THE LPGA DRIVE ON CHAMPIONSHIP

October 22, 2020

Ally McDonald

Reynolds Lake Oconee

Quick Quotes

Q. Ally, what a round. I was just wondering, you started off of 1 one but then you seemed to get a lot of birdies after your 9th hole. When did the momentum start for you?

ALLY MCDONALD: Well, I was hitting some really good shots on the front nine but just wasn't getting putts to fall. So I was just playing really consistently; ball striking was really good. Made birdie on 9 and then made another putt from about probably eight feet on 10, and from there on out was just really solid golf.

Managed to roll some putts in, which was I think the key for me right now, is just to keep striking ball well and try to get some putts to fall.

Q. Sounds like everything worked really well today. Is there any part of your game that you've been working hard on that you are exceptionally proud of today?

ALLY MCDONALD: Yeah, I mean, overall I've been playing really solid. I feel like I drive the ball well. I rely heavily on my ball striking. And then today I was just able to get some putts to fall, which is -- that's good to see.

It's what I been working the most on, just trying to see the ball go in the hole. I feel like I've been hitting really good putts but they just haven't been going in. That helps when you hit the ball close, which my ball-strike was probably one of the best days I've had this year.

So it helps when you hit it closer. Should be the closer you get to the hole the easier golf is.

Q. We had a week off. May I ask what you did? Did you relax any?

ALLY MCDONALD: Yeah, so three out of last four mornings at KPMG was a pre-5:00a.m. wake up, so I took Monday, Tuesday to recharge and get some rest. Wednesday got back out at it and practiced and worked with my coaches.

Just tried to fine tune some things that weren't just great. Overall I'm really pleased with the work I got in last week.

Q. And some of our players haven't ever played in Georgia. When is the last time you played here if you did, and how is this course in particular?

ALLY MCDONALD: I guess the last time I played in Georgia may have been a collegiate event. Actually maybe a U.S. Open qualifier. But overall, I mean, I feel like Georgia has a lot of the similarities with Mississippi. Just the grass and the bermuda greens, so kind of feels comfortable out here.

You can never be too comfortable out here because stellar play every week, but just having my parents out this week and being five and a half hours from home is a lot of fun.

Q. What was your you goal coming into the event, and then what is your goal particularly now after you have round one in?

ALLY MCDONALD: I think it's just to be patient. I think on this golf course if you hit it in the right places you can have a lot of looks for birdie. That's kind of what my front nine looked like. I remained patient and just stuck with my game plan and executed good shots and kept giving myself opportunities, which I did, and that's what I'll try to do tomorrow as well.

Q. Given what we've heard about this golf course, the length, firmness of the greens, I don't think a lot of people saw 6-under out there. Was it something that you felt immediately comfortable with?

ALLY MCDONALD: I mean, this golf course is obviously new to everybody. I try really hard when I get to a golf course that's new to not put a number in my head and just play steady golf.

I do think there are a few holes you have to respect, but there are a few shorter holes too you can kind of take on depending on where the pin is. So I'm overall very pleased obviously with the 6-under. I feel like I left a few out there, but also I gained a few too that I probably on a regular day might not have gotten.

So overall, I'm definitely pleased. Do I expect to shoot 6-under out here every day? Absolutely not. But it's definitely a good start to the week.

Q. You talked about striking it well. That's not a new thing. You been striking it well for two years. What has happened that has got you to this point?

ALLY MCDONALD: Well, I worked well hard with my coach VJ Trolio, and tried to get really consistent and a place in my game where I feel like I'm looking in the right places for approach shots that are probably 90% of the time away from pins just to yield myself a lot of birdie opportunities.

So great advantage along with trusting the work that I've put in with my swing has given my a lot of confidence, and getting out on a golf course and trusting that I got a good outlook and strategy and I can trust my swing.

Q. 2020 has been a screwy year, but you've got married, you moved. There has been a lot of stuff that has gone on.

ALLY MCDONALD: Yeah.

Q. How have you maintained that level of consistency when everything else has been so inconsistent?

ALLY MCDONALD: Well, I think the main thing for me is my faith. Christ is obviously the No. 1 just thing that I look to during difficult times. And we should look it to him for good and bad, but specifically during uncertain times I think it's important to trust in the things that you do know. And for me, it's my faith.

Just kind of seeing chaos in the world, having something I know I can trust, and obviously getting married has been great. Moving, all of that was a lot of fun. I hate that the world is in the pandemic that we are in, but I've definitely seen a lot of great things happen in it.

Q. We actually this week are featuring a lot of or nonLPGA, such as our Girls Golf and nonLPGA professionals.

ALLY MCDONALD: This is Ophelia, right?

Q. Yes.

ALLY MCDONALD: I've already heard so much about you.

OPHELIA BUNUEL: My name is Ophelia Bunuel and I'm ten years old, and I'm going to be the on-course junior reporter this week.

ALLY MCDONALD: Okay.

OPHELIA BUNUEL: For my question, in Miami I've seen a lot of different animals out on the golf course, like raccoons, deers and iquanas. What has been your favorite animal that you've seen on the course?

ALLY MCDONALD: Well, we're in Georgia this week, so we've seen some deer. So I think it's kind of fun just to see deer. We're around the lake, so you can't see the fish but we know they're in there.

So I would say it's kind of fun to look around and occasionally see some deer outs in the distance or occasionally too close to the road so we have to slow down, right? So I think that's probably been my favorite.

OPHELIA BUNUEL: Thank you. Thank you so much.

ALLY MCDONALD: Thank you.