ANA INSPIRATION

September 11, 2020

Gabriela Ruffels

Mission Hills Country Club

Quick Quotes

Q. A nice 5-under-par second round here at the ANA Inspiration. How did it feel to put together that round today?

GABRIELA RUFFELS: Yeah, it felt pretty good. I kind of struggled my first couple holes in my first round yesterday, but ever since then, I've been able to kind of get it back, and it's felt pretty solid out there.

Q. Calm some nerves after the start yesterday?

GABRIELA RUFFELS: Yeah, it's my third major, but always as an Am you're going to have some nerves. I was just excited to get this week going. Definitely happy where I stand after two rounds.

Q. From your previous major experience, when you entered the week here, when you pulled in off Dinah Shore Drive and you got to the clubhouse and tasted that experience again, how did you draw on past experiences in majors to help you get prepared for this week?

GABRIELA RUFFELS: You know, just getting more comfortable out here. I'm used to playing amateur golf, and I'm used to watching these girls on TV. Just kind of getting more comfortable out here, and I feel like I've really been able to do that with my past experience of playing in the U.S. Open and the British Open a couple weeks ago. Yeah, happy with how I'm doing.

Q. You had a nice finish in the U.S. Women's Am not too long ago; how did that tournament and just the pressure of that moment prepare you for climbing the leaderboard like you did today and a big weekend ahead?

GABRIELA RUFFELS: Yeah, so a month ago I was actually defending my title at the U.S. Am, so there was a lot of pressure, and I feel like I handled it pretty well. Definitely drawing from that experience. It was a great week, although I couldn't get the job done in the final, but great week, and definitely building off my confidence.

Q. You mentioned you watch these ladies on TV; is there anybody out here that you particularly enjoy watching and maybe have worked on your game a little bit after what they've been able to accomplish?

GABRIELA RUFFELS: Yeah, so I actually got to play with Hannah Green and Su Oh in a practice round on Tuesday, so obviously Hannah Green, major champion, it was pretty cool to learn from her, and I played with Nelly Korda and Jessica Korda on Wednesday, so that was awesome to play with them. I'm always watching them on TV, so just kind of seeing how they play, and yeah, it was awesome.

Q. Did you learn anything in particular playing with them or any fun conversations you had that stood out?

GABRIELA RUFFELS: It was just nice to get to know them, I think, and see kind of their ball flight, how they hit it, how they manage their way through the practice rounds. I think that's something that I can improve on myself. But yeah, just always learning from them, and it was really cool to play with them.

Q. How is the course playing in terms of -- I know a lot of talk from the players, the difference from an early spring day. In your mind how is the course playing with the firmness and speed of the greens?

GABRIELA RUFFELS: I can't really draw from anything because I've never really played here before, other than this week. I mean, it's been great. The greens are running super fast. If you're out of position and have a long putt, it's all about speed. And the greens are super firm, too, and the rough is pretty thick. But if you can just hit fairways and greens and roll in a few putts, I feel like you're doing pretty good.