PURE SILK CHAMPIONSHIP PRESENTED BY VISIT WILLIAMSBURG

May 22, 2021

Giulia Molinaro

Kingsmill River Course

Quick Quotes

Q. An 8-under 63, bogey-free to boot. Take us through the day and did you know that a 63 was in the cards maybe after three birdies in the first four holes?

GIULIA MOLINARO: You're always hoping for it, but you just never know. I tapped in for birdie on 1, made a very good putt on 2.

I think I birdied --

Q. 4.

GIULIA MOLINARO: -- 4. Okay, there you go. You never know. Like at one point I just started parring and missing putts. But again, I played such good golf tee to green that even though I was not making much from like 4 to 10 or 11, I still was having a really good score.

So I just stayed patient, and when I made eagle on 12, that was a pretty good boost forward and putts started dropping after that.

Q. What happened on 12?

GIULIA MOLINARO: 3-wood, 9-iron, one hop, and went in.

Q. Nice. How far out, do you remember?

GIULIA MOLINARO: Yeah.

Q. If you don't mind checking. Pull out the yardage book.

GIULIA MOLINARO: I was 144 yards.

Q. Nice.

GIULIA MOLINARO: So, yeah, it was a good normal 9-iron, and as soon as I hit it I knew it was going to be good. But I just was hoping for a tap-in birdie and it disappeared, so it was great.

Q. You remember the last time you did that in a tournament?

GIULIA MOLINARO: I remember a hole-in-one at Meijers. I don't remember from a fairway on a par-4, no, I don't remember, but I have a terrible memory. That doesn't say much.

Q. Hole-in-one in Beaumont, right, in 2019?

GIULIA MOLINARO: Yes, maybe.

Q. Probably.

GIULIA MOLINARO: Yeah.

Q. You had some good ones. Nice closing stretch, too. You had three birdies over the last five. Did it play different, that closing stretch with the tees pulled up on 15 and 18? That make a difference?

GIULIA MOLINARO: 15 I didn't hit a good driver. I was actually left of the bunker but I hit a very good 60- degree wedge and I tapped it in.

And 18, yeah, it was obviously a massive difference. I went for the green and hit the green.

Q. How different was the course playing today? You see some scores, yours obviously at 8-under, see a couple 7s, 4s, 5s are pretty common out there. What did they do to make it a little more gettable today?

GIULIA MOLINARO: Some tees were moved up and, I don't know, I mean, today everything was working for me so it seemed much easier than the other days.

But it's truly because my long game or tee to green was just excellent. I can't think of another day that I hit the ball this well.

So I don't find these greens to be easy. I don't find them easy to read. I believe you have to hit it pretty close to be able to make putts.

So I did not know there were some other low scores. I was truly trying to just focus on mine, and that's really hard enough.

Q. It does not detract from a career day by you by any means. Take us through -- you've played here several times over the years.

GIULIA MOLINARO: Yes.

Q. How different the course has been playing just in general the entire week.

GIULIA MOLINARO: It's much firmer. I remember -- I don't remember balls rolling out the way they do, and the greens did get softer after the practice rounds. The practice rounds on 7 and 8 was surprisingly firm.

But as soon as we played on Thursday we realized that obviously they were much more receptive. It's just firmer in general. I don't mind the fairways are not as green or the greens are not as green. That doesn't bother me. I love the course. I love it here.

Just to me it plays fairly different, so I was happy. It was just a different test.

Q. A little links-y style feel to it?

GIULIA MOLINARO: Yeah.

Q. One shot back of the lead. They have the back nine to play, but one shot back of the lead, you put yourself in a great position after a solid moving day. Looking for your first Top 10 since 2016. How do you get the job done? How do you follow a day like today?

GIULIA MOLINARO: I truly just will try to do everything exactly the same. Just focus on tee to green and give myself birdie putts. Some will drop and some won't, and hopefully the more options I have the more I convert.

And truly just hope to stay in the moment. That's probably the hardest thing, but that's what I will try.

Q. Do you anticipate some adrenaline?

GIULIA MOLINARO: Yeah, I felt adrenaline on 17. I had to club down, and thankfully felt it and realized and it was the right decision.