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Ladies European Tour Ladies Tours Live

Charley Hull: “I prefer playing links when it’s windy.”

Charley Hull during the Pro-Am round in Carnoustie, in Scotland, at the 2021 AIG Women's Open

AIG WOMEN’S OPEN

August 18, 2021

Charley Hull

Carnoustie, Angus, Scotland, UK

Press Conference

THE MODERATOR: We are joined by Charley Hull here at the AIG Women’s Open. You’ve had a chance to go out and see Carnoustie. How much are you looking forward to play this weekend and hopefully contending?

CHARLEY HULL: Yeah, I played this morning in the Pro-Am. It was really fun. It was in great condition. It’s good. It’s playing a good length, like it’s not too long either. Even though it’s playing nearly 400 yards longer than they played it last time, gets. I like it. It’s in great condition.

THE MODERATOR: The challenge, is that something you relish?

CHARLEY HULL: Usually I find them very challenging but after last week I feel like I’m in a good head space. Last week’s golf course was good and felt it was a great warmup for this week. I feel confident in my game at the minute.

Q. Wanted to get your view on Nelly Korda’s performances this summer and how do you feel getting drawn with her? Is that a good thing, recognition of your profile? How do you see it?

CHARLEY HULL: Yeah, played with her quite a few times this year. She’s playing really good. It’s really good what she’s doing for the game. She’s good fun to play with. I really enjoy it. It’s great.

Q. What do you mean, just raising the profile of the game?

CHARLEY HULL: Yeah, like winning. It’s good to see like an American player like playing really well. I just think it’s good. Like she’s a nice girl.

Q. We saw there that the prize fund for the competition has gone up quite significantly. Obviously this is a great thing for women’s golf, but how much do you feel that women’s golf’s is on the rise, and is getting that recognition?

CHARLEY HULL: Yeah, I think it’s brilliant. Obviously I think the prize fund has gone up, what is it — what has it gone up to? Next year it’s going to go up to 6.8. I think that’s brilliant, and a bit this year. I think it’s great. It’s getting a lot more recognisation [sic] which is good. I think it deserves that. Yeah, I think it’s brilliant.

Q. You spoke about going out with Nelly Korda. How significant could that be for your game in terms of raising your game this week?

CHARLEY HULL: Yeah, like I said, I don’t really take too much notice of who I play with, as long as they are not slow, I enjoy it, and Nelly is a fast player, so it will be good fun.

Q. You’ve had a chance to get a bit of a feel for Carnoustie. What do you make of it overall, the course, and it’s reputation? What have you made of it so far?

CHARLEY HULL: It’s really good. Great condition. The fairways are playing firm and the greens are playing soft. Be nice if they could get the greens a bit more firmer. Yeah, I just think it’s in great condition. It’s nice. Hopefully the wind stays up as well. I prefer playing links when it’s windy.

Q. And what are your hopes for this week?

CHARLEY HULL: Obviously I would like to go and win. I feel like my game is in good condition. My main goal this week is to go out and have fun. I play my best golf when I’m having fun and smiling. That’s my main focus.

Q. Just picking up on the prize money, do you think the women’s game is closing in on the men’s game or sticking at the same feel? How is that dynamic working?

CHARLEY HULL: I think it’s getting better and better and better definitely. I don’t actually take too much notice of it myself, but yeah, I think it’s definitely getting better. Obviously because it’s shown, more media is coming towards it and once you get more media and show it more on TV it’s going to generate more money for sponsors to want to, like, sponsor it. I think it’s good.

Q. In terms of the growth of the women’s game, is visibility the key? Is that what you think is the key to drive people to follow it and participate?

CHARLEY HULL: Yeah, 100 per cent. I think especially for young girls, as well, because they obviously think it’s an old man’s sport and it’s boring, and it’s really not. I feel like this new breed of players that’s all coming through, it’s all helping the growth of the game.

Q. And do you enjoy that, allowing people to get to know you more and showing your personality?

CHARLEY HULL: Yeah, definitely. I feel like I’m quite a bubbly personality. Say what I think. Just go out there and have fun and I feel like more people should be like that. It’s nice to see that, you know, like interact with the crowds and stuff, and that’s what I’ve been doing a bit more lately and I think it’s fun — well, when we do have crowds, because of COVID, but it’s coming back to normal.

THE MODERATOR: Thank you very much for your time and very best of luck.

Interview Transcript by ASAP Sports

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Ladies Tours Live

Georgia Hall: “To be crowned champion again would be amazing and that’s definitely one of my goals.”

Georgia Hall is feeling confident about her golf game in Carnoustie, Scotland at the 2021 AIG Women's Open

AIG WOMEN’S OPEN

August 18, 2021

Georgia Hall

Carnoustie, Angus, Scotland, UK

Press Conference

OLIVIA McMILLAN: We are lucky to be joined by the 2018 champion, Georgia Hall. Thank you so much for joining us, Georgia.

