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Ladies European Tour

SOPHIA POPOV: “It’s the Highlight of the Summer”

Sophia Popov (Photo by Carmen Mandato/Getty Images)

Carnoustie, Angus, Scotland, UK

OLIVIA McMILLAN: Welcome back to the AIG Women’s Open, you are of course our defending champion, Sophia Popov, and it’s a pleasure to have you back in Scotland.

How are you feeling this week coming into it?

SOPHIA POPOV: It’s kind of cool to see, first of all, from the parking spot to all the life videos going on in the clubhouse and all the pictures just brings back a lot of memories of last year. Obviously a special week in my golf career. It’s a little bit emotional coming out here and it’s obviously a really cool venue.

OLIVIA McMILLAN: You said it’s been a little bit emotional. Can you tell us what those feelings were when you saw your car parking spot entering the championship and YOUR face is everywhere.

SOPHIA POPOV: Literally everywhere. Yeah, I just think it’s — it takes awhile. Like you only realise it once you get on-site and you do see your face everywhere and you realise, oh, my God, it’s been a year now and this is the event that changed so much for me. And I think up until last week, it was just a regular season and just keep playing, keep playing.

And then once I kind of set foot out here, it was like, okay, I’m coming here to truly enjoy this week, you know, regardless of what happens. This is my sixth or seventh week on the road now so obviously it’s kind of the highlight of the summer for or less for myself.

But again we are all probably a little tired at this point, but I think this is kind of energising me a lot just to be here and just the excitement surrounding the event.

Q. I know it was played at a different time of the year, slightly earlier in the year last year. Can you take us back to the Tuesday exactly your emotions, what your thoughts were about what you could achieve that week?

SOPHIA POPOV: You know, obviously last year was a completely different time, also just in my career where I was at at that moment.

It’s actually funny just playing my practise round today, it’s a lot of the same emotions I kind of go through that I had last year where it’s just I’m kind of excited to be back to play some links golf, and just enjoy the venue because it’s so special. It’s the site of my first AIG Women’s Open in 2011.

So it just brings back a lot of memories from having played here in 2011 and 2012, and so I think I’m just enjoying myself being out here and I think that’s very similar to last year. Just last year I didn’t know what was going to happen on Sunday, and I don’t know this year either.

Popov compares the course to the first time she set foot on it

Q. Having played the course before, does it feel different, the setup this week compared to the first time you were here?

SOPHIA POPOV: Yeah, maybe a little bit. I think that the one thing that stands out for me is we are playing 17 as a par 4 this year. We played it as a par 5 back in 2011. I think that made that final stretch a little bit more manageable. Now we’re looking at four pretty strong finishing holes with 15, 16, 17 and 18. So I think that you’re just going to have to be fully on. It wasn’t very much different at Troon either. I think the final stretch was not that easy but you did have 16 to relieve some of the pressure.

I think that’s going to be a little bit different. I think I didn’t really realise that quite as much in 2011 how tough that final stretch really is, so that’s kind of something that’s definitely noticeable this year. But other than that I think it’s playing very similar. But it all depends on the wind. We’re playing in a different wind than we’re going to have starting on Thursday. It all depends on that.

Q. Having backed up the win last year, you have a Solheim Cup on the horizon, how exciting is that?

SOPHIA POPOV: Yeah, it’s very exciting. I think a lot of times, I think I might even mentally get ahead of myself a little bit, just really looking forward to that week and the excitement of it always reminds me of all the great things that happened last year and this year.

The fact that the British Open, of course last year I played well and I won the tournament but I had to back it up with some other finishes to make that Solheim Cup team. I did that pretty well throughout end of last season and beginning of this season. Now I fully grasp the idea that I really belong on that team, and now I think I can really enjoy it and look forward to it.

Q. So much of your life has changed over the past year. What have you worked hard to keep the same?

SOPHIA POPOV: I think that just the enjoyment I guess of playing, and just trying to have a good time and a good mindset. I’ve caught myself the last six, seven weeks have been a little bit of a roller coater on the golf course just because it’s been very tiring I think with all the travel that we’ve been going through. I think I tried really hard to just stay in the moment, go hole-by-hole, shot-by-shot and not really think ahead too much because I think it’s just very easy, too, when you’re playing so much and you’re playing so many really big events to kind of get ahead of yourself a little bit and expecting a lot.

I think to this day, I just get to the golf course and I expect myself to play well all the time. Sometimes the body just doesn’t want to go the way you do, and mentally you’re fine but your body is just kind of tired or the other way around; your body is fine and you’re mentally little bit exhausted from the last few weeks.

I think just really enjoying being out there, especially this week, just to take it all in because I don’t know what’s going to happen this week and going forward.

So just being able to tee it up as at defending champion is something that’s very, very special and something I shouldn’t take too lightly either.

Popov has been through the process of trying to replace her caddie

Q. You had a very special caddie on the bag at Troon. What’s the process like trying to replace him?

SOPHIA POPOV: He’s irreplaceable. No, I talked to him yesterday and obviously Max is not just someone that’s really — I guess really good on the bag, but he’s obviously a great life partner. So I think in every department, he always says the right things at the right times and I think it’s very hard in that sense to replace him.

I think I’ve got a great caddie in Carlos on the bag this week, starting last week. He’s very calm. Reminds me a lot of Max, actually, in a lot of ways.

It’s tough because I know he’s not going to be there to — I don’t think he’s caddying any time soon. So I have to figure out a way to play golf without him, which I’ve done pretty well this year already. It’s nice to know that he’s only a phone call away and is supporting me from wherever he is.

Q. Current form, where is your game at now, would you say?

SOPHIA POPOV: I think that it’s actually in a better spot than I think it is. I think that I had some — I think about five, six weeks ago, I think just playing so much kind of made me a little bit tired and I think a couple mistakes were creeping in starting at the U.S. Open, especially after that week in Vegas that was just really long and grueling. I’ve been trying to keep it very, very simple and, I have over-complicated things a little bit for myself these last few weeks trying to be that perfect ball-striker that I think I can be, but it’s just not necessary around here.

