HONDA LPGA THAILAND

May 8, 2021

Sophia Popov

Siam Country Club Pattaya, Old Course

Quick Quotes

Q. All right, two bogey-free rounds here now in Thailand. Just overall how are you feeling after day three?

SOPHIA POPOV: A lot better than after day one. I had a really nice start on the first day, but then I just couldn't score. I been hitting it well all week but I just wasn't making the putts that I have to make, and then yesterday and today I made a lot more putts, which was really nice.

So you can actually get on a little bit of a roll. It's definitely scorable. It's so soft, so I'm just kind of going after it a little bit more, just being a little bit more aggressive, so that's nice.

Q. When did you start feeling that you could be more aggressive at these pins?

SOPHIA POPOV: You know after the first day I was like, I mean, now I just have to go after it. If you want to have a good finish you're going to have to go after it a little. So on the second day, yesterday, I started firing at them a little bit more, played the par-5s a little bit more aggressively, and putted more aggressively.

I think I was very tentative on the first day not trying to hit them four feet, five feet by. Really there is no point out here. You have to go after it.

I think midway through yesterday's round I felt like, okay, pedal to the metal. Let's go.

Q. Not only that, but the first and tenth holes this week are both par-5s. How important is it to take advantage when you're starting a round and even that confidence boost in the middle of the round?

SOPHIA POPOV: Yeah, honestly, it's actually kind of nice to have a par-5 just to get into your round. I've been playing them fairly well. I made birdie on No. 1 I think I almost every day maybe. Oh, I made eagle on the first day.

But I been playing it pretty well, so it's a nice hole to start and calm your nerves a little bit and get into things. But you have to take advantage of those. I think it gives you a little bit of pressure too to just have to score those.

Yesterday I made birdie on every par-5 and I think that was definitely a game changer for me.

Q. What's it been like getting adjusted to Singapore and Thailand here and what do you think of the way you've been playing over the past couple weeks?

SOPHIA POPOV: Yeah, it's been a little bit tough from a weather perspective. Definitely the heat and humidity is something you have to get used to. I'm definitely not -- you can tell I'm not born and raised here. Definitely something to adjust to.

But I think the more I play, the more I get used to, and the more I'm okay with it. And just having a routine and snacking on certain holes, and I've made it through two stomach bugs already in two weeks, so the last one being yesterday.

So I honestly was a little bit low energy going into the round, but I think it's just the will to want to play well. You kind of forget about that and go, Okay, let's figure out the bad feelings later and just go out and play.

I think you just have to keep your mind focused and drink a lot, a lot of water.

Q. Because there is no cut in the last two events, this one included, I feel like every day could be moving day. Does it feel like that, that it's going to be another one of those days tomorrow?

SOPHIA POPOV: Yeah, 100%. It's just like you have to go after it. Whether it's the first round or the fourth round it doesn't really matter. No one is out here going, okay, Now I made cut, now I can really push.

It's more like, Well, maybe the first day is your day, maybe the fourth day your day. So you kind of don't know and really have to play aggressively all of the days and just kind of see what happens in the end.

Take whatever you can get, but you definitely have to be aggressive in a no-cut event.