ANA INSPIRATION

April 3, 2021

Ally Ewing

Mission Hills Country Club

Quick Quotes

Q. What was your game plan when you came out here today?

ALLY EWING: Well, to be honest, I didn't really have an expectation. I had kind of a strange morning, but I was just really happy to get out.

And I really just kind of -- like I said, I didn't have an expectation, so I just took it one hole at a time and was able to get off to a really good start with three birdies to start the day.

Then I just kept giving myself a lot of looks which I think is so important on this golf course.

Q. What was strange about the morning?

ALLY EWING: It was just kind of a weird morning. I'll just leave it at that. I had a shorter warmup than normal.

Overall I was able to kind of get off to a good start and get a good warmup in and I feel really good about my day for sure.

Q. How do you adjust in that situation when a curve ball is thrown your way?

ALLY EWING: Yeah, well, like I said, the expectations were kind of not there and I was just looking for some really positive energy on the first tee.

I had a lot of family that were supporting me through whatever it was. Yeah, it was just kind of just a great day with just -- I hit a lot of fairways, greens, which is crucial in a major, especially out here.

And even if I look back on my day I missed several putts inside ten feet, but, I mean, a 66 on moving day, certainly all you can ask for to put yourself in a good position for tomorrow.

Q. Bogey-free, career-low round, round of the tournament. How did it happen?

ALLY EWING: Well, obviously a great start with three birdies on 1, 2, and 3. That really just gave me a lot of good momentum throughout the day. I just gave myself a lot of looks for birdie.

I missed few putts even inside ten feet for birdie, so I drove the ball great and I struck the ball great, which is crucial in this major, and to give yourself as many looks as you can.

There were a couple tucked pins that it was just kind of about picking a really good target and hitting away from it, accepting that you got a 40-footer and taking a two-putt and go to the next hole. Great strategy, execution, so I'm happy with the day.

Q. Did the wind change things down the stretch maybe on the back nine? Did it make some of the par-5s more reachable? Did it make 18 more tempting?

ALLY EWING: Actually, 18 was playing straight into the wind so it was -- rather than my layup with like a wedge or 9-iron the last couple days, it was layup with a 5-iron.

So it did make the layup a little bit more challenging, but the wind definitely was picking up on the back nine. It made -- even though the tee was back it made 11 reachable; hit a great drive.

So, yeah, overall the back nine was a little bit tougher than the front before the wind picked up. Like I said, I just gave myself a lot of really good looks and was able to capitalize and get around bogey-free.

Q. When you look at the leaderboard, you're four back of the lead, Shanshan Feng right there, Inbee Park, the defending champ, Mirim Lee, and yourself obviously. That's quite a collective group. I would imagine it would take a similar effort to today tomorrow. Obviously you just got off the course, but just thinking of what it will take tomorrow to continue to climb the leaderboard and make that run, what do you expect to have to do?

ALLY EWING: Yeah, obviously what everybody else does is completely out of my control. So today with my game plan, what I did, and then tomorrow I'll just have the same type of mindset. I don't expect to shoot 66, but if a 66 happens that's great.

But I'll just go tee it up and try to hit a lot of fairways, hit a lot of greens and give myself a lot looks and do the best that I can. And like I said, how they play is completely out of my control, so I'll just do my best and stick with what I can do.

Q. Pat Hurst riding around out here.

ALLY EWING: Yeah.

Q. Did you notice her?

ALLY EWING: Oh, yeah.

Q. Talk to her at all?

ALLY EWING: I talked to her the last couple tournaments she's been around. But I spoke with her at the beginning of the week. She came and watched a few holes on Thursday or Friday.

So I didn't get a chance to say anything to her today, but definitely saw her riding around.

Q. I would imagine a 6-under goes a long way when the Solheim Cup captain is watching.

ALLY EWING: Yeah, I mean, I think it's more about finishing off and having a good day tomorrow. But if I play how I'm capable of playing and just take care of what I can take care of, I feel like I'm going to put myself in a really good position tomorrow and whatever comes down the road.

Q. So 2020 was a really good year for you both on and off the course. Got the major win, I believe you were recently married in 2020.

ALLY EWING: Yeah.

Q. New year, new season. What's been the mindset up to this point that's obviously working so well for you?

ALLY EWING: Yeah, I've just kind of -- I mean, it was a short off-season, to be honest, so I look a little bit of down time, and just when I picked back up and started practicing it was just trying to re-groove everything that I had felt last year and even to get a little bit better.

I really do believe in my game, the process and the work I've put in with my coaches through the years and the great support I've had from a lot of different people my whole career.

So for me, it's just about doing one thing at a time, playing one day at a time. I feel like if I take care of that the other things will take care of themselves.

Q. Having that win, does it make you a little bit more comfortable out here, a little bit more comfortable in the situation you're heading into tomorrow?

ALLY EWING: Yeah, I mean, think it definitely gives me confidence. To rely on something that you've done before I think is a very settling feeling. Certainly it's a major championship and it's a little bit different, but I think the biggest part for me when I got that win was the day before and the morning before I tee'd off every day, on Saturday, Sunday I had great conversations with my caddie and just making myself aware of the uncomfortability that I was going to feel and acknowledging that.

If you try to brush it off and put it to the side, then you're not acknowledging the truth. So I'm going to go ahead and acknowledge that it's probably going to be tough tomorrow. I'm going to feel uncomfortable at times, but I'll embrace it and try to do the best I can.