SHOPRITE LPGA CLASSIC PRESENTED BY ACER

October 3, 2020

Mel Reid

Seaview, A Dolce Hotel

Quick Quotes

Q. Put yourself in position like you did at Portland. What did you learn from your experience in Portland that you'll put into effect for tomorrow?

MEL REID: Yeah, we reflected on it a lot. I spoke to Howard about it. We spoke about it quite a lot last week, to be honest with you.

Sometimes I get too quick and it kind of makes me quick on my swing. So just take my time tomorrow I think, and, yeah, that is basically what we kind of took away from last week. I was just rushing things a little bit and probably hitting shots I wasn't quite comfortable with.

Tomorrow I'm going to take my time a little bit more, and hopefully it make a bit of a difference.

Q. Did he give you any techniques that would help you with that?

MEL REID: Not really. Yeah, it's kind of hard to explain. I don't know, we just get on. He just kind of understood me very well quickly.

I think it's good for Dez as well, my caddie. I think it's going to be nice for him to see it as well. He's in contact with Howard as well, and he'll probably just keep an eye on it a little bit and knit and pick at me a little bit.

Yeah, I mean, another great opportunity this week to get it done.

Q. We been seeing a progression from you the KPMG Women's PGA Championship last year where you kind of put yourself in a 6th place finish. We saw you at ANA Inspiration, last week in Portland. Do you feel yourself on a trajectory now, that you're gaining in confidence, that you can take that to the course?

MEL REID: Yeah, I don't feel like I can do much different, honestly. It's kind of weird. I think it's just a complete shift in mindset if I'm completely honest.

I feel like I'm very happy with my team and very happy with the way that that's molded together nicely. I feel like everyone is not just getting on, but everyone is on the same page.

I just feel like pretty valued in the team that I'm in. Yeah, it's obviously great. I kind of knew it was always in me to do this. I wasn't sure how to get there. It's just took me a lot more years than I expected it to.

I'm just glad to be here. Yeah, it's a fun experience. We had a lot of fun today, me and Dez. It's just nice to be in this position.

Q. You've made a commitment to living in America now. How much do you think that impacted how you go about your business here on the LPGA?

MEL REID: Hugely, hugely. The opportunity out here in America is night and day to England. You can practice every single day. You know what the weather is going to do.

It's made a huge impact on me, to be honest with you. It's allowed me to actually plan down time and plan preps for the season. It's just a lot easier. Obviously it's hard leaving home. My heart is in England obviously, left all my friends and family over there, but it's a sacrifice you have to do if you want to be one of the world's best.

It's something that took me a while to do, but I'm very grateful that I did it. Yeah, it's obviously turned out really good me.

Q. You said that you feel the best is ahead of you. How good do you think you can be?

MEL REID: I don't know. You tell me. Great question. I don't know. You know, I'm starting to get a little confidence and starting to feel like I can be one of the world's best, so we'll see. Just keep doing what I'm doing and stay humble and hopefully good things will happen.

Q. Solid 5-under par 66 in the third round. You mentioned to me that you left a couple out there. I would imagine save those for tomorrow for a nice solid final round. But how pleased are you with your third round?

MEL REID: Yeah, I think I only missed one green, and so obviously you kind of see a lot of putts missed, but it's tricky in the afternoons on these greens. They get a bit bumpy and don't roll as nicely as they do in the morning.

Yeah, hopefully I have left a bit out there for tomorrow. Definitely feel like there is room for improvement. Yeah, great opportunity to get it done tomorrow. Just going to keep doing the same thing and see what happens.

Q. You've gotten this question plenty over the last couple weeks. You were in the same position you are right now as you were in Portland a couple weeks ago. What do you take away from that?

MEL REID: A lot. I was pretty disappointed with the way I handled Portland. I kind of felt like I almost gave it to Georgia. Not taking anything away from her. She's a fantastic player and she still had to shoot 4-under. I felt like it was kind of in my hands really.

It's a little bit different here. I feel like girls are going to still to shoot very low tomorrow. Hitting a lot wedges and short irons in, so it' a very gettable golf course.

