THE LPGA DRIVE ON CHAMPIONSHIP PRESENTED BY VOLVIK

March 7, 2021

Leona Maguire

Golden Ocala

Quick Quotes

Q. How pleased are you with the conditions?

LEONA MAGUIRE: Yeah, I mean, I think the biggest thing was staying patient all week, especially the way the winds gusted and especially when I made the turn here, 10, 11, 12.

Didn't get off the best start today. Birdied the first two holes but didn't feel like I did an awful lot wrong. And got on a nice run, birdied three in a row and then, and yeah, just tried to be smart, hit a lot of greens, and then holed a couple putts, 17, 18 coming in.

Q. For a lot of maybe young players - I guess I consider you a young player still - when you start off like that I think a lot people would have a tendency to continuing to go south. They might have a little more colorful scorecard than you did. What is it that you've learned, especially at Duke or your time on Symetra that kept you in the hunt and climbing the leaderboard?

LEONA MAGUIRE: Yeah, I suppose it is something that I've always prided myself on, the way I bounce back after I drop a few. It's not a golf course you can chase on. You can't force things out here. If you do you can rack up a number very quick.

It was just staying patient. I knew there were chances coming on 4, 5, those sort of holes on the par-5s. Took advantage of the par-5s today. I think I birdied all of them which, comes in very handy.

I mean, it's just that kind of golf course. The way the greens are and how firm they are you take the pars on some holes and try and make birdies on the ones what are there and try not to beat yourself up too bad.

Q. Absolutely. Two weeks off. What's the travel plan, practice plan look like for you?

LEONA MAGUIRE: Back to Orlando. I am a member of Lake Nona, now, so, yeah, back there. Yeah, maybe take a day or so off, yeah, get back just fine tuning everything again. More of the same of what I did before these first two events.

Game is in pretty nice shape, which is good. Just a case of fine tuning everything. Get a few games in with the girls there. A few games with Annika before these two events, maybe see if she wants to play again.

Q. Yeah, it paid off. Anybody in particular besides Annika that you played with?

LEONA MAGUIRE: Lindy is there, Lydia, Anne, Nasa, is there. That's the good thing about being there. There is always someone to play with. The guys are a little busy, G-Mac and all them were around before the last run but might be a little busy at the PLAYERS these weeks.

Yeah, there always people to play with, and I think that was the thing I missed about making the jump from college. I was kind of by myself a lot of the time and not having people to practice with, play against; whereas this one I had a bit more of that, which definitely helped.

Q. Yeah, your second year on Symetra you really found the niche, and seem to be starting off on the right foot in your second year out here.

LEONA MAGUIRE: Trying to do the same, follow the same trend.

Q. Are you in the ANA field?

LEONA MAGUIRE: I am, which is nice, but I'm not to U.S. Open, so the big goal is try and get off to the good start to get into U.S. Open. I was first alternate last year and sat around Houston and didn't get in, so the goal is to avoid that this year.