MARATHON CLASSIC PRESENTED BY DANA

August 9, 2020

Marina Alex

Quick Quotes

Q. First event back under your belt. How are you feeling after the Marathon Classic?

MARINA ALEX: Good. First couple days were tough. Just been ages since competing, as I'm sure everyone has said that, especially last week and this week, whatever.

But it was good. I felt like today it finally was a little bit more of how it felt to compete before we had a stop. Good to get a little momentum.

Well, obviously ideally I would've been playing last week. It would have been nice to be playing again this week coming up, but I'm not playing the Scottish. I'm going to carry that through the British and Walmart, and should be good.

Q. What was it like returning here and getting the competitive mindset back again?

MARNIA ALEX: Yeah, it's hard. You just get into practice mode so much, and it felt like a very extended off-season.

I've always feel like I struggle the first few events back at the start of every year because I can't quite get the switch from practice to tournament. I think it comes easier or harder for some people, so to get off to a good start out of the gate like this was actually really refreshing.

I didn't have a lot expectation for myself, so this was a good week.

Q. How relieving is it to have all this over with and play really well considering what happened with the...

MARINA ALEX: Yeah, that was obviously a distraction and a challenge in just dealing with all that. The biggest thing that I didn't think much of was being at home for so many days and like not ever practicing or being able to do anything. I just didn't think anything of it until I was like, Oh, my gosh, I have to play a tournament. Uh-oh. This is bad.

But, yeah, kind kicked that away. By the end of today I really felt like I could keep going and everything kind of felt trending in the right direction, which was good.

Q. I got to say, with a major around corner, what does it say about the confidence you have being able to kind of in one event feel like you're very comfortable out there on the course?

MARINA ALEX: Yeah, this is just different, and I think maybe everyone kind of feels that way. It's different because you just don't know what's going to happen still the rest of the year with how things are going to play out in the States, internationally.

Everyone is almost feeling like, you know, is this -- you're just treating every event like you don't know how many more you'll have in the year, so it's just a different mindset.

Maybe girls are less thinking about, okay, I got four in a row; going to pace yourself. That may not happen. Like you just don't know, so you're trying to take advantage of everything you get right in front of you.

Which is cool. It's different. It's just a change.

Q. You've played this tournament a lot. Just curious, I mean, after playing it competitively for four tournament rounds, the changes they made, what were your thoughts?

MARINA ALEX: Yeah, it's different. I almost think in a sense there was a couple holes that I thought were easier actually.

Q. Yeah, probably 13.

MARINA ALEX: 13 easier for sure not having that tree there.

Q. Yep.

MARINA ALEX: Widens the fairway tremendously. Because I think you had to kind of frame both of those trees, and now you just don't really have to worry about it.

Q. Yep.

MARINA ALEX: I think 14 is probably tougher, though. But I think it's overall good. I think the bunkering is really nice. Greenside bunkers are new and they're good. I think overall the improvements are good.

Q. On 13 do you not hit driver?

MARINA ALEX: I was for the first couple days. Today I hit 3-wood because it's just dried out a ton.