PELICAN WOMEN'S CHAMPIONSHIP

November 19, 2020

Ally McDonald

Pelican Golf Club

Quick Quotes

Q. All right, Ally, first round here over with at Pelican Women's Championship. How you feeling coming off the course?

ALLY McDONALD: Feeling pretty good. I mean, honestly my ball striking wasn't that great, so I just felt like my timing was just a little bit off. My misses were so that I had really good opportunities to get balls up and down.

My putter is what kept me in today and keeping a solid round doing. I made a couple good par putts on the front, so I'm happy obviously with my score, but hopefully I can swing it just a little bit better tomorrow.

Q. I've heard the back nine is a bit of a challenge. Do you feel the same way and what are some of the strategies to overcome the undulations in the greens, especially on the back nine?

ALLY McDONALD: Yeah, some of the greens are tough, and overall I think the length of just a few of the holes on the front -- or on the back, I'm sorry -- are just so that you feel like you walk away with a par and that's good enough.

So, I mean, strategically for me I just stick with the same kind of game plan. Even if the hole is difficult, I try to give myself a realistic look for birdie. If that's a 30 or 40-footer, that's what it is.

So I'll just stick with a solid game plan tomorrow, and like I said, hopefully just strike it just a smidge better.

Q. I know you got to see Sophia go off on the front nine. Does that motivate you to do better? You also were coming out birdies flying, as she was too.

ALLY McDONALD: You know, it's kind of a thing just staying within myself. She obviously played great. She hit some great shots. Made a lot of really good putts. So it was fun to see her play that well.

But for me, I think personally it's just staying within myself. I feel like I played solid. We're professionals. Girls are going to go out and have rounds like that. Just so happens that today hers was obviously lower than the entire field.

I think it just speaks to how difficult the golf course is as a whole, but also how great she played today. That's just kind of what it is.

Q. Do you have your family here again this week?

ALLY McDONALD: No, no family. My agent Rachael is here, but no family this week.

Q. At least you have a familiar face. So what's the game plan heading into tomorrow? Is there a little bit of something else to work on when you leave here, or is it I want to go back home and get some rest?

ALLY McDONALD: I'm going to go just get a few swings in on the range, not very many. I feel confident where I am. Just a smidge of timing getting to the ball at the right time that I is just going to produce better quality shots.

I hit a great drive on 18 and a great approach shot. That tells me I was getting really close. Probably go just hit a few balls to make sure I have that confidence going into tomorrow.

Q. I got to ask because I don't know, (indiscernible) the LPGA Tour champion as you were heading off today, or do you not remember?

ALLY McDONALD: I actually do remember, and he did not, is I was disappointed. I was anticipating hearing that. So I got the Solheim Cup, which was great, but I kind of waited a second to tee my ball up. Never heard it, but it's just whatever.

Q. Maybe we can work on that.

ALLY McDONALD: Thank you.