DIAMOND RESORTS TOURNAMENT OF CHAMPIONS

January 19, 2021

Madelene Sagstrom

Tranquilo Golf Course

Press Conference

THE MODERATOR: Welcome back everyone to the 2021 season on the LPGA Tour. Joining us this afternoon is none other then Madelene Sagstrom whose home course is here at Four Seasons.

Without further ado, I just said that Four Seasons is your home course. How is the course playing right now and how do you feel playing this event at your home course?

MADELENE SAGSTROM: Well, it's beautiful right now. I've been here for the last few months. I've been here ever since the season ended, and they say it's the best shape it's been pre-tournament days, so I'm very excited.

I just love being at home. It's kind of weird not doing your normal routines, kind of have to go to resort and do things.

But it's nice, it's nice.

Q. How does it feel waking up in your bed and not having to worry about traveling that much?

MADELENE SAGSTROM: No, it's phenomenal. I mean, every time you can stay at home it's great. It's still that a little bit of a weird feeling because like it feel like a normal week when I'm here practicing. At the same time, you kind of know in the back of your head it's a tournament.

I'm trying to get into the tournament mode.

Q. It is tournament. It is a little bit more laid back because we have celebrities here this week. Is there anyone in particular you were hoping to play with?

MADELENE SAGSTROM: I -- no, I'm playing -- it's a phenomenal field. I know a few of the guys already. Played some practice rounds with Sterling Sharpe and just playing with all these legends is phenomenal.

I get to play with Adam Thielen, which is one of the guys that I wanted to play with. So I look forward to just seeing everybody's game, hanging out asking them about their careers, and just seeing some tips that I can learn from them.

It's going to be fun.

Q. This laid back tournament, how does it feel to start the 2021 season just coming off a crazy season? How does it feel to come back with a laid back tournament?

MADELENE SAGSTROM: I think any time you can go out, a have good time, get reminded why you play the game is good. I think for me this week it's home course, no pressure. I'm going to have a lot of my fans out there, members from the course that I see on a daily basis.

Everybody is excited. I'm excited. I'm just going to go out, try to enjoy it as much as I can, and just try to make it a fun experience for them.

Q. And I haven't asked you yet, but we are just coming off a really long break. There was Christmas in it, too. What did you do during Christmas? Had how did you celebrate?

MADELENE SAGSTROM: I spent my time in America. Normally I like to go home, but this time it was short, just a few weeks, so I wanted to spend my time here.

Celebrated Christmas with friends. Just trying to stay safe, trying to keep my social responsibility and just do the best we can.

It was nice, and then, I mean, right after New Year's I started practicing again to get back into the groove before the tournament.

Q. It was a record high in terms of how many people had to FaceTime their families this past Christmas and New Year's. Did you get some FaceTime in with your family back home?

MADELENE SAGSTROM: Yeah, I think my FaceTime in 2020 has been incredibly high. It's always sad when you can't see them. I was able to go back home the end of October, so I got to see everybody then.

They're getting used to not spending Christmas with me. Hopefully I'll do it soon, but for now Facebook works.

Q. This time last year you won at Gainbridge. How does it feel, your game compared to then?

MADELENE SAGSTROM: My game feels really good. I had a really strong finish to 2020, so I'm really happy where it's heading. I'm just trying to get more out of my own way and play the way I played at Gainbridge last year.

It's a tough sport that we play and it's very up and down ever week, so I'm just trying to do my best to give myself opportunities out there, and just hoping my game is trending in the right direction.

Q. That was my last question before turning it over. You ended the 2020 season so wonderfully at CME. Have you been working on anything in particular in your golf game, or because your golf game is so strong right now you've been fine tuning?

MADELENE SAGSTROM: I think the biggest thing I've tried to work on in the end of the year is my course management, just trying to be a little bit smarter, especially when you're not playing your A game.

It's hard to be on the top of your game every week, so I'm trying to figure out how can I score when I'm not playing my best. So I've been really focusing on putting myself in the right spots and make up and downs when I have to and take advantage when I can.

That seems to be really, really good for me, and I've scored really well even though I haven't played phenomenal.

Q. If memory serves, you were out here for this event last year watching; is that right?

MADELENE SAGSTROM: Yeah. I've been out for the last two years, and everybody keeps asking, Why are you not playing? I was like, You have to win.

So now I get to play.

Q. Who did you watch and how far away do you exactly live from here?

MADELENE SAGSTROM: I live about 15 minutes away from the course. I go over Disney every time I'm here, so it's really nice to be in my backyard in a sense.

I was out watching Pernilla most of the last few couple years because she is a really good friend of mine, and just supporting my local friends.

Q. What do you think are the keys to this track, to playing well?

MADELENE SAGSTROM: Right now it's still playing quite soft off the tee, so it's going to be quite long. Obviously the cold and the wind is the biggest factor for the course depending on how long it's going to play.

I think it's going to be kind of a putting competition in the end. You have to not mess up and take advantage when you have the chances, because you're not going to get too many of them. The greens are quite large.

It will be interesting to see if the scores with similar to last year or what's going to happen.

Q. Almost a year later, how has your life changed as a winner?

MADELENE SAGSTROM: I think I just have more confidence in myself. I know I can perform against the best players in the world, and I think that -- just feeling that like calmness in myself a little bit more has made the biggest difference.

I think as a professional golfer you're so depending on your results and that determines what you can do. I know where I'm at, so just trying to, just like I said, get out of my own way and just try to let my game out there. I know my game is good. I just tend to be my own enemy sometimes.

Q. Golf can be a game of streaks. Was there a little bit of, Oh, gosh, I can't believe we have this pandemic right as you're on your streak?