It’s been quite an exciting day here at the AIG Women’s Open with the big announcement that the prize fund for this year increasing to $5.8 million, followed by 6.$8 million next year. From a player’s perspective can you let us know what that means to the players as a group.

GEORGIA HALL: It’s phenomenal and fantastic to hear that and that it’s actually happening. Week-in, week-out, we want to play for big prize funds and it just recognises what an amazing event this is. To me, it’s the biggest event in women’s golf, and it’s great news for all our players.

Q. Saw you on the course this afternoon getting a feel for Carnoustie. What are you expecting from the course this week? Obviously it has quite a reputation?

GEORGIA HALL: Yeah, I mean, I played 18 holes today and it was a lot different golf course than yesterday, just based on the wind. I think every day is going to be different, and that’s what it should be, you know, British Open. I’m really excited to play. I haven’t played an event here in ten years, and yeah, I look forward to teeing it up tomorrow.

Q. And obviously you have the experience of winning The Open Championship. What would it mean to go and do that again at Carnoustie?

GEORGIA HALL: Yeah, it’s incredibly special to me, winning three years ago, and yeah, to win it again would be incredible, and it’s still my favorite event of the year. Yeah, I mean, I don’t really think about that. I’ll think about tomorrow first.

But obviously to be crowned champion again would be amazing and that’s definitely one of my goals.

Q. There’s such a strong contingent, yourself and Charley from England, flying the flag for England, as well. Are you expecting a successful week for you?

GEORGIA HALL: Yeah, I mean, I’m playing well coming into this week. I’ve had a run of a lot of golf but also good results. Also a lot of players especially from Britain, England, playing well and playing in this event and so hopefully we’ll have the home proud behind us.

Q. Just going back to 2018, do you remember kind of or if at all, do you know if the win changed you in any way, either as a player or in terms of your preparation or on the course?

GEORGIA HALL: I don’t think it changed me as a person. As a golfer, obviously having an Major Champion on your name is very special and I will have that the rest of my career. I think it changed that way. I got noticed more. Yeah, there’s more expectation, and winning in my home country, I got more known around England.

Q. Did it in any way increase pressure or the fact that more people are recognising you day-in and day-out?

GEORGIA HALL: I don’t like to put too much expectation on myself but it increased expectations from other people. But of course when you win a major, especially it’s my rookie year, more people would take a look at how I’m doing.

But I love the pressure that comes with winning, and after that, I felt very comfortable just going out there playing golf.

Q. Picking up on what you said at the top in terms of being asked about the increased prize fund with the Women’s Open, in terms of closing the gap to the men, do you think that the game, the women’s tour, is closing that gap slowly?

GEORGIA HALL: Yeah, it definitely is. You know, especially what the R&A and AIG have done for this event is just raising the bar for other events and companies to do the same and that’s what’s needed in women’s golf.

From a personal point of view, I’m really happy and proud to be associated with the R&A and AIG.

Q. Do you ever see a situation in your playing year where the gap is so close that the men’s and women’s tours sit side-by-side?

GEORGIA HALL: I really hope. So that would be incredible if that happened. But it all has to go in steps and this is a great step forward to making that happen.

OLIVIA McMILLAN: Georgia, I know that you’re really passionate about growing the game and you’ve spent a lot of time as the R&A Girls’ Golf Ambassador, and on Monday, you went out with a whole heap of excited children who won a ticket to the AIG Women’s Open. Can you comment about Monday’s experience and why junior golf is so important to you?

GEORGIA HALL: Yeah, it’s so important to of course growing the game and get more youngsters into golf in general. I think that’s incredibly important for the game. It’s really inspiring to me seeing so many youngsters turn up, and for me to give a tip that they can go home and start practising with, but it’s nice to be able to help inspire them.

Q. What’s your take an Nelly Korda, her achievement over the past few months and how good is it to have a big star, potentially maybe become a dominant force in the game? Is that a good thing for the game to help promote it?

GEORGIA HALL: Yeah, 100 per cent. The achievements she’s done this year is extraordinary. She’s quite a good friend of mine and it’s been really great to see her do so well, especially win a Gold Medal a couple weeks ago. It was really inspiring. I think she’s such a role model for the youngsters out there, very athletic and just a really down-to-earth, nice person.

So yeah, I think she’s done great.

Q. How long have you been mates?

GEORGIA HALL: I would say three years, kind of since I’ve been on Tour. We’ve shared together a few times obviously before COVID, so I got to know her pretty well.

OLIVIA McMILLAN: Georgia, thank you for being so generous with your time. We wish you the best of luck this week at the AIG Women’s Open.

Interview Transcript by ASAP Sports

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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.

Categories
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

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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

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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.

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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

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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