ISPS HANDA WORLD INVITATIONAL

July 29, 2021

Ssu-Chia Cheng

Galgorm Castle & Massereene Golf Club

Quick Quotes

Q. Good round, 4-under par 69. Kind of weird to say with a par-73 course, but a good round nonetheless. Take me through the birdies. We'll start out with today, you had birdies at --

SSU-CHIA CHENG: First hole, it was a short par-5 so I was -- my third shot was -- it was actually pin high but like on the fringe, so I chipped it and it was like -- it almost went into the hole, so it's a birdie. Second hole, it was maybe like a 30-footer birdie putt, and it's an uphill one, left to right. I made that one. Fourth is -- it's like 100 yards and I hit it pretty close, like eight feet.

I made a bogey on 6. I hit a bad tee shot and I was in a bunker. It was a long par-4, and it was into the wind, as well. I didn't really have a shot, so I hit my 5-wood to the right and then I didn't make my par putt, so it was a bogey.

Then the birdie on 8, it was -- it's like 180-yard shot and I hit my 5-iron, and it went straight to the pin, and it actually hit the pin and lipped out, so it was right next to the hole, like a foot, so that was cool.

Then I made birdies on 10 --

Q. 10 and 13.

SSU-CHIA CHENG: It's also a short par-5, and then I just had like a 35-yard chip and it was like an eight-foot putt, and I made that one.

13 I had like 100 yards and I hit it to like 10 feet for birdie.

I bogeyed on the 17th. I was in the rough for a second shot, and there was just like grass behind my ball, so the contact wasn't really good. I pulled it to the left, and it was kind of in the trees so I don't really have a shot, so I just punched it over and it went over the green, so I had another chip and I had like a three-foot putt, so it was a bogey.

Q. Did that birdie on 18, that one that you had that lipped out, did that give you some good momentum to head to the back? You were headed to the back at 3-under par. Did you feel good after that one?

SSU-CHIA CHENG: Yeah, for sure because it was a long par-4. At the moment I didn't know I hit the pin, and I was walking to the green and somebody else told me that. I was pretty happy because 5-iron is a long iron into the green, and I hit it good, hit it straight, so definitely it gave me some confidence. I made birdie on 10 and then 13.

So overall today I was just feeling good about my game, and then especially the first couple holes we were in the rain a little bit and windy, too. So I'm definitely happy about my scores today.

Q. Did the course change much from when you played it earlier this week with the rain over the last couple days?

SSU-CHIA CHENG: Yeah, it definitely plays different with the bounce because the rain, definitely it's more wet, so you kind of have to -- I think it's probably easier for us because if it's dry and bouncy you just don't know how far it's going to go. I think it definitely helps a little bit with the wetness.

Q. You could attack pins a little bit more easily?

SSU-CHIA CHENG: Yeah, for sure.

Q. How good does it feel to put yourself in a position after the first round, obviously 4-under par is a good score, but to start off you're only one back of the lead right now. Just from your perspective starting off on a hot start.

SSU-CHIA CHENG: I'm definitely just always happy to have a good score in the first round. I think that definitely gave me a lot of confidence to bring to the next three days. Definitely happy about that.

Happy to be back in Europe, play some Europe golf, and definitely I think the course is different than what we have in the United States. Yeah, I'm looking forward for the next three days.

Q. When was the last time you played in Europe?

SSU-CHIA CHENG: I think the last one was British Open, and it's probably four or five years ago. I think that was like -- it's probably 2016, the one that was in Trump, so it was probably four or five years ago. But I started my first year as a professional in Europe, so definitely I'm happy to be back.

Q. You played LET?

SSU-CHIA CHENG: I did play LET.

Q. 2014, 2015?

SSU-CHIA CHENG: '15, that was my first year.

Q. Was that a nice -- obviously you played Symetra a few years ago, but was the LET a good kick start to get your career started off?

SSU-CHIA CHENG: I thought that year was really cool for me because I never -- it was my first year, and then I never played golf in Europe, so everything is just like new and just fresh for me, and then I get to see some course -- it's different design, different grass. We played in the wind and the rain, too, so definitely helped me for my career.

Q. I'm guessing you've never been to Northern Ireland?

SSU-CHIA CHENG: No, it's my first time.

Q. What do you think of the courses and just the scenery?

SSU-CHIA CHENG: I think the design is cool. It's definitely more like Scottish and Irish golf course. Yeah, it's my first time, and yeah, I really like it, though.