KIA CLASSIC

March 25, 2021

Ashleigh Buhai

Park Hyatt Aviara Golf Club

Quick Quotes

Q. Ashleigh, solid 2-under, 70 to start the Kia Classic here. Take us through the round.

ASHLEIGH BUHAI: I got off to a really good start on the front side. It was nice to have some fresh greens being first out.

And then somebody turned on the fan for that back nine literally as we got through our 10th hole. The wind really picked up and was swirling. So it got tricky on that back nine.

Disappointed to finish with a bogey, but I hit a good shot and the wind took it a little more than I expected.

Still very solid.

Q. Even without the wind is the back nine maybe a more challenging nine?

ASHLEIGH BUHAI: For sure. Yeah, definitely more challenging. You know, it's good finishing holes. You got to hit good shots coming in and I did that; just like I said, unfortunately finished with a bogey.

I would've taken 2-under at the beginning of the day.

Q. Exactly. How is the course playing outside the wind? You guys got a real fresh look at the front nine especially. What is the course playing like?

ASHLEIGH BUHAI: Yes. Fairways are a lot more bouncier than usual and the greens this morning, like we thought obviously they would be super soft, but your first bounce is really big and then it kind of settles down.

Once I figured that out and adjusted for my 5th hole I seemed to get the hang of it, and that is where I started to make some birdies coming in.

Q. Over the last, I don't know, middle of last year or middle of our restart last year when we got back to it, you've had some really good starts in tournaments and then maybe some slower weekends that you would like.

ASHLEIGH BUHAI: Yep.

Q. Have you learned anything about when you start strong like you did today what you can do over the next three days to maintain that?

ASHLEIGH BUHAI: Yeah, I think there is always somehow that one round that gets in, so I got to learn to eliminate that. I'm very happy with where my game is at the moment. I'm feeling confident when I get up to hit the shots.

My coach and I have worked together for 11 years and just feels like all the hard work we've done is really starting to pay off. Hopefully I just keep doing what I'm doing and keep knocking and we'll put four good rounds together soon.

Q. Exactly, knock on the door; an opportunity will let you in one day.

ASHLEIGH BUHAI: Yeah, exactly.

Q. You started off strong here again obviously.

ASHLEIGH BUHAI: Yep.

Q. What's the game plan with everything like we talked about that you learned heading into tomorrow?

ASHLEIGH BUHAI: Patience, I think especially in the afternoon. The greens are super quick, so try and give yourself a go. They seem to be running at three, four feet, so you have to hole those ones coming back to keep yourself in it.

Just depending where the pins are, kind of feel if I got wedge, 9-iron in my hand I'm trying to stay more aggressive and play to the big spaces when my clubs are a little bit higher.

So I think that's why I've been playing steady golf.

Q. At Golden Ocala we talked about the difficulty of the greens, how they had just redone them I think within the last year. Did though maybe prepare you for what Aviara is throwing at you?

ASHLEIGH BUHAI: Not really, because, I mean, the greens are normally pretty soft here, and they are definitely softer than they were there. Overall the course is playing good.

You know what it's doing. As long as you get your head around that it's going to take one big bounce, then you're able to recalculate and figure it out.