KPMG WOMEN'S PGA CHAMPIONSHIP

June 24, 2021

Madelene Sagstrom

Atlanta Athletic Club

Quick Quotes

Q. A bogey-free day. I feel like you can't complain about that at a major championship.

MADELENE SAGSTROM: Of course, never.

Q. Take me through this first day here.

MADELENE SAGSTROM: It was very steady. I only made a little bit of a blooper once, but it was good. I had a bunch of chances. It could have been lower. Couldn't really have been higher, so it was very solid, very solid, from tee to green, and putts were good. I hit them fine, they just weren't going in.

Q. I know a lot of people have been coming off saying it is a grind if you are hitting it in certain spots. Would you agree?

MADELENE SAGSTROM: Yes. Yes and no. I think if you can work the ball both ways on this course, I think you can benefit a lot. I'm not as tired as I was U.S. Open week, I'll tell you that, but it's probably because the rough isn't as thick, but there's plenty more bunkers here, so if you miss the fairway you're most likely in a fairway bunker. It's a grind, and you want to make sure that you're on the right side of the pins on the right spots because there's a bunch of par-3s where you're really -- where do I want to be here. You just have to be very accepting out there.

Q. After the two birdies on your front nine you went on to par the rest of this round. What was going on between was it just a few shots or was it more of not -- was it the course letting up with this weather?

MADELENE SAGSTROM: It was still soft. I hit the ball a good bit, so I didn't really struggle with the distances. I struggled a bit on 10, was able to make a really good par there so I was happy with that. Gave myself a few chances coming in. Seemed to murder the ball off the tee on 17 and the wedge on 18, but I rolled the putter nice, so the couple short chances that I had I didn't make and then I was quite close on my long ones, so I'm quite pleased with it to be honest.

Q. What's it like preparing for this event?

MADELENE SAGSTROM: I mean, I've been playing well the last few weeks, so then you just kind of want to keep the momentum going. I'm really happy where my game is at so I've been trying to continue doing what I've been doing. This is what we live for. We live to play great golf courses, and with the best fields out there. I mean, I'm happy that my game is in a good spot. If it wasn't, it would have been a tougher stretch. We have such a good stretch coming up with the Olympics, British and a bunch of majors, so it's just really nice to know that we have the best golf like every day out here.

Q. I feel like every day is like the Olympics out here with everyone playing. I know you are right now on the Olympics, going to the Olympics. Is that something that's been on your mind for the past couple of months as qualifying ends this week?

MADELENE SAGSTROM: Not really. I've been trying to -- I know sometimes when I decide like this is my goal, I get a little bit in the way of myself. I had kind of the mindset if I'm playing well enough, I should make that team, and if I'm not, I'm not. It's still not clear, but I said if somebody gets that spot in front of me, good for them, you clearly earned it. I'm just trying to play well and just continue and hopefully I'll earn my spot on that team.

Q. You've talked about how you've come into your game in the last couple events. What did you learn about your game that you're hoping transfers into tomorrow?

MADELENE SAGSTROM: Well, I had my mental coach that works for the Swedish golf team at Olympic Club and we chatted a lot that week just about I tend to get a little bit indecisive when I start doubting myself and my game. We just kind of talked about not really going into different persona but what are the behaviors I do when I do well, so for me it's been really like, okay, this is what I'm doing, wherever it goes, it goes. I think it's easy to start trying a bit too hard in golf. Like you try to manipulate the shots, try to manipulate the putts wanting to do too well. So I've just been trying to, what can I affect and what can I do and then let go of the rest.

Q. Kind of control what you can control?

MADELENE SAGSTROM: Exactly, but still like if I don't know, I'd better decide on something rather than nothing. Like rather than standing over something and being uncomfortable, it better be the wrong thing.

Q. When did you feel like that clicked? Did it click last week or during the U.S. Women's Open?

MADELENE SAGSTROM: I would definitely say during U.S. Women's Open. I played really solid all week, and I just wasn't really getting the scores that I was hoping for, and then I got a 1-under the last day and I was like, okay, this is what I've been grinding for all week because that was really one of those courses you can't take your attention off of it. You have to focus. That's what major golf is supposed to be, I think, and that's kind of when it really like okay, if I stick to this, I'm not always going to pull out good scores but at least I'm going to give myself a chance to do it, so that's where I've been at.

I had a quick chat with him yesterday after practicing and just, okay, go back to what am I doing because it's easy to fall into your old habits of what I'm comfortable doing, even though it's not the best thing for me. I'm just trying to push myself being in that zone where I'm not comfortable because that's what I can develop and just get better.