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ANA INSPIRATIONMarch 30, 2018Pernilla LindbergRancho Mirage, California Q. Glad to be here in the air conditioning with Pernilla Lindberg who just shot a two-day total of 12-under, 132, a career best and sits tied at the top of the leaderboard with Sung Hyun Park. You had five birdies on the day, a bogey-free round, great job out there. What spurred your great play over the last two days, Pernilla? PERNILLA LINDBERG: Thank you, first. I've felt last week at the Kia Classic that I was playing better and better for each and every day. I missed the cut in Phoenix. If you look at the score, it was awful, but I knew it wasn't that far away. So I got a couple extra days on the weekend to practice, and my coach actually just arrived for the weekend there from Sweden. So we got some time to do good work there during the whole week at Kia. So I felt good coming into this week. Then I played nine holes on Monday and Tuesday as practice rounds here. I was feeling good about my game, and I kind of wanted the event to start already then. But then on Wednesday I would say in the Pro-Am I didn't really feel as good about my game, so I think I lowered my expectations a bit when I teed off yesterday which is usually a good thing. Yeah, I just not put myself in too much trouble, and then my short game and putting has been great. So that's really why I've been -- the few times that I've been missing the green or missing the fairway, I've still gotten those up-and-downs. So that's why I'm bogey-free through 36 holes. Q. You mentioned your coach came in from Sweden. Was there anything specifically you were working on that you feel helped you this week? Or what were you working on as you worked with him? PERNILLA LINDBERG: I haven't seen him for probably a good seven weeks at the time, and I had just gotten a little off in my set-up which was causing me being a little off plain in my swing. So really just getting comfortable, back to a better set-up, and that kind of just put everything in place. But still a work in progress. Kind of every day I go out and hit a few shots on the range just doing a couple drills to make sure I'm staying on track there. Q. Before we open it up for questions, I'd like to go through your birdies really quick. You birdied 6, 7, 9, 13, and 14. Can you tell us any memories of you have that birdie on 6 and we'll work our way through? PERNILLA LINDBERG: Yeah, so I felt starting off the day, I left myself a few longer par putts on 3 and 4, and two-putted both, good two-putts. So I kind of felt that I kept a little momentum going there, staying away from the bogies, and then on 6 I didn't hit the most solid shot in, so it released the back edge, and it's really quick going downhill on that green, and I holed it off the fringe. So it kind of felt like it eased myself up for the day as I got my first birdie. Then hit it really close on 7. Then after that started giving myself a few more looks. Then 9, I rolled in a pretty good putt from, I don't know, probably 15 feet or so. Both 13 and 14 were tap-ins. I mean, tap-in birdies during a major week, so they're always welcome, so that felt good. Q. Having Danny back on your bag after a little bit of a break, is it a comfort level that you feel now with him? Does he keep you relaxed when you get on a roll like you've gotten on the last two days? PERNILLA LINDBERG: Absolutely. So Daniel, my fiancé, he caddied for me for a good five, almost six years, and then we took a break only on the golf course last year when he caddied for a couple other players. I felt like it was great for both of us, but I really missed him on the bag. There's no one that knows me, my game better than him. So I just trust him so much. So it was really me kind of begging him to come back on my bag this year. We both learned a lot, him working for other players and me working with a couple other caddies last year. So I don't regret that decision at all, but I'm very happy to have him back. Q. Have you put together two rounds like this? What was the last time you remember putting together two rounds bogey-free rounds like this in competition? PERNILLA LINDBERG: As you see, I have to think for a little bit. Actually going back just to February now, I was in Australia for a couple of European Tour events, kind of leading up to our Australian Open. I know I had a couple of back-to-back bogey-free rounds there. But obviously it wasn't major conditions or anything like that. So besides that I have to look quite hard. But I think just following up a low round yesterday with another low round today, I think it's always hard to do. So I can't really remember the last time I did that. It feels great. Q. Also, a lot of the players have talked about how this course benefits really long hitters. You're not one of the longest hitters on the Tour. So is it the fact that you're hitting so many greens that you're able to overcome that? PERNILLA LINDBERG: Yeah, I would call myself probably pretty average distance-wise out here. I just think playing pretty smart. Yesterday I birdied all the par 5s, still. Playing in the afternoon I managed to get close to quite a few of them, and then when I can't, I just trust my wedges and I know I'm usually pretty good with my wedges in my hands. But otherwise I think hitting it in the fairway here too, even if I have one or two more clubs into the green, but coming from the fairway all the time, that for sure helps. Q. How did you sleep last night on the lead? Did you feel any nerves this morning? PERNILLA LINDBERG: You know what? I was actually more nervous yesterday than today. I kind of just felt a little unease yesterday all day, but I was very proud at how I handled that, and I still played great, obviously. But first day of a major, you're going to feel some nerves. So I just actually, because I felt that yesterday, I felt calmer today. But, yeah, I slept good last night. Just did my normal routine last night. Had a nice, quick dinner with my family and my parents are here, then went back to the room. Had my cup of tea, some chocolate and a TV show. And that's pretty much what every night looks like. So, no, I slept good. I made sure if anything to just maybe stay off my phone a little bit more. I know, obviously, I'm very thankful for all my friends and fans out there, but I just feel like if I just think less about that and just kind of stay in the present is better. So, if anything, the only thing different I did was just stay off my phone a little bit more. Q. You've played in every event so far, and then a few extras. How many starts have you had so far worldwide? PERNILLA LINDBERG: