pretty heavy downpours. But it's not soggy at all. But it will definitely get soggy if it rains really hard.
Q. How is your back feeling today?
MEREDITH DUNCAN: I stretched quite a bit. It was feeling okay today. I made a couple shots here and there that tweaked it a little bit, but overall it was feeling okay.
Q. You said this season has been up and down. Do you trace that to your back?
MEREDITH DUNCAN: No, not all of it. Yeah, some of it is. Some of it is when you have an injury, you're not confident in what you're doing. So I think anybody who has had an injury can say that. If you're not confident in how you swing it, it just makes you a little hesitant to do a lot of things. So, yeah, it's been a factor, but definitely not the cause of bad golf at all.
Q. You said you had a couple of long putts. Could you elaborate how far they were? Are we talking 60 feet?
MEREDITH DUNCAN: I made a long one on 7, the long par‑5. That was my 16th hole. Again, I hit 5‑wood into that hole, and the pin was on the right side of the green. I was on the left.
Q. How far are we talking to the putt?
MEREDITH DUNCAN: I don't do distances. I just look at it, and hit it. I don't even know how big that green is. 40 feet, I guess.
Q. Did you hit another one of comparable length?
MEREDITH DUNCAN: No, that was the longest one. Then I made one on 8, and the pin was I think 15 on. I hit it just in the middle of the green. Like I said, I was just hitting it at the pin, and it turned over just a hair. That was probably 25 feet.
Q. Do you have an estimate how many putts you used?
MEREDITH DUNCAN: 29, I think. 27, sorry.
Mika Miyazato -5, Rolex Rankings No. 18
THE MODERATOR: I'd like to welcome Mika Miyazato into the interview room. Mika, nice to see you. Great round today. Can you take me through the day what you did well?
MIKA MIYAZATO: Yeah, I had a good round today, bogey‑free round and a fine round and 5-under today. Also, I’m very not surprised but 18 greens, I’ve never done that before so I'm very happy.
THE MODERATOR: You've had a good year. You lost in a playoff at Wal‑Mart in Arkansas. Can you just sum up this year like how much it's helped your confidence?
MIKA MIYAZATO: Yes, I'm very confident. After the Wal‑Mart, I finished second, but very disappointed. But another good experience for me.
MODERATOR: I know we talked on the way over that you're ready to go watch the soccer game of Japan versus the USA. Have you been watching the Olympics a lot?
MIKA MIYAZATO: Yes, I like watching the tennis and everything. I definitely want to see the soccer game today.
Q. Your last two birdies on 16 and 17, can you talk about what you did to get those and how it kind of took you closer?
MIKA MIYAZATO: Overall, I hit very good second shots. And number 16, I hit a 5‑iron like one foot. I made a birdie. So number 17, another one for birdie putt. So many birdies today on second shot. Like I tried to have more patience on the golf course.
Q. Knowing that this course can be scored on. Do you just take it as it comes or do you play aggressively looking for birdies?
MIKA MIYAZATO: This week, obviously, it's more important because I played today more aggressive because the greens are very soft.
Q. You mentioned getting home to watch the soccer game. Are you excited about golf being in the Olympics and the prospect of representing your country in 2016?
MIKA MIYAZATO: I want to play in the Olympics in 2016. I have a strong desire to be on the Japanese Olympic team and going to the Olympics. I will go for it.
Chella Choi, Rolex Rankings No. 52
THE MODERATOR: I'd like through welcome Chella Choi into the interview room. Thanks for coming in. Good round today. Could you take me through the day, tell me what you did well.
CHELLA CHOI: Very solid day today, starting 1st hole to 18 hole. But No. 5, rain came.
But, yeah, normally good, yeah.
THE MODERATOR: I know you have your dad on your bag, which he usually is. How much does that help to have someone you're familiar with out there?
CHELLA CHOI: I was 17 years old, so five years my father caddied for me. So very good caddie, I think.
THE MODERATOR: I know you started on the Epson Tour, how much did that help you develop as a professional golfer?
CHELLA CHOI: Epson Tour, 17 years old, 2008. And 2009, LPGA. Four years this year, yeah.
Q. (Questions regarding conditions.)
CHELLA CHOI: Green condition is a little bit slow, so I hit second shot, par 3 tee shot, par 5 third shot I hit the pin. Little bit easy than yesterday. Yesterday five yards before hole. You know what I mean?
THE MODERATOR: Do you know your stats today? How many putts and fairways did you hit?
CHELLA CHOI: I think 28 putts. I very had very solid day today, yeah.
Q. You had a chance to go to 6‑under on that last putt. How close was it to going in?
CHELLA CHOI: Maybe putting is short, so I try touch the hole tomorrow.
Q. How far away was the last putt?
CHELLA CHOI: Seven yards.
Q. How close was it to going in?
CHELLA CHOI: Just one feet.
Karine Icher, Rolex Rankings No. 57
THE MODERATOR: Now we have Karine Icher in the interview room. Good round. Can you just take me through what you did well.
KARINE ICHER: Yeah, was a good round. I love this course because we have a lot of opportunities to make some birdies, so it's fun to play. Good greens, good setup.
I had a really good putting, so that helps to make birdies. Hope to do the same tomorrow.
THE MODERATOR: We had a week off between Evian and now. I know you went home.
KARINE ICHER: Yeah, it was nice. I spent a week home. We saw the family, the friends. It's important because it's only one time per year.
We flew in on Monday. So we are a little bit on jetlag. But otherwise it was fun to see everybody and spend time in my country.
THE MODERATOR: Your husband is on the bag for you, and your daughter is at daycare. How is it traveling as a big family?
KARINE ICHER: It's super nice. We have to be really well‑organized. But it's fun to be parents. First we are parents, then player and caddie.
