TRUST GOLF WOMEN'S SCOTTISH OPEN

August 11, 2021

Gemma Dryburgh

Dumbarnie Links

Press Conference

THE MODERATOR: Welcome inside the virtual media centre here at the Trust Golf Women's Scottish Open. How does it feel to be back?

GEMMA DRYBURGH: Feels great, thankful for the invite from VisitScotland to be here. My first one was 2016, so however many that is, so it's good to be back and back in Scotland.

THE MODERATOR: Coming off the most recent win, your third win on the Rose Ladies Series, what was that like for you?

GEMMA DRYBURGH: It was amazing. Dad was on the bag and it was special to have him. He doesn't get to watch me very often. It was special for us to be together and Mum was watching as well, and to get the win in the playoff was an amazing feeling.

THE MODERATOR: I feel like at this point you and Kate Rose must be best friends with all the trophies you've taken.

GEMMA DRYBURGH: Yeah, best friends with her dad. Her dad wasn't there, but I've met her dad a few times, obviously very grateful to the Rose family and Justin for putting on these events that give us so many opportunities.

Also got into the final qualifier next week for the British Open, that was special, as well. To get the win was a bit of a bonus.

Q. What does it mean to be a three-time winner of that circuit coming into your national event?

GEMMA DRYBURGH: Amazing. Last year it gave me momentum into the LPGA and give me by best finish on the LPGA last year. Doesn't really matter where you do it. It's the same feeling, you get those nerves on the tee and on the putts as well, so it's great to get the job done.

THE MODERATOR: You mentioned earlier but a sponsor exemption from VisitScotland, what does that mean?

GEMMA DRYBURGH: It's great. It's great to have that Scottish support. And seeing the Scottish girls get some opportunity to play. I think there's a top Scot trophy this year so that will be fun to play for and we'll see who wins.

THE MODERATOR: Your last LPGA event you finished 17th at the ISPS Handa, but how do you feel about your game coming into this week?

GEMMA DRYBURGH: Have a lot of confidence in my game. I played really well in Northern Ireland, tied for lead after the first round and so that was a great experience, and then obviously momentum into the next week with the Rose Series. So feeling very confident with my game. Everything is working well. So hopefully can do well this week.

Q. New venue for the event this year. Can you talk about how it compares to the Renaissance Club?

GEMMA DRYBURGH: Dumbarnie is really nice. I had seen it on social media before, I think it was last year it opened for the first time so great piece of land. Fantastic views over the 1 St. And 4th. A really good mix of holes. I think 10 is a 470-par 4, but the next hole is a 314, short par 4. It's a good mix of holes. And they might move a few up so we can drive the green on a couple of par 4s. A good mix of holes and some really in good nick, as well, especially for being only 18 months old or so. So I really like it.

Q. What would it mean now if you could get in contention in your home Open?

GEMMA DRYBURGH: It would mean so much. Obviously playing at home and hopefully family watching as well it would mean a lot to me playing well at home in The Scottish Open and flying the flag for Scotland. Hopefully I can bring that momentum like I did last year from the Rose Series into this week.

Q. The Rose Series, I assume you would like to see more of them and to be incorporated into the Ladies European Tour. How important is that to the young, up-and-coming players?

GEMMA DRYBURGH: It's fantastic. Last week there was an LET event but there were opportunities for girls not in there to play last week four events. It's fantastic opportunities for girls that maybe not quite got in and get that experience and play against really good players, as well, and on really good courses.

It would be great to see them continue not sure what capacity it will be next year but I'd love to play more. Unfortunately I won't play the ones in September because I have to go back to America but really gutted to miss them.

Q. You won a mini-tour event in America, didn't you?

GEMMA DRYBURGH: Yeah, I won one in Florida, the NWGA.

Q. By seven shots?

GEMMA DRYBURGH: Yeah, I think it was, yeah. So that was good fun. So yeah, a couple wins this year, so hopefully I can get one on the main tour soon.