So I started off the year playing six in a row. I went Bahamas straight to Australia, played three in a row there, straight to Thailand and Singapore. So that was a big stretch, and I was tired. Then I played Phoenix, Kia and here. So, what's that? Nine events, or this is my ninth event of the year. But I like playing a lot. The six in a row was a bit too much. I actually wasn't expecting to get into Singapore. I thought I was going to end up being first or second alternate, but it was a bonus. I love playing there. But, yeah, I'm used to playing a lot. I've combined playing some on the LET with my LPGA schedule the last few years, so I'm happy playing a lot. Q. You've had a lot of Top 10s and good chances, but has it been frustrating these eight-plus years to not win and do you feel like you're -- I mean, can you see that you're closer to it now? PERNILLA LINDBERG: I feel like as a player I might be kind of slow, but I'm for sure keep going in the right direction all the time. I just know, obviously nowadays we have a lot of young players that come out and win right away, but I haven't let myself get frustrated that I haven't maybe had the success yet that I've wanted. I just kind of keep plugging away and feel that I improved year by year. I'm just collecting so much experience out here every year, that I'm getting more and more ready just to be in this situation. Every time I'm there, I'm just so much more comfortable. Q. We hear a lot about Se Ri's kids, the players who are inspired by her. Are you one of Annika's kids? Were you inspired by her? If not, what is the story of your introduction to golf? PERNILLA LINDBERG: Of course. Growing up in Sweden at the time I did, Annika was a big inspiration. However, I feel like when she played her best golf, golf on TV back home -- women's golf wasn't really available. So I would end up maybe waking up on a Monday morning with the time difference, and it was just Annika won again. So obviously she was an inspiration, but I don't feel like I ever got to watch her play that much. But that whole line of Swedish players with Helen Alfredsson, Liselotte Neumann, Sophie Gustafson, Annika, Carin Koch, there are so many good Swedes. It's just always been nice to see as a kid if they can do it, coming from Sweden, then, of course, a few more of us can. But otherwise my introduction to the game was through my parents. I usually say that the golf season back home in the northern part of Sweden where I'm from is obviously really short. But if I wanted to see my family during the summers, I had to be at the golf course, and I loved it. Even before I was really playing, I was out there picking flowers, rolling around in the grass. I was just in the environment all the time. My parents still play a lot of golf. They're here this week. Wednesday they went and played 18 holes themselves in the morning and they then came out and watched me play in the pro Am in the afternoon. So they love their golf, and it's fun to have them here. Q. When was the last time they were out here to watch you? PERNILLA LINDBERG: I played in Dubai, which was first week of December, that's the last event they came to. Now they're out for a full month here. So they're going to come to Hawaii and our new event in L.A. as well. Q. But they live in Sweden and you guys live in Florida? PERNILLA LINDBERG: Yeah, exactly. Q. How often do you see them? PERNILLA LINDBERG: Since they love their golf, they make sure to come out to plenty of events. They probably come over to the states twice a year, and then always to Evian and British, and then I usually go home for Christmas. I mean, it's not that often, but still evenly spread out throughout the year. Q. I don't know if you've led on Saturday in a major before, but when you go out to warm up tomorrow there are going to be cameras there and we're all going to be gathered around there. Are you mentally prepared for that sort of circus going on around you? PERNILLA LINDBERG: I got great practice at that already today, already this morning when I was on the putting green and the range. I had the cameras there. Obviously, I haven't been maybe exactly there in a major before, but I still have been around it enough. Of course, it's going to probably give me a few more butterflies in my stomach, but as long as I do what I'm supposed to do when I'm over the ball, that's all that matters. I've gotten plenty of practice at that. Q. What are your parents names? PERNILLA LINDBERG: My dad's name is Jan, and my nom's name is Gunilla. Q. Where do you guys live in Florida? PERNILLA LINDBERG: Orlando. Q. What was the golf course that you grew up on? PERNILLA LINDBERG: It's Bollnas, which is my hometown, it's Bollnas Golf Club. It's the only course in my hometown. Actually kind of funny fact is this year it's -- my dad has been the president of my home club for 40 years, yeah (laughing). So I think that might be some kind of Swedish record. So, obviously, very involved with the golf club. I know I have -- we probably have 1200 members there. I'm from a pretty small town, but I know I have 1200 fans there that have kind of followed me since I was little. Q. What is the population of your hometown? PERNILLA LINDBERG: The whole county is 25,000 and kind of in the city area 10,000. Q. The handicaps of your parents? PERNILLA LINDBERG: So, growing up, my dad was a scratch player. He was never professional, but he actually played on the Swedish Senior Amateur National Team. So we had a deal growing up that if I came to caddie for him in some of his events, I always get to play the practice round with him, which was great, because I got to be around tournament golf, and I got to play these golf courses. Then my mom has always been around 15 to 18 handicap, so I mean, they're two good golfers. Q. Tell us your fiancé's golf background? PERNILLA LINDBERG: Daniel Taylor, he grew up in England, Milton Keynes Woburn where we played the Ricoh Women's British Open a couple years ago. That's actually his home course. So he played for the England National Team as an amateur. Then came over to the states and played college golf at Southeastern Louisiana. But after three years on the team, he kind of quit golf and he knew that -- I mean, he's good, but he knew on the men's side he wasn't good enough. He didn't really want to move on and play professionally. So right after he graduated, he came out and caddied for Jo Mundy, and he started caddying for her in 2009, and then we met in Q-school December 2009. Then, yeah, he's been out there caddying ever since. FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports   |
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