You just have to pick good target and miss the ball in the right spots, and I think that’s what I’m getting back at. I think these practise rounds have been very good and I think it’s a lot more, I think mental effort for me than it is physical effort right now. So just kind of keeping my head in the game and making sure I stay very focussed and especially on some of the tougher shots.

Q. To be back at Carnoustie, it’s a special place and there are going to be thousands and thousands of Scottish golf fans there cheering you on. How special is that going to be?

SOPHIA POPOV: Yeah, it’s going to be amazing. It’s going to be awesome to kind of see the flipside of last year. Last year was very quiet in general just because we didn’t have any fans out there. I could see a lot of the people coming off the beach and they really wanted to watch some golf.

And I think it’s going to be great thing about this year everyone is looking forward to this so bad. I know Scottish fans are always awesome. I feel like they are very well known to cheer for everyone which is great. They know the game so well, so they know they can decipher golf shots from bad shots and I think that’s the greatest part of it, for them to also be really able to enjoy it because they weren’t able to enjoy it last year. I’m just as excited for the fans as I am for myself.

Q. About the Solheim Cup, how much has Catriona Matthew talked to you about what’s going to happen in a few weeks’ time or has she been leaving you alone to focus on this week?

SOPHIA POPOV: It’s been nice. She’s been texting me after every time I’ve been playing well and just to see how I’m doing and how I’m feeling. I got to play with her yesterday, which was very nice. We had a couple quick chats.

But also just about everything in general. I don’t think she’s just someone to talk to only for Solheim Cup purposes but for a lot of other stuff she’s been a great help. I think that now it’s a lot closer, we were able to have some conversations about it that obviously I won’t let anyone into. But it’s also a little bit early for her to talk about too much because she still has some picks to make.

I think that we, I guess, would try to help her as much as we can but it’s up to her at the end of the week. For the most part we just chatting about this week and really just looking forward. I think we are just very excited.

Q. Would you tell giving away anything that she’s told you, have those conversations made you more nervous, excited, petrified? How would you describe it?

SOPHIA POPOV: I think it calmed me down a lot. Someone with her experience and talking about things — everything she says sounds really calm. I think that’s the quite nice thing. I feel like there’s not so much pressure tied to things she says, too. She’s pretty laid back, and you take things as they come and at the same time, you know, she’s probably deep down excited and very nervous about what’s going to happen and how the team is going to shape up like this coming week. But I think that in general, our conversations have been very mellow.

And also I think a lot of the nerves I might have for this week. I’ve talked to so many players that have really given me great advice on it. So I’m starting to feel calmer and calmer, until I get to that first tee.

Sophia is ready to start!

Q. So you’re to the volunteering to hit the first tee shot on Saturday morning, will you?

SOPHIA POPOV: I’m definitely not hitting off the odds.

Q. Can you talk about the overall buzz that you’re hearing in the locker room of players being at Carnoustie? For many in the field, it’s their first or first time in a long time?

SOPHIA POPOV: It’s been pretty fun, actually. I think that there’s been this video that’s been like on a 20-second cycle going on in the clubhouse and everyone is just kind of like — I think everyone is fed up of seeing me to be honest. But it’s really funny because everyone just comes by. It’s like they call you defending champ and you’re like, okay.

Normally I’m way too humble of a person to even identify with something like that, but I know this week I can, so I’m just taking it all in. I’m like, yep, I’m defending. So I’m getting better at just accepting that and being all cool about it. But it’s pretty cool. It’s awesome and I think just for me and myself, you walk in the locker room and I have one of the first lockers obviously for all the previous winners and that’s just something that’s very cool and I honestly didn’t even know about until I got here.

OLIVIA McMILLAN: Thank you so much for being very generous with your time today. We really appreciate it and wish you the best of luck in your title defense at the AIG Women’s Open.

Interview transcript by asapsports.com

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Ladies European Tour Ladies Tours

LPGA Tour. Class recognizes class

Charley Hull, (25) from England, congratulates her mate Ryann O’Toole, from the USA, for her victory at the 2021 Women's Scottish Open

Charley Hull (25), from England had just arrived from playing the 2021 LPGA Women’s Scottish Open at Dumbarnie Links, in Fife, Scotland. Hull could not have been more consistent as she played four rounds of -3 (69) in a row, to finish T5 with a total of -12, and $46,478 more to her career earnings. Charley began playing with her father at Kettering Golf Club. She left school aged 13 to be home schooled, and started playing in amateur tournaments. She had her rookie year in 2015, when she only missed one cut, and she plans on continuing to compete with the best in the world. She is currently T34 in the Rolex Ranking, after she moved up 4 positions last weekend.

During the Women’s Scottish Open, Hull was tied for the leader with a total of -9 after the third round. However, Ryann O’Toole, from USA, signed a crazy final round of -8 (64) to win the tournament. O’Toole is currently ranked T71 in the Rolex Ranking, after she improved in 40 positions in Scotland. Golf is unpredictable and every shot makes a difference. Today, Charley Hull shared the victory of her mate O’Toole, recognizing the great work of hers and looking forward to come back to the course next weekend, or “the office” as she likes to call it, to compete at the 2021 AIG Women’s Open Championship, in Carnoustie Golf Links, Scotland, from August 19-22.

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Ladies European Tour Ladies Tours

Ryann O’Toole: “Words cannot describe what I am feeling right now”

Ryann O'Toole of United States (Photo: Getty Images)

Q. Here with the Trust Trust Golf Women’s Scottish Open after 11 years on Tour, how does it feel it walk away an LPGA Tour champion?

RYANN O’TOOLE: Words cannot describe what I am feeling right now. I still can’t even — it didn’t seem real. It seems very surreal, and definitely a dream come true. I can’t believe it’s taken this long to win but it’s finally here.

