KPMG WOMEN'S PGA CHAMPIONSHIP

June 25, 2021

Michelle Wie West

Atlanta Athletic Club

Quick Quotes

THE MODERATOR: Here with Michelle Wie, after a 3-under 69. That's a great way to bounce back from yesterday. How are you feeling right now?

MICHELLE WIE WEST: Thank you. Most improved on the back nine today. Yeah, I feel good about it. I had a great back nine yesterday and kind of played off that mojo. I had two pretty bad mud balls on the first two holes, and I was pretty rattled about that. I think it just took me a little while to kind of get my bearings. Very proud of myself for pushing through, and hopefully I can shoot low this weekend.

Q. Was there a big change from yesterday to today that you feel helped push you to this great round and maybe inside the cut line?

MICHELLE WIE WEST: Yeah, I was definitely moping after my round yesterday, and I was talking to my husband, and he told me to get my head out of my ass, so I did. I played, got my head out of my ass, and I played some golf today.

THE MODERATOR: That's why you married him, right, for the advice?

MICHELLE WIE WEST: Exactly. He's my sports psych.

THE MODERATOR: Did you get some Kenna time, did that help?

MICHELLE WIE WEST: No, she's on the West Coast right now. I got to do FaceTime with her, and she's having a blast, so it's always great to see.

Q. Does it feel like a little bit of symbiosis that the first major cut you make is the major that two years ago you thought you might be through?

MICHELLE WIE WEST: Yeah, it's pretty crazy when you think about Hazeltine and where I was and where I am now. I'm just eternally grateful that I have a chance to come back. It would have been nice to get some revenge back at Hazeltine, but this is a great golf course. I had a great day today. It was a lot of fun.

Just seeing all the young kids out there and just all the fans, it's really great to play in front of them, and they were rooting me on all day. So it was a lot of fun.

Q. What did you think of the woman carrying around the sign, "Michelle, I love you"?

MICHELLE WIE WEST: It was so awesome. She's so sweet. It's people like that that makes me want to play golf and come back. Especially having fans out on the golf course, it's such a great atmosphere.

Q. Speaking of Kenna, a big week out of California. What's it been like for you playing on the other side of the country for the first time?

MICHELLE WIE WEST: I think that's why I was rattled a little bit yesterday. I've been playing in 50 degree weather for so long where ball flight goes nowhere. I was on the range yesterday, and my ball was flying 15 yards further. I got to the golf course, and I'm like, okay, what club do I use now? It's nice to feel heat again and the sun, but, yeah, it's very weird.

We were driving around, and I don't remember the last time I was on the East Coast. So it's great to be back.

Q. Has it been emotionally difficult with Kenna so far away?

MICHELLE WIE WEST: Yeah, it definitely was. I heard like this baby kind of babble on 18, and I felt myself tear up, and I was like get yourself together. It's difficult, but I FaceTimed with her yesterday, and her great grandmother was over all day yesterday. So it was so much fun to see them have that bonding time. She's always smiling and having a blast and just getting spoiled by her grandparents. So it's all good.

Q. I was going to ask kind of similar. I know a lot of new parents say that the first time they leave their child to go away on a trip is really hard. Do you find it harder to focus on the golf course, or is it a nice kind of outlet in between holes you can kind of think of your daughter and get excited to talk with her later?

MICHELLE WIE WEST: Yeah, I definitely notice I spent more time on the golf course during my practice rounds today as I wasn't rushing to go anywhere. The guilt is real. You go out there and like should I be really here so far away from her? You just have to fight through it and know that she's having fun and all that.

It would be nice to have a later tee time tomorrow so I can actually sleep, catch up on my sleep for once.

Q. A little bit of a different question, but some players are using range finders, some players aren't. Are you one of them that have used range finders?

MICHELLE WIE WEST: Oh, yeah, I was using them all day. Yeah, I think it's really helpful. I don't think it's slowed down play at all. I think it's actually hopefully makes pace of play faster, but I like it.

Q. Michelle, you get that nice early birdie run. You have fans out here that are into it. What's the rush of that for you to be in the middle of that?

MICHELLE WIE WEST: It's great. I started my day at 5-over, and to make four birdies in the first eight holes -- no, I was 3-under. Yeah, I made four birdies on the first eight holes. It felt really good to go out there. I felt like, even though I played somewhat okay golf from time to time, I never really got low. That was the first time since a really long time where I felt like every hole looked like a birdie hole to me.

So that was a lot of fun, and I'll just kind of build on that mojo for tomorrow.

Q. Was there a highlight in the early birdie run like a best birdie?

MICHELLE WIE WEST: I think the first birdie is always the good one because it gets you that momentum to go forward. So that first one is good. On 8, that par-3 was also good. They're all good.

Q. Michelle, you haven't played poorly at all since your return, but it seems like the challenge is putting together two really good rounds in a row. Is that just the mental rust, do you think? Do you think making these cuts like you have the last two can sort of free you?

MICHELLE WIE WEST: Yeah, totally. It really helped making the cut at Merced. I felt like I was putting together really solid Thursday rounds, and then Friday it kind of blew up. I felt like Merced was the first week I really kept it together and really fought through and made the cut, and that really helped. I think that kind of bled into this week.

It's like little things like that where you just have to have experience to play.