Q. Back to the main point. Those mini-tour circuits, the men have loads and the women are starting to have more but they are crucial to development, aren't they?

GEMMA DRYBURGH: They are, because the Clutch Pro Tour has opportunities, as well. It's getting there. Like you said, the men have so many, in Spain and Portugal. I think they are adding women's spots into those so it would be good to see more like the Rose Series where it's just for the women so it gives us more opportunity to play, like you said. So it would be great to see.

Q. You said, what is it, five years since you played your first Scottish Open?

GEMMA DRYBURGH: That would be right.

Q. Can you just reflect and assess how your game's developed in that time, and what you still need to work on and what's improved down the years?

GEMMA DRYBURGH: Yeah, looking back to 2016, my game's a lot better. I remember playing with -- I had these Burner woods I think and they were going sky high and that's when I realised -- I had these clubs, oh, I love these woods and I realised that Scottish Open they were not very good in the wind so I was like ok might be time to look at some new clubs.

So that was a moving point for me, looking at equipment, and then I gained a lot of length since then. I'm hitting it longer off the tee. My putting's improved tremendously I think since then. Green reading, I use AimPoint now; that's helped me a lot. Since then I've got a specific putting coach, Nick Soto, so that's helped a lot.

And then I still work with the same coach, Lawrence. We've been gradually working on things over the years, and it's just gradually getting better and better. So hopefully can continue to get better as well.

But yeah, just gradually everything improving over the years I think.

Q. It can be quite daunting getting dropped into quite a star-studded field like this, but you're obviously embracing the challenge, and this is where you want to be obviously.

GEMMA DRYBURGH: Yeah, definitely. See a lot of these girls in America week-to-week, and it's more normal to me now. I know when I first got on to the LPGA in 2018 it was daunting like you said, but I feel like I'm much more used to it now.

Q. A couple of players out there that you've taken inspiration from in the time that you've been on the LPGA or are you very much your own woman?

GEMMA DRYBURGH: Well, Catriona Matthew has always been a hero of mine. Hopefully she's playing next week and it will be great to her again, and played on the LET last week. I think our games are almost similar in terms of we're not bombers of the game but just plod away along and get it done. She's always been a hero of mine.

Q. The first year you played on the LPGA, how important was that, and wanting to prove to people --

GEMMA DRYBURGH: That first year, like you said it was really tough and didn't make many cuts and it was daunting going from LET to PGA and seeing people I had watched on TV for so long.

But kind of since then, I feel much more comfortable out there and I feel like my game kind of from that year, I really needed to improve a few things and kind of feel like I'm getting there now. So it really helped me a lot really.

Q. Was there a turning point that you can remember?

GEMMA DRYBURGH: Probably middle of 2019, had a decent year that year, and just kind of with my caddie on the bag, Paul, we kind of just were a really good team and I started to believe that I belonged. I can't remember there was a specific point or moment, but I think gradually that year I got more and more confident I think.

Q. Is your dad back on the bag this week?

GEMMA DRYBURGH: No. I have my main caddie, Paul, on the bag. But Dad will be watching.

Q. What's his name?

GEMMA DRYBURGH: John.

Q. But your dad, he inspired you?

GEMMA DRYBURGH: Yeah, he got me into it, I was like 3 or 4 years old. He's a big golfer. Got me into it. He took me to the range and course and stuff. He loves it.

Q. Did he caddie for you through the amateurs?

GEMMA DRYBURGH: Yes, he did. I remember at Panmure, the Open qualifier when it was at Carnoustie, he caddied for me then. That was his first pro caddie experience. We learned a lot from that.

Yeah, he's caddied for me a few times, but he's got quite a good record on the Rose Series. So my caddie, Paul said he's making him bad.

THE MODERATOR: One more question just to wrap it up from me.

You talked earlier about the Leading Scot Trophy. What does that bring to a tournament like this.

GEMMA DRYBURGH: It's fantastic. Just brings an extra little snippet to it. It will be good to win that but I'm sure -- up for grabs but it will be good to play against the other girls and see who can get it.