THE MODERATOR: You talked a little bit out there about kind of the mindset going into today. Yesterday you said, “I’m going for the win.” You co-led after the third round for the first time in your career. What were you thinking as you stepped to the first tee this morning?

RYANN O’TOOLE: The first three rounds, I think even the last couple of round, I’ve felt very calm, patient. I could tell that my game was getting there. I feel like I’ve just had this different sense to me this year where the game feels good and I know where the ball is going and I know what my swing is doing and if it gets off a little bit, I know how to fix it.

But for the most part, I felt staying patient was key. Even the last few events, I’ve been putting myself up there and couldn’t get that final fourth round going. I just think patience. It was never a playing issue or anything like that. It’s just getting things to fall or things kind of go your way.

This week I felt like I really started off strong. I kind of told myself going into this week, let’s get a first round a little lower than I typically have. Like I typically have a slow start, maybe 1- or 2-under but it was nice to shoot 4-under the first day, even given the circumstances of the weather, and then back it up the next day with another solid round.

To go into the weekend and shoot what I did I think I just stayed completely in the moment because I didn’t even think about shooting 8-under today.

THE MODERATOR: I was going to say, did it feel memorable to you when you were out there? Did you black out for a moment or during the round?

RYANN O’TOOLE: I honestly feel it was one shot at a time. There was moments I go to the bathroom and I’m sitting there by myself and it’s quiet and I’m, okay, don’t think about anything else, just back to what is the tee shot coming up. Or I would draw on my yardage book just to distract myself back to the present and not get ahead of myself.

Because at the end of the day I didn’t know what anybody else was doing. I know obviously what the girls in my group were doing, but there was plenty of girls that were right there that could have had a great day and had no idea. I didn’t know what the girls in front of us were doing but even groups ahead of that. Trying to stick to my game plan and hope that my caddie put me in position accordingly and if we needed to press or we needed to keep chugging along, so I think that went really well.

Q. What does it mean to win the first one in Scotland?

RYANN O’TOOLE: Having Irish in my background, O’Toole, I think regardless, winning over here, I guess take it back to my first year, second year on Tour and playing my first British Open and learning what true links was. I felt like I got my butt kicked.

And after that I was like, wow, there’s so much to learn and change and grasp on this style of golf and after that, I fell in love with it, how to hit a really low tee shot, how to play the contours of the green and the course and I just feel like I love this style of golf and to have this be my first win, it seems fitting.

Q. Where was the butt kicking?

RYANN O’TOOLE: Royal Liverpool. It blew. One of the rounds got called for the day. I had never played in anything like that, and I remember hitting tee shots that just flung across, like those aren’t going to work here.

Q. What do you draw on your yardage book?

RYANN O’TOOLE: Waves. Flowers. Imaging my happy place, being at the beach surfing. I just try to random stuff that’s easy to draw that just occupies my mind. I was drawing the 18th hole at St Andrews, stuff like that.

Q. Presumably after 228 or 227 (tournaments), did doubts begin to form that you would make that breakthrough?

RYANN O’TOOLE: Yeah, it definitely was one of those like as a kid I dreamed of being No. 1 and dreaming of going out there and being this athletic golfer that just added a spice to the game and then, you know, life doesn’t go that direction.

Yeah, you start pressing and putting doubt, and wondering, is my time ever going to come; do I have the ability to, you know, make this happen; are the stars going to align, because that’s what I felt like. I think this year, after last year, COVID year was hard. I didn’t get to play the Scottish or the British. I had got COVID so I was stuck in the States. I was so happy to be able to come over here and play this year.

But I just think with that whiplash of last year and just the uncertainty and the offness, it kind of just brought this motivation for this year to have steadiness back to our normal schedule and things like that. Things are going well. I’m working well with my coach, Jorge Prado, I’ve had him since 2014. He’s done wonders for my game. I don’t see myself ever having a different golf coach.

My caddie that I had this year, he retired last week go, figure. So me and Mikey I think work really well together. That was a surprise and something that I thought, wow, I thought — I didn’t think I would be changing caddies in the middle of this year. Didn’t hurt me.

I love where my equipment is at. PXG has done wonderful. This is my fifth year with them. I think their product has come a long, long way. I strike their irons really well. Driver is phenomenal. No complaints.

Q. More champagne tonight?

RYANN O’TOOLE: More champagne, yeah. Maybe more in my belly than on me.

O’Toole discusses her caddie change

Q. The caddie change, was that expected?

RYANN O’TOOLE: No. To be honest so we finished Evian on Sunday and walked off the green and he started crying and said, “I have to talk to you about something.”

I was like, “Am I in trouble? Was I mean? What happened?”

He said out of the blew that he’s homesick and is ready to retire and wants to start a family. Loves competing, but the downtime in the hotel room and stuff was eating at him. He wanted to be back home. What are you supposed to do? Can’t get mad or upset.

I would have loved him to stick around for the British, but I guess this worked out in the end. It’s just the little bit of difference that Mikey provided me. He really painted a picture with every shot, start it here, finish it here, and it’s like, no problem, I can do that, and away went this week.

Q. His surname?

RYANN O’TOOLE: Curry. Michael Curry.

Who was your old caddie? Reed Martin. Great guy. He came from the PGA TOUR and he’s going to go back to Korn Ferry and was like, let’s give the women’s tour a chance. Literally between him crying and telling me it was nothing to do with me, I think truly he just wanted to be home.

Q. How many years was he with you?

RYANN O’TOOLE: Just this year starting. He was working with Mark had you been barred for three years prior to me. But I think he’s about to ask his — I can’t actually say that, that would give it away. He’ll hopefully be engaged soon and has a dog and just life’s at home.

Q. How did you know Mike?

RYANN O’TOOLE: Him and Sophia split right after Evian and so I know he was looking. To be honest I wanted him at the beginning of the year. So I reached out at the beginning of the year and he had already committed to Sophia Popov. So, well, here I am now.

