HUGEL AIR PREMIA LA OPEN

April 21, 2021

Xiyu Lin

Wilshire Country Club

Quick Quotes

Q. 3-under today. Pretty good. Pretty steady. Seven birdies.

XIYU LIN: Yep.

Q. Which one of the birdies stood out more to you than the others?

XIYU LIN: I guess the very first one because I just put new wedges in this week. It's new set of -- like the loft, they're different, so I been working like trying to work hard on those.

The range this week is a little tiny and so I try to just squeeze time to do it. And then like first hole it was 54-degree which is a new wedge in the bag. Okay, let's see how we doing it and I'm hitting it to like three feet and I'm like, Okay, the wedges are working.

I will say the back nine the course have lots more opportunity, and I took them really well, yeah.

Q. First off, what kind of -- what brand of new wedges?

XIYU LIN: They are Callaway but just different loft. Like I was using a 58, 52, and 46, and then I found the gap was too big, so I switched back to like 58, 54 A wedge and pitching wedge, so I added one and took the hybrid out. Yeah.

Q. Okay. And then you had four birdies in a row 13, 14, 15, 16. What was going on there that you got into a nice rhythm?

XIYU LIN: Well, they all just like all wedge hitting into the greens so like today my goal -- my biggest goal is just when I'm hitting a wedge shot I'll be more aggressive towards the pin.

So, yeah, all the way -- they all pretty close and even one the ball hit the pin.

Q. Wow.

XIYU LIN: Luckily it stayed right next to the pin, so, yeah.

Q. Do you remember which hole that was?

XIYU LIN: That was 16.

Q. Okay.

XIYU LIN: Yeah.

Q. So safe to say you like the new wedges?

XIYU LIN: I do. Very easy to say that, yeah.

Q. You missed the cut here last year. What did you take away from the event and your first look at the course last year to help better prepare you for 2021?

XIYU LIN: I think like I definitely feel like I'm a different person when I'm coming to this week, I mean, this year.

So I mean, what happened, what happened, but I wouldn't let this bother me too much. At the practice round I do see the course is a little hard to my eyes because there are lots of bunkers and most of the ball you can't see the landing area.

That's a little tough to me, so I change strategies like alignment and stuff. Like the way talking to caddie, so try not to look into the bunker too much.

Today it's perfect experience. All my bogeys made because I'm hitting the bunkers. Like I said, today hopefully I'm not going to hit into the bunker at all but already hit it three times. Hopefully no more next three days.

Q. Three is the max.

XIYU LIN: Yeah, three is the max.

Q. You haven't missed a cut this year. What has been your secret to success in the early going of the season?

XIYU LIN: Lots of the mind, just really believing in myself. I felt like, you know, I just need to believe my game is there and I have the ability to put them together, even the day I'm not feeling really good.

And, I mean, like last two years I been definitely making more cuts than normal, like than the year before. So like consistency, it's not something that worry about right now.

I really just wanted to have a couple really good weekend and see how good I can do. I think right now I'm actually talking myself more in aggressive way than trying to be consistent.

Q. So the mindset is a little different maybe?

XIYU LIN: Yeah, just in the bad days I trust myself enough. But like when I'm feeling good I have to force myself to go for it. Those kind of thing, yeah.