HUGEL AIR PREMIA LA OPEN

April 21, 2021

Marina Alex

Wilshire Country Club

Quick Quotes

Q. Any time you can shoot under par on this course to start off I feel like is a good omen for the week.

MARINA ALEX: Yeah, it's a really nice golf course. Last time I played here was 2018. I played really well here and I like it a lot.

So I'm just trying to ride on those good vibes from whenever that was years ago. But made some really, really nice putts to start.

A par save on 11 which was my second hole.

Really great birdie on 12.

Birdie on 13.

Birdie on 14.

Then had a short look an 16 that I missed which I was kind of annoyed with.

But just kind of kept rolling through.

That third hole is kind of tricky with the tree. Hit it long left and it's a tough area to chip from back there. I kind of duffed it and made a bogey. It's fine.

And then the finishing stretch of holes is not super easy. Not a ton of birdies on holes 4, 5, and 6, so overall I'm pretty pleased. Got to work out some things in my swing. Hopefully just keep the putter feeling comfortable.

Q. You had 12, 13, 14 you had birdies?

MARINA ALEX: Yeah.

Q. Any one of those particularly that --

MARINA ALEX: Par-3 was really good. Hit a nice 5-iron. Landed perfectly in between the top of the slope and the pin and made probably about an 18-footer down the hill.

Yeah, that was my best hole of the day for sure.

Q. Having not played here since 2018, when you got here was that like, Okay, I got to make sure my numbers or got to learn a couple things again?

MARINA ALEX: Yeah, for sure. I played an 18 hole practice round on Monday which I usually don't do at this point, but it's been a few years since I had been here. Ball definitely doesn't fly quite as far in some of the cooler mornings.

So it was really good for me to just see the course and get comfortable putting and chipping. It's a real great golf course, so just hit good shots, you're going to be rewarded.

Scores are out there, but you also have to respect the course and know where to play conservative on the tough holes.

Q. What makes it unique compared to some other courses we play?

MARINA ALEX: You know, the bunkering is different. It actually kind of reminds me of when we go play courses in Australia, especially in the sand belt. Has a similar design and vibe to that.

The bunkers are challenging. I was in the bunker off the tee on 11 and I had nothing to play with. I had to basically just pitch out.

That can happen out here where you just hit -- just creep into the bunker and you have very little to work with.

Same with greenside. You get very awkward lies, and I think that is a big challenge. Like if you can avoid a lot of the bunkers you will be -- you'll probably be in good positions.

But that and the green complexes I think are very different. Tiny greens and lots of subtle breaks and little down slopes, little up slopes. It just makes getting it super close to the hole sometimes a challenge.

Q. Two more for you.

MARINA ALEX: Sure.

Q. First off, get your take on the hoodie.

MARINA ALEX: Yeah, the hoodie is sick.

Q. On social media a lot of people see you as a good voice for the women's game.

MARINA ALEX: The hoodie is awesome. What Michelle and the team here have done, it's a great project.

You know, it's awesome because it does like so many things at once. Obviously it's getting people aware of the LPGA just in general, which think is important.

But then the proceeds to that are benefitting the Renee Powell Foundation and I believe it's Clearwater Foundation as well.

Just the fact that we can give back. There are a lot of things going on in the game right now. The guys just announced whatever $40 million thing they're doing.

And the fact that we're taking whatever little resources we have and actually giving it back, that to me is a big I statement than anything.

Q. You had a crazy year last year with the injury. How is the just getting back into the rhythm?

MARINA ALEX: It's hard. It's been tough. You know, I get good stretches, I get tired. I just feel a little bit out of competitive form mentally sometimes where sometimes you get anxious and feel pressure, especially if you're playing well, you want to finish off a solid day.

A lot teams you just need reps of feeling comfortable to not make mistakes or get out of your mental routine. All of that is starting to slowly come back. I thought it would be back a lot faster, but I also was gone for a bit. Can't expect a whole lot. It's progressing so that's good.