She really enjoyed the Links Course

Q. My first question is: Do you think links golf brings out the best in you and fits your personality the best?

RYANN O’TOOLE: I don’t know how to take that question, fits my personality the best. A little sparky, is that what you’re saying?

I do. I think links, especially when it’s windy, challenges the ball-striker. I feel like my best part of my game is my iron play. I would think so. And then being able to have that really low tee driver helps in the wind, so if it’s any crosswind or anything like that, I really don’t sit on the tee box and fear where the heck the ball is going to go. I think the biggest challenge for me this week was getting the speeds down on the greens, whether we were into the wind or downwind. I just feel like having it being windy, the greens are not running what we’re used to. I just felt like what I always felt good on 5-footers or anything, just trying to get it to the hole. I never had an issue getting a putt to the hole and this week I left a lot in the jar, but I guess it still worked out.

Q. You’ve had a really consistent year. You said that things are just aligning. Is there one area or one decision that you made that you really feel has set you on this path to the winner’s circle this year?

RYANN O’TOOLE: You know, I think you get to a point in your life where you’re sitting here going, okay, I’m getting married in December, and okay, my clock’s ticking, I want to have kids. Like how much longer am I going to be out here. I thought maybe this year would be my last year or I don’t even know, I haven’t even really announced that. I’ve been kind of playing it by ear.

I think just kind of letting go of this, I’ve got to make something happen, I’ve got to do this; it’s just accepting there’s more to life. There’s a future of other things, and I think that just kind of eased up out here rather than the pressure of just making the pressure — I’m Ryann in a lot of different ways rather than just Ryann the golfer.

I feel like it’s been a long time coming as far as all the work and effort I’ve been putting towards getting to where I am today. It’s always a combination of where your swing is at, where your head is at, your team with your caddie, I think that makes a huge difference. It’s a partnership out there, and how you guys communicate and all that. It’s funny, this is the first week we worked together and I win. So, who knows? I’m excited to see what happens next week.

Q. So did what happened today just prolong your career for certain?

RYANN O’TOOLE: Don’t tell Gina. I don’t know. I’m trying to figure that out. I’ve never wanted to be a mom on Tour as far as having a kid and doing all that. It doesn’t sound fun to me. But at the same time, I don’t know if I could stop playing golf now.

THE MODERATOR: Speaking of Gina, there is a question on Zoom. We saw Gina on the green there watching you walk up 18 and you saw the emotion from her and the emotion from the two of you when she was able to pour champagne on you. What does it mean for to you have this win with her on the green and just the journey that you two have been on to get to this moment?

RYANN O’TOOLE: You know, I said earlier, winning, there’s plenty of weeks I’ve been out here by myself and my parents or Gina haven’t been out here. You think of whipping and you’re like who, will be out there to pure champagne on you or who is going to be there to greet you or who has been next to you on the off weeks or next to you when you cried because you were frustrated of missing cut or not playing well on the weekend or whatever.

She’s definitely been there for me. She’s always been on the other end, every time I go to play, I call her before I tee off, right when I get done, just talk about my round or to wish me luck. To see the emotion in her and to be there, she knows how hard I work and how much that this game has cut me open and how much this game has now given back to me.

It’s so nice to be able to share that, and to be myself out there and to have her greet me on the green and just live in a world today that I’m not scared to hide that.

THE MODERATOR: I love that — sorry.

RYANN O’TOOLE: Thanks.

THE MODERATOR: Carnoustie is ahead of us next week. What are your thoughts and obviously going in with a win, how much confidence are you feeling in your game after what you were able to do on the links?

RYANN O’TOOLE: I want to go in with the same game plan as this week. Obviously expectations are going to be different. I don’t see how they can’t be; I’d be lying to myself. But I just think proving that I can do it, if I take the game that I had this week, there’s no reason that I don’t have a shot next week. I always wanted to see what happens when I break the seal, what would happen to the future.

Q. So I hope it’s okay if I ask this, but if you were going to retire at the end of this year and you hadn’t won, how would that have eaten at you? How big of a hole was that?

RYANN O’TOOLE: Between you and I, it definitely would have ate at me. I definitely feel like it would have been unfinished business and something I never would have known what the feel is. Now that I’ve had a taste, I feel like that’s going to be a hard one to give up.

So I might have to like have a little chat and figure out what my next steps are. There was honestly no actual set plan to retire. It was just a question of, my clock’s ticking, and I know that as a female, and what do I want to do going forward.

But that mainly was the thought process. My sister just had a kid and she’s like, he needs cousins, let’s golf I’m just like, oh my gosh, okay. Hang on.

So I’m still trying to figure out like one step at a time, just one week at time a time.

THE MODERATOR: Where is the trophy going to go?

RYANN O’TOOLE: I think I need a trophy room. I do. I really think so. It’s going to go in my pillow between — next to me tonight maybe. But till then, maybe I can start making something in my gym at home.

Categories
Ladies Tours

Olympic Golf: Women’s Round Three Update

USA's Nelly Korda at the womens golf individual stroke play during the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games (Photo: Getty Images)

Nelly Korda Maintains Lead with One Round Remaining

Kawagoe, Saitama, Japan – The Nelly Korda Show continued on Friday at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics. The Team USA star and World No. 1 player shot a third-round 2-under 69 and maintained her lead at -15 through 54 holes.

Korda holds a three-stroke advantage on the coveted gold medal over India’s Aditi Ashok at -12 and a five-stroke lead over 2016 silver medalist Lydia Ko, Hannah Green, Emily Kristine Pedersen and Mone Inami, all tied for third at -10.

“I’m trying to stay as present as possible. I’m trying to stick to my game plan, trying to execute it,” said, Korda, a six-time LPGA Tour winner who is making her Olympics debut. “Obviously there’s going to be times where I’m going to not hit a shot well and that’s going to stray me from my game plan but I’m just really keeping my mind stuck to my game plan.”

