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CME GROUP TOUR CHAMPIONSHIP

November 15, 2018

Amy Olson

Naples, Florida

Q. How impressive was with this round? We saw you last in contention in the is Evian Championship. Your heart broke; our hearts broke with you. How nice it to be back at the top of the leaderboard?
AMY OLSON: It's just fun to be playing well. It's always a good feeling. I had a lot like perfect numbers in today. Rolled the ball really well. Always fun to play well.

Q. The putter was definitely hot. Not just short putts, but you were rolling in the long ones. What the difference in these greens that are rolling about 12 today?
AMY OLSON: Well, greens are absolutely pure. If you're hitting your line, it holds its line. I was just seeing the line, reading the putts really well, and hitting it where I wanted. You knew you would just enjoy it on those days.

Q. What was so good about the round today? Bogey-free; couple of stretches of four birdies in a row.
AMY OLSON: Yeah, you know I had perfect numbers in it seemed like all day. I was just telling Nathan, Oh, it's perfect 9; it's a perfect 5. I was just swinging it great, and then rolling a lot of putts in, a lot that you don't expect to make. You just enjoy it when that happens.

Q. First time out here at this venue; 9-under on the board for anyone is pretty good, but a first timer?
AMY OLSON: I don't have any bad memories.

Q. Your brother came in late last night. Who caddied for you early week?
AMY OLSON: My dad did. My dad caddied in the practice round and pro-am. Yeah, so I'm going through a couple caddies this week.

Q. It's amazing how -- you do a great job, but he juggles his regular job and in between rounds and...
AMY OLSON: Yeah, I don't let him retire. He's trying to leave and I keep bringing him back every once in a while.

No, it's great. I'm super comfortable with him on the bag. We just have a great time out there.

Q. Who is your regular caddie?
AMY OLSON: My full time caddie is Taneka Sandiford and she's battling a little illness right now so she wasn't able come this week. Fortunately it worked out that Nathan could fly in.

Q. You still like to bring him in, right? She understands that?
AMY OLSON: Yeah, at the beginning of the year I kind of was trying figure out the caddie situation and I knew which ones Nathan could do, and then she and I really clicked and I'm like, Well, do you want to come do the rest of the events? She'll be full time next year.

Q. So jetlag, schmetlag? Is it a factor?
AMY OLSON: I don't know. This is the first day I actually slept to my alarm. That obviously felt good to get a good night's sleep. It helps to have a tournament just to get back on schedule.

Q. Does that mean Nathan is retiring after this week?
AMY OLSON: We'll see. I'm sure he'll try and make appearances now and then.

Q. And then the Evian Championship experience, as time went on just tell us how it affected you as time passed?
AMY OLSON: Yeah, absolutely. I would tell you it was more painful than I ever imagined golf could be, but I got over it much quicker than I ever thought I would, as painful as it was.

I just got much good advice from Betsy King, Dave Stockton, you know, major winners, people who have been out there. They're like the people that go through a little adversity early in their career, that lights a fire that lasts a long time.

The people it comes easy to, might be their only one were. I just am trusting it's a good thing. I have see so many positives in my game, and it's just fun to be playing well.

Q. Ultimately are you riding some confidence from that then?
AMY OLSON: You know, I definitely think there is a confidence but it's more just built on some of the changes I made the last couple years. I've seen a lot of progress in my game, especially this season.

That's really fun.

Q. What were those changes that you're benefitting from?
AMY OLSON: I switched coaches two years ago. It was hard at first, obviously. Any time you make a change -- ask Tiger -- it takes a couple years. Right? It got a little worse before it got better.

I'm just seeing a huge change in consistency in my swing. I had to get over some spine change in my swing in the middle of it and I was just getting errant shots every once in a while.

I relied on timing before; less reliant on timing now, which is always good thing in golf.

Q. Remind me the coach.
AMY OLSON: Ron Stockton.

Q. You talked a little bit about the changes. Anything else that was a major part of the change?
AMY OLSON: Lots of little things. That was kind of the major thing. Just tightening it up and making sure it's more my body in control and less arms.

Overall just seeing a huge improvement in consistency.

Q. You talk about getting a lot of good numbers today. You also made a lot the putts.
AMY OLSON: Yeah.

Q. You just like these greens?
AMY OLSON: They're rolling really pure right now, so that's a lot of fun. I'm rolling it really well, and then I think just that combination was a great round.

Q. And next year this tournament will be a little bit different in that anyone can win the $1.5 million. What do you think about that announcement?
AMY OLSON: I think it's incredibly exciting. It's a huge step forward in women's golf, just a huge purse increase, and it's a really exciting time to be part of the LPGA.

Q. Would holding the lead then feel a lot different next year with that much on the line?
AMY OLSON: I'm not worried about next year right now. (Laughter.)

FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports

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