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BANK OF HOPE FOUNDERS CUP

March 16, 2018

Mo Martin

Phoenix, Arizona

Q. 7 birdies, 66 today. Big smile on your face. How are you feeling after that one?
MO MARTIN: Yeah. You know, it was just one of those easy days to enjoy all day. I was playing with Cindy and Alena. I've know Alena since college golf and I've known Cindy since days on the Symetra Tour.

Just good memories. Good friendships out there. Yeah, just a beautiful day. I was able if play my game, make my putts. I've had a feeling that this year was going to be a good one. My game is in a special place, so just nice to see it come together.

Q. Tell us about 7, 8, 9, and 10. Looked like four in a row for you there.
MO MARTIN: It went fast. It was easy. Yeah, pretty low-stress birdies there. The golf course this year, especially yesterday, is playing more difficult than usual. It was colder, windier, and the grass is up a little bit more, so we don't quite have the firm rolling out that we have in previous years.

That usually plays to my advantage. I just like that I've been able to, yeah, exactly, play my game and take advantage of it.

Q. Nice way to finish, too. A lot of, Go, Mo! chants. Finish up with a par, right, on 18?
MO MARTIN: Yeah. I'm getting really excited about the Go, Mo's and the buttons and the Golf for Africa work we're doing. Playing in Betsy's pro-am on monday was an inspiration, as always. And it's Founders Cup, so we're honoring those who have made it possible for us.

Just seeing the work that a lot of these ladies have continued to do, Marilyn Smith and Betsy King, it's a stark reminder to look back and also to look forward and to know that we have this responsibility, too. I take that very seriously. Just super fortunate to be here doing what I'm doing.

Q. Ready for the weekend?
MO MARTIN: I will be after dinner and some sleep, yes.

Q. You said your game is in a special place. Can you elaborate on?
MO MARTIN: Yeah, I had a little bit of a back injury last year, so that slowed things down substantially. I had to take some tournaments off. I've only really been injured twice in my whole career, so super fortunate. Just dealt with my thumb a couple years ago and a then little bit of a back issue.

Yeah, injuries kind of teach you a different way to strengthen your body, so you end up learning a lot more. So just I've done a lot of work with a physical therapist in L.A.; Dr. Watkins in L.A. has been more than helpful.

I feel like I'm stronger core-wise. Just had to do some different things this off season. But just to get back to a place now where my ball striking is where it has been the last few years.

And my putting is in a really special place right now.

Q. Tell us about that.
MO MARTIN: You know, I came out onto the LPGA, I don't know if everybody has put two and two together, but I came out here with a long putter and had to transition to a short putter for the first time in my life.

That had its challenges. It's like learning a new skill on the putting green. I'm proud of the way it happened, but I feel like I'm just now getting to my best putting.

Q. I'm trying to remember, did you give up the long putter like immediately when the news came out? How long did you keep going with it?
MO MARTIN: I remember being at the British Open at St. Andrews. So remind me, that was '13, correct?

Q. I don't remember what year that was. I just remember Stacy won that year, right? Yeah.
MO MARTIN: Was it '12 or '13? Anybody? (Laughter.)

Q. No takers. '12 or '13 we'll call it.
MO MARTIN: At St. Andrews.

Q. I think it was '13.
MO MARTIN: Can you Google it really quick?

Q. You know what...
MO MARTIN: Anyway, it was significant because I was at St. Andrews with Ian Triggs, my coach, and I took -- I picked up a Callaway putter and I just started messing around with it.

Q. Yeah, '13.
MO MARTIN: Thank you Google. Thank you Alexis.

Ian said, He started laughing and I was suddenly super self-conscious. I was like, Why are you laughing? You don't really want your coach laughing at you.

But it was a good thing. He said, Actually, your stroke with the short putter is better than with the long putter. So he said, Whenever you're ready to transition -- we knew it was in the pipeline coming down that the ban was going to happen, which I wish golf stayed inclusive in that way.

I'm glad to see to changing now, but that's a totally different topic.

Basically he just said, You have my blessing whenever you're ready to make the change. I think I made the change in Asia in '13, and '14 obviously was a good year. (Laughter.)

Q. I wanted to ask you about having a major championship. How much does that help you? Now you're in the hunt on the weekend. Knowing that you won a major, how much will it help you try to win again?
MO MARTIN: I'm somebody who tries to learn from absolutely every experience, so just learning and having been through that, having been through -- I remember at Birkdale on the Saturday. It was the first time there was a camera behind me on every single shot.

Just getting through that, being comfortable with it now. Obviously I've been in that position a lot more times. Definitely more comfortable, more able to simply enjoy it and play the game the way it's meant to be played.

Q. How long did it take you once you did make the switch until you really felt comfortable?
MO MARTIN: I had my moments of comfy. My moments.

I don't know. I think I'm really just -- I mean, my standards are extremely high, as all professional athletes. I think I'm just getting to a special place that I've wanted to be now.

I've had moments. It's not like it's been -- it's gone up and down, like a curve normally does.

Q. Was it hard to let go of the long one?
MO MARTIN: Oh, yeah. I had that -- I mean, I had that putter for probably a decade. Her name is Mona.

Q. You still have her?
MO MARTIN: Oh, yeah. She's on a shrine.

Q. At home?
MO MARTIN: You can ask anybody who knows me about Mona and they'll know exactly who you're talking about.

Q. What kind of putter was Mona?
MO MARTIN: It was one you ordered from a catalog, and a family friend glued it together in his shop.

Q. Was Mona the first time you used a long putter?
MO MARTIN: No. I literally grew up with a long putter. I was five years old with a long putter, so change once I'm already on the LPGA was significant.

Q. Yeah. Does your new putter have a name?
MO MARTIN: No. But I'm going to -- maybe Monet. (Laughter.)

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