After opening with birdies at 2, 5 and 6, Korda stumbled with a three-putt bogey at the par-5 8th hole. But she had smooth sailing from there, converting 10 consecutive pars to close her round. She pointed to her “fight” on the back nine, dropping in several dicey par saves.

“I didn’t have a really good back nine,” said Korda. “I was kind of spraying it all over the place, I had some testy par putts, but made all pars and I fought really hard to stay in it really or ahead of it.”

Jessica Korda, Nelly’s older sister by five years, is the next highest American, sitting tied for 29th at -2 overall. She was even-par for the day through 17 holes but double-bogeyed 18 to finish at 2-over 73.

Lexi Thompson and Danielle Kang round out the American contingent, tied for 34th at -1. Thompson shot her low round of the competition, with a 2-under 69 on Friday, while Kang carded five bogeys and two birdies en route to a 3-over 74.

Due to the high heat and potential for dangerous storms throughout the day, fourth-round play will start off the first and 10th tees, starting at 6:30 a.m. local time.

Interview transcript by Ladies Professional Golf Association

Categories
Ladies Tours

Nanna Madsen: Olympic Golf Round Two Update

Nanna Koerstz Madsen in round 2 of the womens golf individual stroke play during the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games. (Photo: Getty Images)

Nanna Madsen is a professional Danish Golfer and is competing in the 2021 Tokyo Olympic Games. After finishing the second round with a total of -9 under-par (69-64), she is currently T2 defending the silver medal, only four shots from the lead. She previously represented her country at the 2016 Olympic Games where she finished at T13.

Madsens’s Career Highlights

Her career highlights include:

-In 2019 she recorded two top-10 finishes and tied her career-highest finish of second at the Indy Women in Tech Championship and ranked seventh on Tour in average driving distance (275.20)

-In 2018 she recorded a season-best T15 result at the Thornberry Creek LPGA Classic and Finished T11 at the inaugural LPGA Q-Series to earn Priority List Category 14 status for the 2019 season

-In 2017 she was three-time winner asa Symetra Tour rookie led her to become the 12th player in Tour history to earn a “Battlefield Promotion” to the LPGA Tour, playing in three events between late August and early September. Madesen made the cut in 12 of 13 events, earning eight top-10 finishes and led the Tour in scoring average (69.69).

Nanna Madsen is 26 years old and Koerstz Madsen started playing golf at an early age…Her family has influenced her the most…Hobbies include going to the gym, shopping, watching movies and traveling. She is also a active user on social media where she just posted her Olympic Round Two Scorecard. Take a look!

Information from the offical LPGA website

Categories
Ladies Tours

Henrik Stenson Congratulates Annika Sörenstam On Her Victory

A photo of Henrik Stenson by Getty Images

Stenson gives a heart warming congratulations to his fellow Swedish golfer, Annika Sörenstam. Sörenstam shot a 4-under-par 68 to go wire-to-wire and coast to an 8-shot victory at the third U.S. Senior Women’s Open. “Everything felt so good.. and today I really felt like I played very, very well. To come in here on Sunday knowing what I had to do and I did it, obviously I’m very happy” said Sörenstam when interviewed after receiving the championship trophy for the Senior Women’s Championship 2021 which was played at Brooklawn Country Club.

Categories
Ladies Tours

Olivia Mehaffey: “If I could choose any tournament to have my LPGA debut, I don’t think I could pick a better one.”

Olivia Mehaffey debuts in the LPGA at the ISPS HANDA World Invitational 2021

August 1, 2021

Olivia Mehaffey

Northern Ireland

Galgorm Castle & Massereene Golf Club
Quick Quotes

Q. How was the LPGA pro debut right down the street from your hometown?

OLIVIA MEHAFFEY: Yeah, if I could choose any tournament to have my LPGA debut, I don’t think I could pick a better one. I had my family, friends, my sponsor, so many people that mean a lot to me this week, and walking down 18 was very special for me.

As debuts go, I think this was a pretty good one.

Q. On the course game-wise looked like you figured some things out and turned in an overall good performance. How do you feel about the way you played?

OLIVIA MEHAFFEY: Yeah, it was really good. I had a really bad practice round on Monday and I texted my coach and I’m like, I’ve had the worst practice round of my life. Help me now.

And it was just kind of mentally we worked through it, and that’s why it’s so nice to have such an experienced caddie. He’s been on the European Tour, LPGA for so long. He really kept me calm.

We were here on Wednesday and played a little 5-4 match, which was cool, and that’s one of the unique things about this event.

Pretty happy with it overall.

Q. Who’s the caddie and who is the coach?

OLIVIA MEHAFFEY: Gary du Plooy and Jorge Parada.

Q. He works with Carlota.

OLIVIA MEHAFFEY: Carlota, Giulia, he helps Ryann, too.

Q. Q-School in two, three weeks?

OLIVIA MEHAFFEY: Yes.

Q. What does the travel plan and game plan look like to prepare for that?

OLIVIA MEHAFFEY: Going to spend another week at home. Always try to get a little bit of time here when I can, and head back to Arizona and practice for a week and head out to Palm Springs.

Q. Get adjusted to the heat?

OLIVIA MEHAFFEY: Get used to the heat again.

Press Release by ASAP Sports

Categories
Ladies Tours

2021 Taiwan Swinging Skirts LPGA is cancelled. Covid-19 pledges guilty

LPGA announces that the 2021 Taiwan Swinging Skirts has been cancelled due to COVID-19

LPGA Statement on the 2021 Taiwan Swinging Skirts LPGA

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla., (July 29, 2021) – Due to ongoing travel and border restrictions as well as the current health concerns regarding the COVID-19 pandemic, the LPGA Tour and Swinging Skirts Golf Foundation announced today that the 2021 Taiwan Swinging Skirts LPGA, originally scheduled for Oct. 28-31, is cancelled further the advice of the government.

