ABERDEEN STANDARD INVESTMENTS LADIES SCOTTISH OPEN

August 13, 2020

Gemma Dryburgh

The Renaissance Club

Press Conference

THE MODERATOR: We are joined by Gemma who has had a spectacular 2-under par today. What a great start you had. Can you talk about the first nine holes and how the round unfolded?

GEMMA DRYBURGH: Yeah, thank you. I played really well. Made some really good putts. I think I had four birdies in a row on the back nine, so got some momentum going. It was pretty calm to start out with, so kind of took advantage of that, and yeah, I bogeyed my second hole but after that it was really good and good par on 9, as well, so just a really good front nine.

THE MODERATOR: And then on 12, you had a tough hole but you managed stop the momentum.

GEMMA DRYBURGH: Is that the double you're talking about?

THE MODERATOR: Tactfully.

GEMMA DRYBURGH: I got a bad lie if the bunker, the green-side bunker and I didn't have a stance, so I wasn't able to get the ball out and then got it out next time and actually left the putt right in the jaws like a centimeter short, so almost made the bogey. But yeah it was a bit disappointing to make a double in the end. It was a really tough hole into the wind, so I'm sure it will play tough today.

THE MODERATOR: That was 11?

GEMMA DRYBURGH: 11.

Q. Then you went on to finish the round with a bogey and birdie?

GEMMA DRYBURGH: Yeah, I hit it into the rough -- bad lie, unfortunately, and made bogey there but had a nice birdie on the par-5 16, was just green-side in two, and then I actually got to use my putter off the green, which was fun. Don't get to use that often. Yeah, made birdie there, so, yeah, it was good.

THE MODERATOR: Obviously feeling full of confidence and none of these things have derailed you after a great start?

GEMMA DRYBURGH: Yeah, even after the bogey on the second hole, I just felt really calm and I know there's chances out there, as well, so you've just got to stay patient and really feeling confident with my putting. So I know if I can get it close, I'll give myself chances, so just, yeah, feeling really good with my game.

Q. I wanted to ask you about this delay, I know you said yesterday you're not a morning person. What was the fog delay like for you? What did you do during that time, since you have to social distance and all?

GEMMA DRYBURGH: It was quite tough actually because it just kept being half an hour and obviously we're first off and it got called of, probably eight minutes away from walking to the tee when it first got delayed.

So we had to kind of be ready to go once that half an hour came up because then we'd have to warm up and not much time to get to the tee after that. Going in and out of the clubhouse a little bit. We couldn't all be in there at once, so we had to manage where we were, use the locker room, space out a bit and outside. It was a bit strange because every half an hour you had to be kind of ready to go again but yeah in the end it was good, and we had a calm front nine.

Made the most of it.

Q. Your putting, you've touched on how much your putting has improved. What specifically have you done, have you worked on, have you changed in that regard?

GEMMA DRYBURGH: Well, I just started using AimPoint at the start of this year. I think that's really helped a lot just kind of focusing on a specific line, I think beforehand, like in the past, I've kind of always second-guessed myself.

So AimPoint has really helped with that and also working with a putting coach, been with him a year and a half, two years, Nick so he toe, so we are always working on a stroke and starting on the right line. So a mixture of those two things, I would say.

Q. Was the putt you holed on 16 for bogey, was that an indication or an illustration of just how much your putting has improved in the last wee while?

GEMMA DRYBURGH: I think, was that on 15, I left it a bit short for par, and then yeah, I had probably about a 6-, 7-footer for par, and yeah, I probably might have missed that in the past but now I feel so confident over those, so, yeah, definitely.

Q. And today, the one disappointment would be having your name up on the leaderboard in the Scottish Open without any fans there. Is that just something you have to forget about at the moment?

GEMMA DRYBURGH: Yeah, it's a bit surreal really. It's a bit weird not having the fans but I'm sure I would have lots of support usually with my family and hopefully the Scottish crowds, as well. Yeah, just one much those things, and we are so glad to be playing, really.

Q. The four birdies in a row, what was the best in your opinion?

GEMMA DRYBURGH: I holed quite a long one. I'm not 100 percent sure which one it was. I think it was the last -- was it the last birdie I made, kind of a 25-footer. That was cool, a bit of a bonus. Actually I think it might have been the second one -- sorry, forgotten which one it was.

Q. Going back to the first tee really quick, when it's finally time to really hit a shot for the first time, were you nervous or you were just so ready to go? Describe for us what you were feeling, especially with no one really around, either.

GEMMA DRYBURGH: Yeah, there was a few people that came to the first tee, Aberdeen Standard staff, which was nice, just to have someone there. I did feel nervous. It's always an honor to hit the first tee shot. I got to do it a couple years ago at Gullane, and that was about 6.45, or 6.30, as well. It was 8.30 today but felt like 6.30. I was nervous but I like feeling a bit of nerves. I think it focuses you, as long as you manage them well, which I think I can do now.

Q. How far is your childhood home?

GEMMA DRYBURGH: It's about two hours north.

Q. How were conditions after the bad start? It looked like it just got glorious and not too windy?

GEMMA DRYBURGH: The sun came out on 13, and it's really nice now. The wind's gotten up a bit, so I think it will play a bit tougher this afternoon. Our back nine definitely played tougher into the wind and stuff. But the last three holes are downwind, so there's a few chances there, as well.

Q. So the early start had pluses and minuses, really?

GEMMA DRYBURGH: Yeah. Early alarm clock but it was worth getting up for the calmer conditions.