So far she traveling good. Now she sleeps finally after a year, so makes it easier. Before, when we were traveling, she didn't sleep well. So now she sleeps well and it makes easier for us.
It's cool to have her on the Tour and traveling with her. .
Q. Can you talk about your finish today, the last three holes. Going into that you were 2‑under, then you made a late charge to get up to the top of the leaderboard.
KARINE ICHER: I made birdie on No. 8. I was starting on 10, so 8 was my 17. On my front nine, I made three birdie in a row, gave me like some confidence for the rest of the course.
Right now we had a little bit of rain so the green was a little bit bumpy at the end. Maybe I had more opportunity to make birdie. Tomorrow I'm playing early, so hopefully we're going to have better greens and more chance.
Q. You never won a tournament. Is this the week? Are you feeling it?
KARINE ICHER: Maybe yeah, why not (laughter).
My game is good. I have to keep my putting that way. We'll see on Sunday. But there's so many good players, you always see like 62 or 63 on Sunday winning the tournament. Hope it's going to be me.
But I know there's going to be a lot of good players who going to shoot really low score. So we'll see on Saturday and Sunday.
Angela Stanford, Rolex Rankings No. 20
THE MODERATOR: Good round today. Take me through what you did well.
ANGELA STANFORD: A few things I think I did better today. I drove the ball better and I was putting a lot better.
I think any time you give yourself a chance from the fairway, then you're probably going to have more opportunities for birdie.
I got comfortable on the greens early, was just rolling it a lot better than I have been.
THE MODERATOR: Chella said it started raining on you all pretty hard out there. Did that affect you at all?
ANGELA STANFORD: No. We knew it was coming. When you know it's in the forecast, it doesn't surprise you.
Q. Did it actually serve to help you? Did it get soft on the greens where you could just go for it?
ANGELA STANFORD: I thought they were soft all day. Did it rain this morning also?
I think it helped because Tuesday when we played 9, I thought it was firm and fast. I think everybody thought the rain would help it a little bit, soften it up. I think everybody was okay with it raining out there.
Q. You were in a pretty successful group today. Did that help you to stay competitive or don't you pay attention to what the other players are doing?
ANGELA STANFORD: I usually don't pay attention. But as a whole, when a group is making a lot of birdies, it just seems like everybody's playing good. Usually that feels a lot better than everybody playing bad.
But I think as a whole, the group played really well. Sometimes I think that helps.
THE MODERATOR: The LPGA took a year off here last year. How does it feel to be back in Toledo?
ANGELA STANFORD: It feels great. It's nice to come back to events that have tradition built in the community and the fans are so supportive. It just feels really good because, you know, I think the one thing that our schedule can use more of is tradition, and tournaments like this really help that.
So it's nice to come back. It's great to come to a familiar place. I enjoy it.
Q. I don't know what your tee time will be tomorrow. You will probably have an earlier tee time. Do you like that? Would you prefer to get on the road, depending what the weather might do, get on and off the course?
ANGELA STANFORD: Yeah, I think anytime you can get out there and try to move up the leaderboard, get off the course, I think that's good.
For me, I'm not much of a morning person. I don't know if that's the right thing to say. I'm not a morning person, so sometimes it takes me a couple holes to wake up.
THE MODERATOR: I'd like to welcome Numa Gulyanamitta into the interview room. Thanks for joining us. Good round today, 5‑under par. Take me through the day.
NUMA GULYANAMITTA: Well, I start the day okay. Kind of like got a bogey, bounce back birdie, then birdie, bogey kind of thing.
Starting the back nine, I start rolling the ball good, start making putts. I hit the ball closer. I chip it in on nine. That's the start of things going good, like going up. It was kind of like an okay day, like just a normal day. I just happened to play good, made a couple putts that I need to.
I holed one long putt, that's all. Today it was kind of like short putts all day long.
THE MODERATOR: You're a rookie on the LPGA Tour. Can you tell me how the transition has gone for you so far?
NUMA GULYANAMITTA: It's been interesting. I've been trying to get used to the Tour and stuff, it's my first year. Don't really know where to go. First time I get to the tournament, I be like, Where am I supposed to go, where do I get my registration done? That's the first couple tournaments. Then after you've been doing that for a while, you get used to it. Now it's normal now. I can do anything like a normal LPGA player.
THE MODERATOR: Who is your Big Sister?
NUMA GULYANAMITTA: Heather Bowie Young.
THE MODERATOR: Has she helped you a lot?
NUMA GULYANAMITTA: Actually I don't even know. We never really talk to each other. Because if I have a question, I would ask my sister, Russy. She knows a lot, so I pretty much ask her and I never really use a Big Sister.
Everybody asked me who is my Big Sister the first time. I was like, I don't know, I have no idea, I have to go back and look it up. That's kind of bad. I have really bad communication with the other people.
THE MODERATOR: I don't think anyone knows, but your sister played on the LPGA Tour for a while. You don't get to see her a whole lot.
NUMA GULYANAMITTA: No, I don't. Not at all. We don't really keep contact with each other. It's going to be through my mom. My mom is going to tell me, Your sister is doing this, doing this. Then she's going to tell her what am I doing now instead of talking to each other, it's just going through people.
Q. What was the best part of your game today?
NUMA GULYANAMITTA: I would say it was the chipping part, like a short‑game kind of thing. I made a couple up‑and‑downs, really good ones, that I didn't expect to make it. I just happened to be good today, so that was good.
THE MODERATOR: You had a successful collegiate career. Do you think that's going to help you heading into the next few days?
NUMA GULYANAMITTA: Yeah, it's going to help me. It's been helping me a whole year. I have experience, a big thing, play in a big tournament kind of thing before. It's going to help me a little bit just get through the day, trying to be confident and keep my game going.
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