We are thankful to Swinging Skirts, the Sports Administration, Ministry of Education, GAROC, and IMG for their continued support and efforts in trying to conduct the 2021 tournament. The LPGA Tour and Swinging Skirts remain committed in the event’s return to the 2022 Tour schedule.
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Press Release by Christina Lance, Director, Tour Media, LPGA

Categories
Ladies Tours

Laura Davies: “feels like going back 30 years when I first got on Tour..”

Photo: Laura Davies at the Senior Women's Open 2021. (Photo: Getty Images)

Brooklawn Country Club

THE MODERATOR: Good afternoon. We are here with 2018 champion Laura Davies. It’s been two years since we’ve had this event, but let’s jump back to 2018. What do you remember about that win?

LAURA DAVIES: Just an unbelievable week. I played probably some of the best golf of my life in any tournament I’ve ever played in, and it just so happened to be in that inaugural U.S. Senior Open and one of the highlights of my career. I never thought I’d be saying that, but it’s true.

THE MODERATOR: Now with this one-year break and we’re back, how does it feel to be back with this group at this championship?

LAURA DAVIES: It’s brilliant. We all missed it last year for sure, but for obvious reasons nothing we can do about it.

But played the course this morning. See a lot of the old faces I haven’t seen, getting on for two years now, and yeah, it’s just nice. It feels comfortable. It feels like going back 30 years when I first got on Tour because it’s the same group of players.

THE MODERATOR: Talk about the course and what it’s going to take to be successful here.

LAURA DAVIES: You’ll have to putt well. You’ll have to keep it — not even short of the pins, pin high, because short you’re coming off the front, long you’ve got no putt, so distance control will be a massive key.

Fairways are generous. Par-5s are reachable, some of them. There’s a couple that are probably lay-ups, but overall just a very fair test, apart from the greens. I don’t know if they’re fair, but they’re there for sure. They’re going to be a huge part this week.

Q. Do you not like the fact that you can’t hit it above the pin? Is that the unfairness of it?

LAURA DAVIES: Oh, no, I’m not saying it’s unfair by any means, but you just know what you’ve got to do. Pin high is your friend. Short and long is definitely not your friend. You can even miss it pin high and still have some easy chips, especially if you miss it to the low side of the green. But that’s what the practice rounds are all about. Very important this week to get to know the course and get to know — not that you’re ever trying to miss a green, but the safe side for some of the tougher pins.

But no, no, don’t get me wrong, the greens are what they are, but we now have to deal with some serious problems around them if you get a bit scrappy with your distance control.

Davies is excited to get back out there

Q. Is there excitement because of the year off and to get back out and be competitive and play the tournaments that you can?

LAURA DAVIES: Yeah, definitely. I’ve played — I don’t know the exact number, but I think this is my 12th tournament in two years because I’ve not been playing the LPGA because I’m fed up with people sticking things up my nose and down my — it’s just all of the COVID testing is just — it puts you off. It really does.

I’ve tended not to play that much. So now having said that, the chance to come and play here — I even withdrew from Evian last week just in case I got COVID or anything and I really wanted to play in this event, so I withdrew from a major, which if you’d have told me that 10 years ago I’d say don’t be ridiculous, but that’s how important this one is to me and all the other players.

THE MODERATOR: One unique part of this event is as women turn 50 we’re seeing new faces. Talk a little bit about that class that’s coming in, Pat, Catriona, Annika and what it means for the future of this championship.

LAURA DAVIES: It’s the lifeblood of this tournament. You have to have the — I was initially keen on the 45-year-olds getting in. I thought that would have been a good mark, but USGA stood firm and that’s fine.

Maybe the first couple of years the field was a little bit weaker from the pro ranks. A lot of the great amateurs still played, but now we’ve got the big guns are coming, Annika — talking the distance control, could be right up her alley this week because that was the mark of her game.

It’s just lovely that the older players, we’ve got the youngsters to go up against now. Poor old JoAnne, she’s 80-odd, so she’s really got some youngsters to go against.

Q. This is a lot of kind of a homecoming for you guys this week. It seems like this is almost a sorority; everybody is friends, everybody is cutting up, having a lot of fun. How exciting is it for you to be back kind of amongst friends and amongst people you care about after such a hard year last year?

LAURA DAVIES: Yeah, it’s absolutely brilliant. Like I said, it’s the girls I used to play with 30 years ago when I was a rookie on the LPGA Tour, so yeah, it’s just really nice. There’s faces I haven’t seen for a very long time. Obviously they’ve probably only just turned 50; might have seen them on a few of the Legends events, but everyone is just having fun because we know we’re lucky, we’re 50 and we’re still playing top tournament golf, and we appreciate that.

Q. How difficult is it to stage a tournament that’s challenging for an Annika, people who are 50, and yet still someone like a JoAnne still has a place in it? How difficult is it to kind of walk that line and stage an event like this?

LAURA DAVIES: I think the distances we’re playing, they’ve done it pretty well. I’ve only played, to be fair, 13 holes because I’m going to play the last six or seven tomorrow as practice.

But the distance is if you hit the fairways — I think if the shorter hitters start missing fairways, they’re going to have some real problems, but if you can hit the fairways, I think distance-wise it’s a very, very fair course. If the longer hitters, the younger players can start hitting the fairways a lot further down, then the scoring might be really good like it was in Chicago.

But you know, you just do your best and hope everyone enjoys their week. Obviously some of the older players, they’re not looking to win it, they’re looking to have a really good week and hopefully make the cut. That’s the way I feel on the LPGA Tour now; if I have a good week I’ve made the cut and have a chance to have a decent finish on Sunday, and that’s maybe the way some of them are feeling this week.

Q. I guess it begs the question will you continue to play when you’re Joanne’s age?

LAURA DAVIES: Oh, absolutely, yeah, I can’t wait. Me and JoAnne, she’ll be 100, I’ll be about 80-odd. It’ll be great, though. I can’t wait for that match.

Interview transcript by asapsports.com

Categories
LPGA Tour

World No 1 Nelly Korda: “I would never miss a major.”

