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MARATHON CLASSIC PRESENTED BY OWENS CORNING AND O-IJuly 17, 2014Marissa SteenSYLVANIA, OHIO Q.  Tell me about where your round today. Run me through it. MARISSA STEEN: It started out just made a bunch of pars in a row, but overall I just thought it was really solid. Once I got that first birdie I felt comfortable. Once you get one it's easier to make the second and the third. I felt like once I made that first then I got a little more confidence and started hitting it closer to the hole and giving myself chances. Q. What's the key out here? MARISSA STEEN: Definitely have to be accurate off the tee. The fairways are pretty narrow and the rough is thick, so you don't want to be hitting out of the rough into the greens. I think too you can't get too cute with some of these pins, but there are definitely some you can attack and have to take advantage when you can. Q. Monday qualifying give you some confidence coming out here? MARISSA STEEN: It did. And the course is in phenomenal shape. It's really pure. It's really fun to putt on those surfaces on when the ball rolls really well. Just gives you a lot of confidence. Q. Strategy going into tomorrow? MARISSA STEEN: Just to stay within myself and play my game. I'm kind of a Steady Eddie player, so just try to hit solid golf shots and make some more putts. Q. How did you get it turned around. You said you were just par, par, par. What happened? MARISSA STEEN: Yeah, I was even like through 14. Made one birdie, one bogey, and then I just made a long like 25‑footer on‑‑ no, on 14 I made like a 25‑footer, and hit it to like eight feet on 15 and made it. Lipped out on 16. And then 17 made like another 20‑footer. And then 18 put it close. Q. A little nervous this morning or not? MARISSA STEEN: No, not really. I think too, you know, playing out on the Symetra Tour I am used to tournament golf. I play tournaments a lot. The atmosphere here is amazing here and it's great to see so many fans and stuff, but just treating it as another golf tournament. Q. How many LPGA events for you? MARISSA STEEN: This is my first. I played in the Open earlier this year. Q. First one, okay. Right. MARISSA STEEN: So I guess second. Q. So what is that like? Obviously you Monday qualify. You come out here; what's that like? MARISSA STEEN: No, it's a dream. You know, even like when I was at the Open and missed the cut ‑ I had two bad holes on Friday ‑ but I really felt like I belonged there. So coming out here Monday qualifying, gave me, like you said earlier, the confidence coming into the tournament. I was proud of myself for just staying in my element and not getting sidetracked by a lot of the other big names out here. So I was proud of myself. Q. Right. How much did seeing Mo, I mean, that had to be cool for you, right, seeing her go through all those years on the Symetra Tour and then breaking through in that big of a... MARISSA STEEN: Right. I definitely feel like I can relate to her. This is my third season on Symetra. I've gotten better each year, but I really feel like now I'm ready to be out here full time and I'm really excited. Q. What's the key to getting better each year? Getting more comfortable in tournament golf? Is it your game progressing? MARISSA STEEN: I think, yeah, I mean, all of the above. I feel like this year I'm hitting it a lot closer to the hole than in years past and I'm putting much better. Like I said, I made two putt outside of 20 feet today, and that's huge. Q. What will be your plan going forward the rest of the year? A lot of Monday qualifiers? Obviously in pretty good standing on the Symetra Tour. MARISSA STEEN: Probably just going to play Symetra. Q. Okay. MARISSA STEEN: Yeah, my ultimate goal would be to finish No. 1 on the Money List over there, so I have some work to do since I'm in second now. So that's my season‑end goal. But I'm going to look at the LPGA schedule and see, but probably stay mostly on Symetra. Q. Come out here on weeks off and everything? MARISSA STEEN: Yeah, yeah. Q. Does seeing o do that give you an, I'm the right track; I just keep doing what I'm doing? MARISSA STEEN: It did. I think it's just a great example of staying within yourself and not getting down and steadily just working hard.  You reap rewards when you do that. I feel like I can relate her a lot. It's exciting to see that, kind of a new name up on top and someone that came through in a big tournament. Definitely exciting. Q. How great is it to have the road to LPGA out there where you can, like you said, get better year after year and grow, and when you're ready to come out here... MARISSA STEEN: No doubt. The only way to get better is to play competitive golf. Especially over here in the States. It gives girls a good place to play and hone their skills and get the competition week in and week out. This is my third season and the tour has gotten better every year. We have 20 events this year, which is five up from last year, which is great. Q. Going up again next year. MARISSA STEEN: Exactly. So they're doing a great job with the Symetra Tour, and I think it's really become a great developmental place. Q. Is this a dream scenario? First LPGA start, 4‑under par, second on the leaderboard? MARISSA STEEN:  Yeah, it really is. I don't think it's really set in yet. I don't think I want it to. I just want to stay within myself for the rest of week and just see how low I can go and have fun out here. That's what it's all about. Q. Obviously you have experience being on the leaderboard in Symetra events. How does that change in an LPGA event? How do you keep yourself calm out here? MARISSA STEEN: I think when you're playing well, swinging well, putting well, I don't really think about it. Just focused on hitting good shots. That's it. I really try to keep it simple. If you start thinking, that's when it takes a downturn. I try to avoid that at all costs. FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports |
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