THE LPGA DRIVE ON CHAMPIONSHIP

October 23, 2020

Ally McDonald

Reynolds Lake Oconee

Quick Quotes

Q. Ally, what a great second round. I know the end was a little bit disappointing, but you still had such a great round. How do you feel now that you have round 2 under the belt?

ALLY MCDONALD: Feel really good. I was just thinking like I don't want to discredit my round just because I played a couple bad holes towards the end of the day.

Again, I put myself in a great position to hit some really good shots and it was really solid for I guess would've been 13 holes. Just the last -- two of the last five were just kind of few bad swings.

I'm still striking the ball great and I'm looking forward to the next two days.

Q. We are also looking forward to the next two days and watching you. Talk about the different conditions today. I know you played earlier today. Did the course change a lot from yesterday?

ALLY MCDONALD: Not a lot. I think just the mornings can sometimes, in my opinion, yield the ball to carry a little bit shorter.

So it's just kind of looking at specifically where the pins are on the green and just taking what the hole gives you. If that's hitting it to the fat part of the green for a 30-footer, that's what it is.

Overall my front nine, which was the back nine, I had so many looks inside 15 feet. Before I birdied 8 and 9 I had probably three or four putts inside ten feet that I didn't make.

When you think about that, that just -- that excites me that I was hitting it that well. Obviously those two holes towards the end took a couple shots away, but it was still a great round.

Q. That's awesome. Means that your game is so there and we are so excited. Just wondering, this will be your first LPGA Tour victory. Are you at all thinking about that as you play this week, or just trying to go out there and have fun?

ALLY MCDONALD: I'm trying to just execute and stick to my game plan. I think it's really easy as a person who has never won to get ahead of yourself. We all really, really want to win. That's why we do this, that's why we compete, is to put ourself in contention as much as we can.

The next two days I'm just going to try to execute my game plan, stick to one shot at a time. If I find myself getting ahead, I need to regroup, back off, and be right in the moment, be present, and try to execute the shot I have.

Q. If you do win on Sunday it'll be your birthday. Do people know that your birthday is coming up, and how do you imagine celebrating it this year?

ALLY MCDONALD: Well, we didn't have a tournament -- well, we were going to be in Asia. Every year we're in Asia for my birthday, so to be in Georgia, it's really exciting. I am going to have my mom and dad here. They brought a cake in already from home. We've got cake.

So it would be pretty special. It would be a great birthday present. I'm not going to get too far ahead of myself regardless of what it looks like the next two days.

Q. What kind of flavored cake is it and do you love birthday cakes?

ALLY MCDONALD: I have a sweet tooth, which is not good since I'm a Type I diabetic. I'll probably only have a small piece and share with a lot of people. Maybe you can come grab a piece.

Q. Yes, please. You mentioned yesterday the similarities between this golf course and Old Waverly, the grasses, that sort of thing. Is there anything else here that makes you feel more at home?

ALLY MCDONALD: My parents being here. This is the first -- this is the first I've had anybody out watching this year. I was telling my husband yesterday, I was like, I kind of feel a little nervous that mom and dad are here watching. I haven't had really anybody spectating.

Yeah, just being -- knowing that I'm not too far from home, the weather is similar, a little bit of humidity kind of sticking around, and just the bermuda greens. I feel like there can be some intricate breaks and reading grains and stuff, so I am just trying to settle in and make myself feel comfortable being in Georgia, having my parents here watching.

Q. That's great. And I want turn this over. We have our LPGA Girls Golf correspondent Ophelia here. I'll turn it over to her.

OPHELIA BUNUEL: Hi. Today you made six birdies and yesterday you made six birdies. What advice do you have to little girls who want to make so many birdies like that?

ALLY MCDONALD: So I would say that No. 1, work really hard. Most of us work really hard to where we can make birdies.

I think the other thing would be it's so easy to want to make birdies, to want to make the lowest score that you can, that you can make that your No. 1 focus.

Making a lot of birdies I think is all about the process. So it's hitting a good tee shot, it's hitting a good approach shot, and just staying in the moment, hitting one shot at a time, and then maybe you'll make several birdies.

Q. Thank you. Thank you so much.

ALLY MCDONALD: Yeah, you're welcome.

Q. Last question. We know that you played with Lindsey and she's about to get married next year.

ALLY MCDONALD: Uh-huh.

Q. She talked about how you have given her some advice. What's the biggest advice you've given her?

ALLY MCDONALD: Oh, goodness. Be patient with each other. Communication, honesty. I definitely don't have all the -- I been married, what, close to maybe five months, something like that? So I'm definitely not a marriage expert yet.

But I definitely think communication, honesty, just all those qualities are great in a marriage.