Evian Championship 2021. Kelly Korda: Getty Images

July 21, 2021

Nelly Korda

Evian-les-Bains, France

Evian Resort Golf Club

Press Conference

THE MODERATOR: Welcome back to the media center here. Nelly Korda, making her 13th start of the LPGA season, a Tour-leading three victories, including the KPMG Women’s PGA Championship, where she moved to World No. 1.

Making your fourth appearance here at Evian, best finish in 2019 of T25. Welcome back to Evian. We missed this place last year. Inbee said she didn’t realize how much she missed it until she got here. What’s it like to be back here at Lake Geneva?

NELLY KORDA: It’s so nice, especially this time of year. The atmosphere is amazing and the views are amazing and the weather. Nothing can beat this.

THE MODERATOR: What have the last couple days been like, getting in, getting transitioned over from the States where you played last week? It’s never easy to cross borders, even more difficult now, but how are you feeling as you get ready for this next major?

NELLY KORDA: I feel honestly pretty good. I feel like the first day when you’re overseas with the time change is very important, so I made sure to stay up past 9:00, which was really hard, but I did, and I slept through the night. I feel like once you get that first night in, it’s a lot easier.

Q. I know you’ve been here since Monday, so had a couple days to see the golf course yesterday, the pro-am today. I know it’s kind of wet but it’s drying out pretty well. How does the golf course look right now?

NELLY KORDA: Yeah, I know they got a lot of rain last week. It is a lot softer than typically, what it usually plays like, but the rough is thick, so I think that’s going to play a huge part, hitting fairways, and then the greens are always difficult.

I think it’s still very difficult, but it’s definitely a lot more wet than it has been.

Q. This is your first time coming to a major as world No. 1. Having a major already under your belt, how does that feel? Is it any added pressure? Does that change your game at all?

NELLY KORDA: I don’t think it changes my game. It’s definitely cool. It’s a cool feeling. I’m very proud of it. But again, Jess kind of said it last week in an interview we did, she was like, yeah, everyone is now coming after her, so in a sense, I’m like, that’s right. But it’s a new week, and every week I go into a tournament with a new mindset. It doesn’t matter the ranking.

Q. At Dow you and your caddie Jason got the caddie bib presentation. He gets the green bib again this week. Is that a fun thing to do now?

NELLY KORDA: Yeah, I think it’s fun for him, too, and it’s just a couple goals you get to check off, so it’s nice.

Q. You two seem to have a great relationship. Tell us, how long has he been on your bag? I know he’s been on your bag for a while, and how much does he help you with your game?

NELLY KORDA: Yeah, we were actually talking about it today with our pro-am group, this is our fourth year working together. He’s like everything. He’s obviously caddie, he’s like a big brother, psychologist sometimes, but also my biggest supporter, and he’s always in my corner, and super grateful for him.

Q. Do you really rely on his vision out on the golf course? Are you someone who relies on a caddie for their help and expertise?

NELLY KORDA: Yeah, we do a good bit of teamwork. On the greens not so much, but everything else he gets involved.

Q. I saw him out walking the course yesterday. I got a little tour out there to see what it was like and I know he was doing a lot of scouting. How does that help you and how do you feel like you’ve gotten to know the course better over the years that you’ve played here?

NELLY KORDA: Yeah, I mean, definitely. I feel like the more you play out here, the more you kind of learn about the bounces and where to hit it and whatnot, what part of the hole to be on on the greens. So I feel like we’re constantly both learning.

Two years ago was my best finish, but I definitely — a big goal is to contend in these tournaments, so just kind of trying to figure it out a little bit more each year helps.

Q. What is the toughest part of this course for you that you really have to focus on?

NELLY KORDA: You know, you can hit good shots and you get a really bad bounce and you’re just in an impossible position. You can hit a bad shot and it trickles up there and you sink it for birdie. So it’s more of just like a mental aspect and also just knowing where to miss.

Q. Going on to the Olympics and now you’re here playing as No. 1, what difference does this make in overall attitude, preparation? Are you doing things differently? And are you going to prepare differently for the Olympics?

NELLY KORDA: With the ranking?

Q. Yeah.

NELLY KORDA: No, not at all. At the end of the day you have the same game plan going into every week, and a ranking in a sense is a ranking and it’s a huge accomplishment, but when it comes to game plans, I stick to the same thing every week despite my ranking. I could be 30th in the world or I could be whatever, I’m still going to go into every week with the same game plan.

Q. Is there a difference between the Olympics and the majors for you?

NELLY KORDA: I mean, they’re all very big events. It doesn’t matter if it’s a small event or if it’s a major. I’m going to go into every week with the same mindset and the same preparation because at the end of the day you go into any type of event wanting to win.

Q. Is there anything that you did during the COVID downtime that got you away from golf that was like a new hobby, a new activity, just because you weren’t out on the golf course and you had extra time that you enjoyed?

NELLY KORDA: I actually — honestly Florida was kind of functioning normally, so I actually played a lot of golf. I didn’t really kind of step away from the game. I worked out. I just kind of stuck to a routine so I wouldn’t go completely crazy.

Q. We had Inbee in here before, and we’ve heard from a lot of medal winners, especially Shanshan, how much winning a medal impacted the growth of the game in their country. What do you think an American winning a medal in Tokyo would do for the game of golf and maybe for you personally as Nelly Korda, the person, the personality?

NELLY KORDA: Yeah, it would be a huge accomplishment and be really special. I think we’re at the point that even winning a major is growing the game. Playing just a regular tournament is growing a game, but there’s nothing like the Olympics. It’s every four years. It’s a huge honor even to just be an Olympian, so I feel like anytime you’re on that kind of stage and have a chance to grow the game of golf is really special.

Q. I know we’ve seen a lot of requests coming in for interviews with you and your sister. I saw you guys were featured on ESPN’s Instagram and on instyle.com, all sorts of things. How cool is that to see you popping up in all these not-golf places?

