HONDA LPGA THAILAND

May 7, 2021

Gaby Lopez

Siam Country Club Pattaya, Old Course

Quick Quotes

Q. All right, Gaby, you got off to a hot start today with three birdies in the first four holes. What was going so right in the beginning there?

GABY LOPEZ: Yeah, I think mentally I'm in a more peaceful world. Internally I feel comfortable. There are so many birdies out there. I told my caddie, Hey, there is a birdie in every single hole out there. We just got to be aggressive.

Greens are soft, so being able to birdie the par-5s -- I didn't birdie two of them -- but still got a really good round in. I think I got good numbers. I was just feeling calm out there.

Q. Definitely was feeling yourself after that bogey there on 13 -- bogey on 14 -- being able to rebound with that eagle on 15. I know the tee was up today, but take me through the eagle on the Aon Risk Reward hole.

GABY LOPEZ: Yeah, I think it was 14 I three-putted. I didn't get angry. I know I'm going to miss couple putts, miss a couple shots, so just got to accept them as much as I can.

I just went through 15 with an aggressive swing. I hit it to six feet, hit an amazing driver out there and, yeah, made the putt.

Q. What do you like most about Siam Country Club? I was talking to your caddie and he said you really, really like the conditions out here today.

GABY LOPEZ: Yeah, I love just being able to play here. I'm just very, very blessed and grateful for the opportunity. We haven't been here in two years and I don't know why, but I love Asia. I love competing here. I love -- the golf courses are big, long, you got hit the ball pretty good to be able to score.

And, yeah, I just feel more and more comfortable with my game and under my skin.

Q. What did you learn about your play last week in Singapore that's helped you continue that momentum here this Thailand?

GABY LOPEZ: Yeah, last week was a great learning opportunity. I gave myself a good chance of being in contention the last day. What I've learned is just got to be patient. There are amazing players out here, and maybe your best is not going to beat everyone, but your best means you're improving a little bit, a little bit as time goes by.

So I think that is for me the key. Hitting it a little closer with the wedges, making those up and downs, for me that is progress. I think I've done that, being able to get recovery when I have to and being able to stay calm through an eagle putt. Being able to stay patient and just kind of listen to my breath has helped me a lot.

Q. When you were going about today did you think a 7-under round was in the cards for you?

GABY LOPEZ: No. I mean, honestly, what I was thinking today was I'm just going to not let one mistake ruin my peace and my patience out there. I'm going to hit aggressive swings out there, and what we did yesterday on the range was great. We hit more fairways today and I gave myself many chances of birdie with being able to spin the ball a lot.

Out of the rough it's hard because you can get a flier ball. But, yeah, so being able to hit more fairways, hitting it as long as I am, I'm really comfortable with that.

Q. What do you think it is going to take tomorrow to continue being up there towards the top of the leaderboard?

GABY LOPEZ: I mean, I guess same thing. Being as aggressive as I've been, being patient, hitting my targets, and doing the little things that we've done, being able to hit the putts exactly with the speed I'm looking for and not trying to make birdies and trying to hit it harder just to make birdies.

I think being able to stay in the present and in the process, I think that's probably the key of professional golf. Doesn't mean it's a Sunday or Saturday, it's just a key as you maintain patience and peace throughout whole year long you're going to be able to score well.