I'll be proud of myself if I kind of walk off tomorrow, no matter what the outcome is, and go, You know what? Like they win it or I win it.

And so, yeah, just we kind of reflected a little bit on it last week. Just a little knit and pick here and there. Hopefully different outcome tomorrow.

Q. I know you mentioned work with your psychologist Howard Falco. How instrumental has he been in just shaping your game on and off the course?

MEL REID: Yeah, I've only been working with him probably seven weeks. I worked with him the week before the British. We just bonded or clicked straightaway. He's been very different to any psychologist I've ever had. I kind of get annoyed when I keep saying his name because everyone is asking me his contacts. I'm all, I'm not giving it to you. He's mine. I'm a bit possessive of him now.

Yeah, he's been great.

I think I've got an unbelievable coach in Jorge, unbelievable trainer in Ken. Of just feel like my team is molded together extremely nicely. He was just kind of like the missing piece that I needed really

I don't feel -- it's funny, I don't feel I'm playing any different than when a struggling to make cuts. It's weird. Like I obviously am, but to me I feel like I'm not. It's just a shift in mindset I guess that's making the big difference

Q. 37 straight bogey-free holes here just on the course. What's going well for you?

MEL REID: Just hitting good shots. I'm driving the ball really well. I hit a bad drive on 18 today but I'm driving it long and straight. If you drive it long and straight around here you're going to have a lot of short irons in.

So, yeah, I think that I'm just doing that nicely. Yeah, hopefully roll if a couple more putts tomorrow.

Q. You mentioned slowing things down tomorrow, enjoying the moment a little more. What does that look from a fan's perspective watching on TV? What do you anticipate doing tomorrow?

MEL REID: I'm a pretty quick player anyway, and I can get very, very quick. Too quick. So when I'm at home I don't even take practice swings.

Probably not doing that. I feel like I did that a couple weeks ago in Portland, so just be a little bit switched on with that. Dez knows what kind of triggers to just remind me to just take my time a little bit more and just be 100% in the shot we're in.

Yeah, just give it my best tomorrow. Obviously got a great opportunity, but I've still got to play well to get my hands on that trophy.

Q. How would you describe your confidence right now?

MEL REID: Obviously good. It's always nice to be shooting low numbers and to be putting in some low scores. You can only take confidence away from that.

If you're shooting 77 you're not going to feel pretty good about yourself. Yeah, it's just nice to be shooting low numbers. Yeah, game just feels in a good place.

Q. What did you hit into 9, into the green, for the eagle there?

MEL REID: 3-wood. I was just trying to cut a 3-wood into the wind a little bit. It was probably a little bit too much club, but 5-wood wasn't getting there. I just cut a 3-wood in there. I kind of started out a little bit further right than we wanted, but obviously worked out.

I knew it caught that slope.

Q. Right, and rolled back.

MEL REID: Yeah, so it worked out perfect.

Q. And that stretch, then you birdie the next hole, then the next hole the par putt kind of rims around. When you hit a streak like that, does that help you keep momentum, you feel like, Hey, things are going my way here a little bit?

MEL REID: Yeah, that was a big putt on 11. I actually thought I missed it left. It kind of jumped a little bit left on me.

Should have made birdie on 12.

But, yeah, I also made a great par putt on 15, like that first putt. I didn't feel like I hit a bad putt. Again, the greens just aren't quite as good in the afternoon.

You just got to keep your head down and keep making good strokes. I felt like I made a good stroke on 15. Again, another great par save and pretty easy coming in.

Q. You've done so much in your career. Solheim Cup, wins in Europe. What would a win here mean for you?

MEL REID: I mean, it's life changing, isn't it, to be an established winner on the LPGA against the best in the world. It changes your career and your life in my opinion.

No matter what anyone can say, if you've won on the LPGA, you've won on the LPGA. For me it's something that I've grinded my ass off for years for the opportunity to have. You know, hopefully it's going to come sooner rather than later. We'll see.