NELLY KORDA: Yeah, it’s super special. Honestly the week of KPMG, I think I was more nervous for (indiscernible) than anything else, so I was really happy to see that she played well. We’re both going to the Olympics together.

Honestly it’s a huge honor, and we’re just super excited and grateful for everything.

Q. I know it’s not going to be maybe our normal week in Tokyo, but what are you most looking forward to during that week there? I know you’re going to try to go over and see some of the men’s competition perhaps.

NELLY KORDA: Yeah, I think I’ll get to see their final day, so I think that’ll be really exciting because I don’t remember the last time I’ve been to, in a sense, a men’s event, but just the experience repping red, white and blue is going to be a lot of fun, and to call each other Olympians, only the females in the Korda household will be Olympians, so that’ll be really cool.

Q. Has your family been able to spend a lot of time together since Sebby’s run at Wimbledon? I know you’ve talked about your Drive On video that came out this week, but how dang athletic is your family? It’s unfair.

NELLY KORDA: We’re very sport oriented. I actually spent the week before Dow with my brother. I didn’t see him for a couple months, so it was really nice to spend some time with him and my dad. Jess unfortunately, she was at Marathon competing, so she wasn’t — she was like, I have really bad FOMO right now. That’s all we were getting in her text messages.

But it was really nice to see him, and he’s playing well. He’s putting in a lot of work, and it’s just super exciting to see it pay off and to see him do what he loves.

Q. What’s the key to the success in the family? I know you’ve learned a lot from your dad and certainly from your mom, but is it kind of a family way of working towards common athletic goals?

NELLY KORDA: Yeah, honestly, I don’t even know. I can’t even answer the question in a sense because we had like a lot of structure obviously growing up, but like it didn’t even like hit us that we’re like doing something like this. It’s like more of like this is our everyday kind of thing, like we’re just going about our business, pushing each other, talking about sports, seeing how maybe we can do something better, be better people, be better athletes. We just like go about our business and kind of keep our heads down and just tread along, in a sense.

Q. Since the major win, since you’ve been No. 1 now, and Christina mentioned some of the magazines and things like that, what have been the demands like, and have you been having to use the word “no” quite a few times?

NELLY KORDA: I don’t know, ask my agent that.

Q. So it’s filtered?

NELLY KORDA: Yeah, usually my dad and my agent handle that. But yeah, it’s been exciting. It’s been cool. It’s just been really special, and sometimes I’m just — I’m like, pinch me; is this even real?

Q. But is that something that maybe within the family dynamic can help because time can be demanding for you and you’re in a bit of a busy spell right now?

NELLY KORDA: Yeah, I mean, are you saying like is it nice to just be around family?

Q. Well, not necessarily that, but it would be easy for you if you said yes to all your demands for your time to be sort of diverting away from what you need to be doing.

NELLY KORDA: I feel like we’re constantly busy, like we’re constantly on the go, and obviously last year with COVID it was really tough because we have such a busy schedule always, so it was nice to have structure.

But yeah, I mean, in a sense I’m kind of used to the busy schedule. When I’m home for a little, I’m like, okay, I’m ready to go on the road again.

Q. What are your thoughts on some of the French players here?

NELLY KORDA: Yeah, I know Celine. I played with her a couple weeks ago. She’s a very solid player. She putts really well, which is going to be very important out here this week, and I think she got actually longer off the tee, which I noticed when I played with her last. Because it’s soft, it’s probably an advantage to the longer players because it won’t roll out, but in all she’s a really solid player, and I don’t know what her past finishes have been out here, but I feel like she could do well out here.

Q. What would you say about the greens?

NELLY KORDA: I would say kind of funky, very difficult, a lot of ridges. I think that’s the golf course’s defense, in a sense, is like the greens, especially if they get firm and fast. They’re very tricky.

Q. We had Inbee in here right before you, certainly the defending gold medal winner. What do you remember about the first time you watched Inbee up close playing golf? Do you remember when that was and just your thoughts on as a kid watching Inbee?

NELLY KORDA: I think the first memory that pops into my head is playing British Open with her. I played the first two rounds with her at Kingsbarns, and I was like, oh, my God, she looks at something and makes it. Like I want to be her. She’s just a very solid player.

She’s very nice. Not many people — she doesn’t really speak too much, but when she does, she’s very welcoming and very nice, so that’s kind of like the first thing I thought about.

Q. You’ve got a major win under your belt. What are your goals for the rest of the year?

NELLY KORDA: Well, I think my biggest goal was just to stay healthy this year, so if I can pull that off, that would be great.

As in the whole year, I don’t know, probably just to contend in a couple more events, and I have a couple big events coming up. We have this week, then we have Olympics, another major and Solheim. As I said, to stay healthy and just to stay consistent.

Q. How are you planning to manage your time over this next month because this is a crazy stretch coming up, to keep yourself well mentally and physically?

NELLY KORDA: Well, I bought a gaming laptop, so I am gaming a little, just to try and keep my mind off of things. You kind of need a way to kind of escape a little sometimes, so I was like, hmm, may as well try it out. Other than that, just rest and take it easy. A lot of people put a lot of pressure on these weeks and they tire themselves out so much, especially mentally, and I think if you’re tired mentally then — which I’ve learned in the past, you’re just dead, drained.

Q. What games are you playing?

NELLY KORDA: Right now Call of Duty, Modern Warfare. But when I was a kid I really liked the card games, so I may download one of those. Complete nerd coming out of me right now.

Q. We’ve got a great field. You’re headlining a great field, but we have some names who skipped this to play the Olympics. What are your thoughts on that and why are you here to play this week?

NELLY KORDA: Each to their own when it comes to a schedule. I know a couple of top girls are missing this week just because it was a lot of travel, a lot of big events coming up. At the end of the day I think they’re just thinking about how their bodies are going to be and not tiring themselves out. But I would never miss a major.

THE MODERATOR: We’re glad to have you here. Thanks so much. We’ll see you later this week.

<em>Press Release by ASAP Sports</em>