COGNIZANT FOUNDERS CUP

October 7, 2021

So Yeon Ryu

Mountain Ridge Country Club

Quick Quotes

Q. So Yeon, 4-under today. How did you find the golf course out there?

SO YEON RYU: Well, it was really amazing golf course. You know, golf course conditions really perfect. It was really wet from last three days, and then I think the golf course started to dry out a little bit.

So to be honest, I thought it was super, super long golf course, but today I was able to hit -- like play little shorter than what I expected.

But I really enjoyed it today. I think I was really patient when I was not able to make a birdie with the front nine. Then since I start make -- I mean, since I made the first birdie at the 18 I was able to make four birdie in a row, so it was really nice.

Q. We've been hearing a lot it feels like a major championship out there. Scores are pretty low so far. What are your thoughts on that?

SO YEON RYU: Yeah, I was surprised that Jin Young shot 8-under. She definitely had a reason why being No. 1 player for long, long time. I guess because the greens rolling really well. Like even though golf course is really long, like as long as you can drop some putt, like you're able to make a lot of birdies.

But still like I'm actually quite amazed to see she shot 8-under today.

Q. Like you said, the course was a little bit wetter. I've heard some people say it's still soft. You said it's a little bit firmer than it was. How does that change the strategy from what your prep work was into the first day of the competition?

SO YEON RYU: Well, you know, like this golf course fairways quite wide. Even we have a really wide fairway and really big green, but because green undulation is quite severe.

So I think just second shot is really, really important. And then when we have a really soft green we are able to play bit more aggressive. I think that's one of the reason why you are able to see a lot of birdies out there.

But if it's going to firm it up, I think -- I don't think we really going to play aggressive. So we really have to think about where is a good miss and where is a bad miss. Depends on how firm it is the greens going to be. It's going to be different golf course for sure.

Q. