ISPS HANDA WORLD INVITATIONAL

July 29, 2021

Emma Talley

Galgorm Castle & Massereene Golf Club

Quick Quotes

Q. A 67 to start the week. Tell us about it from your point of view.

EMMA TALLEY: Yeah, it was actually an easy day. When you're hitting it well and you're putting it well, it's pretty easy. Just had one hiccup on 17, but other than that it was pretty steady all day, fairways and greens, and not many putts.

Q. You said it was easy, but if there are challenges out there, what are they here at Galgorm?

EMMA TALLEY: Yeah, I think for the most part we didn't get to play the golf courses. I only played 14 of the holes here and then only seven of the holes at the other course, so it's been a bit of a wet couple days for here. Just trying to get to know the golf courses a bit and trusting -- and it was really windy on the front nine.

Q. A few weeks ago at the Volunteers of America Classic you shot 65 first round and you told people that you're working with a sports psychologist now Paul Dewland. Tell us how that's helped your game.

EMMA TALLEY: It's been huge for me. I actually used a couple of his methods out there on the last nine holes, and it's been huge just be able to calm your nerves down and really get back to what got me here from the beginning. He really encouraged me to go back to my old swing coach and my old putting coach, so he's kind of given me my confidence back and stop looking at everyone else and just pay attention to myself.

Q. Can you expand a little more on that 2011 Junior Solheim Cup? It was at Knightsbrook in Ireland? So you just love Ireland, Northern Ireland?

EMMA TALLEY: Well, I love playing over here in general. I think it's really calming. The people are really -- it's a very simple way of living. The golf courses are awesome. Yeah, it can get windy and cold and rainy. We got some wind and rain today, but I love playing golf over here, always have. Hopefully it treats me well the next couple weeks.

Q. What did you learn from Volunteers of America Classic? You bookended a strong weekend there. I think you started 6-under there, finished 8-under. What did you learn from that overall performance?

EMMA TALLEY: Yeah, so I think that just gave me the confidence that I needed to kind of move forward. I've been working really hard, as I told you before, and not just with my game but also my mental game, and just trusting that it's all working, and I saw a little bit of success, and now I've been able to just kind of build on that and like I said, hopefully a few good weeks over here.

Q. You talked about the people here in Ireland. You played with someone in the pro-am yesterday. What was his name?

EMMA TALLEY: His name was Owen, and I think I might go play golf with him next week. I fell in love. Yeah, even the woman at my hotel, we've become buddies. She wanted to go to Nashville last September and wasn't able to, and everyone I guess here loves country music, so every time I tell someone I'm from Nashville they just want to talk to me.

Yeah, I just love the people over here. I love the food. My hotel is awesome. It's so peaceful. Everything has been great so far.

Q. Have you played in Ireland besides the Junior Solheim Cup?

EMMA TALLEY: I don't think so. I think this is my second time, but one of my good friends Leona Maguire and Stephanie Meadow who I went to college with, they're both from over here, so maybe they're my lucky charms.

Q. Do you have any good memories with Stephanie from when you played with her?

EMMA TALLEY: Yeah, of course. I actually lived with her, too, in college. She's a great girl. I was able to kind of look up to her all through college golf. She won everything. She taught me a lot, and I kind of just tried to go in her footsteps because she was so successful in college. Great girl.

Q. Obviously she won this tournament two years ago, so it would be great to continue that track record.

EMMA TALLEY: Yeah exactly. I think that would be good. She would let me do that. I don't think she got to play this year because of the Olympics, so I think she'd be all right with that.