MADELENE SAGSTROM: It was kind of both. Came off a really hot stretch, but at the same time, I knew when everything shut down from the pandemic where I was standing. So for me it was both. I wanted to keep playing, but at the same time, I felt that calmness. Like no matter what happens I know I'm still going to be okay.

So I was kind of feeling both ways about it, but in the end of it I think I came out of it quite well. I didn't play very good when I came back, but emotionally and mentally I was handling it really well.

Q. How much time have you spent in Sweden? I know there have been some travel problems.

MADELENE SAGSTROM: Yeah, I normally spend a lot more time, especially around our European swing. Obviously this year we just spent two weeks in Europe, so this was hard for me. I normally like to go home and see my coach and get some practice on home soil.

I was home for two and a half weeks in October. Took a break when we had a little bit more time just to kind of reset, get back my perspective of life, and just spend time with family and do the other parts of life, not just being a golf are.

Q. After you spend a certain amount of time here, you've been to school, you've been playing the tour a long time and lived in Florida for sometime. Have you become more American? Do you feel like you're part of this culture now?

MADELENE SAGSTROM: I think so. I feel a little out of place everywhere. I do love the American culture. I love how friendly everybody is. They've really taken me in here, especially at Four Seasons, as their own. They support me every time I come back home. They're always excited to see me.

So, I mean, I've made this home now and this is where I'm comfortable. I love this. It's very supportive of my career where I'm at. Of course I miss Sweden and my family and friends back there, but right now I love America and I'm just enjoying it and trying to make the most out of it.

Q. What's the membership like here? Do you have like a standing foursome that you play with or...

MADELENE SAGSTROM: Not really. I had -- this summer when the pandemic was happening, we tried to bring some more ladies out to play, because the men, the guys always have a bunch of games going on. So I just wanted to grow the women's membership a little bit, so we were out playing a bunch of golf.

It was really fun. I think one day we had 12 buggies out there. Just trying to do what I can to bring -- I mean, just grow the game, too, from my part. I think I do spend a lot of time on the practice range. I don't tend to go on the course too often.

But everybody is super nice. They're very supportive. They feel like family more than they feel like members. They're always asking about my life and how everything is going.

Q. I know Annika is not playing in the same division as you, but just what's it like to be in the same tournament as Annika and potentially be able to pair with her at some point this week?

MADELENE SAGSTROM: Yeah, I was fortunate to play with her last week and just kind of hang out. I mean, learn from the best is the -- I mean, that's all you can ask for. She has got so good insight from all of her years playing professional, and I think it's going to be huge for the tournament to see what she can do against baseball players that hit 350 yards out there.

We had some good talks about it. I'm interested to see what that's going to do out there.

Q. Did she ask you any questions about the course?

MADELENE SAGSTROM: Yes. I was like, Okay, I can give you some home course knowledge. I said, I think the pins are going to be there. Watch me be completely wrong. Tried to give her as much knowledge as I could.

Q. The schedule is pretty jam packed in 2021, plus the Olympics and Solheim Cup. How did you plan to pace yourself?

MADELENE SAGSTROM: I think the biggest thing for me that I realized, this is my fifth season on the LPGA, is really set up the schedule for how I work and just make sure I'm -- I have energy and that I'm not tired. It's hard. I mean, you want to play everything, especially the great events that we have.

So I'm just going to have to sit down and kind of look what places have I played well, what works in my schedule. I'm really going to have to just pace myself and be like, Okay, I'm going to have to take this week off even though I might not want to just to make sure I stay fresh at the end of the year. That's the hardest part playing golf in general. Like how do you stay fresh in November when you have some really big tournaments coming up.

Q. Are there a certain number of weeks you try to cap it at or certain ones you try to get rest before that you put more of a premium on?

MADELENE SAGSTROM: You want to come fresh into a major. You want to make sure you're head is there and that your body isn't too far behind. I think playing one week or a couple weeks before just trying to figure out, Do I come completely fresh or do I play one week to see where my game is at. Obviously not only trying to focus on majors, but just making sure that you're ready when those big tournaments come.

That summer stretch is going to be heavy, so trying to figure that out.

Q. You've seen as a spectator at this event what it's like. As a first timer competing, what are some stories or advice you've heard from your fellow players about what it's like teeing it up with some of these guys that are pretty comical or like to talk a lot? What have you heard advice-wise?

MADELENE SAGSTROM: I keep dealing people I'm really good at golf and talking, so I think this tournament fits me really well.

Some of the guys are just phenomenal and they love playing with us. I've asked them about what they think of the event so far, and they love being out here. I think for me it's just going out and enjoy it and do the best I can. I think I'm just excited to be here and play against some of the legends in different sports.

Q. Since this is your home course, do you feel that it's going to give you a competitive edge this week?

MADELENE SAGSTROM: I've looked at it both ways. I obviously know all the spots to be and all the spots not to be, so I think that it's a little bit of both.

I'm just going to try to use it to my advantage, knowing that I'm very comfortable here. I have a good feeling about this place in general. Just see where it takes me.

You have to have a good week on the course to perform well, but I see it as a good opportunity to go out and perform well.

THE MODERATOR: Okay. I have one last question. We have thrown a lot of serious ones at you. Hopefully a fun one. You live here and see Disney characters all the time. If you could play with any Disney character, if they were alive, who would you play with?

MADELENE SAGSTROM: Well, my boyfriend's niece's favorite is Minnie Mouse, so I guess I got to pick her then.

THE MODERATOR: Thank you so much and good luck this week.

MADELENE SAGSTROM: Thank you.