KIA CLASSIC

March 26, 2021

Mel Reid

Park Hyatt Aviara Golf Club

Quick Quotes

Q. Mel, steady 2-under bogey-free 70. Always got to be nice to shoot bogey-free.

MEL REID: Yeah.

Q. You have to be that patient out there.

MEL REID: Yeah, I mean, my putter was as cold as ice today. Felt like I hit it good. I think I missed one green.

Didn't drive it as quite well as I would normally drive it. But, yeah, feel like I'm in a good spot. I'm hit ting it good.

Yeah, like I said, I just need a few more putts to drop. I was hitting good putts. It's just tough to make putts in the afternoon. They do get a little bit bobbly in the afternoon. It's hard to kind of keep the ball online.

But obviously bogey-free on a tough golf course, I would always take that.

Q. You think a little heat over the weekend might change the greens?

MEL REID: I mean, I hope so, and I think having less players as well will obviously help. There has been a lot of traffic during the afternoons.

Yeah, so hopefully tomorrow will be a little bit smoother.

Q. Solo third right now.

MEL REID: Yeah.

Q. Inbee, yourself, and Sophia. That sounds like a fun group to me.

MEL REID: Yeah, a couple major champions obviously. Inbee has won a lot. Yeah, I'm obviously going to have to play well to get the job done over the weekend having a couple major champions ahead of me. Inbee arguably one of the best golfers that's ever played our game.

Yeah, it is going to be a lot of fun. Obviously good friends with Sophia. Yeah, should be a fun weekend. I'm looking forward to it.

Q. Grant and Juli talked a lot about being a mainstay out on the Solheim Cup team with it being a Solheim Cup year, the Olympics this year, and your game trending in that direction to really make an impact, does that seem like a pretty fair assessment?

MEL REID: Yeah, I mean, you know, it's been a long time in the making. I finally feel like I've got some sort of formula now, and hopefully my best years are still ahead of me.

I'm feeling very fit. Yeah, I'm just extremely happy with my team and I just feel like we just understand each other. I think they understand me, what I need from it, and you know, I just -- yeah, obviously I've got Desi on the bag and we've been a great team and he's been a great addition to my team.

Yeah, obviously Solheim, would love to be playing well going into that. You know, want to try to and beat the Americans as much as we can. We enjoy doing that.

And obviously Olympics is something that I've been very vocal about that it's a big goal of mine. I think it'd be cool as someone who grew of playing multiple sports and watching the Olympics since I can remember to be able to participate it in and represent my country.

Obviously that's a big goal as well. So, yeah, feeling good.

Q. Hole locations today, were they a little bit different between the nines?

MEL REID: Yeah, they were. Like the back nine locations were hard. If you were kind of -- not the wrong side, like even when you thought you hit good shots, like 50 feet, they had a lot break in them.

Like I said, with it being a little bit bumpy, they're still pretty quick. That's the thing. They don't look quick but they kind of are. Just tough to hole putts on. Girls that grew up on the west coast have a huge advantage.

I obviously didn't. I grew up on English mud. Yeah, no complaints. You just got to hit good putts and if they go in, they go in; if not, they're not.

Q. Last one. Having a bogey-free day has some good confidence going into the weekend.

MEL REID: Yeah, like I said, I think I think I missed one green, so that obviously shows that my ball-striking is in a good position. We've done a lot, a lot of work. I was really unhappy the way I was hitting it in Lake Nona.

We grinded on the range on the Wednesday night till p.m., me and Jorge, and he's been great about it. I should never have missed that cut in my opinion. I just didn't play well on the back nine, and then played half decent in Ocala.

Had a little bit of a back issue, so was kind of lucky just to be playing. And then just got a lot of good work done the last week or so.

Yeah, feeling in a good position.

Q. Go get them this weekend.

MEL REID: Thank you. Appreciate it.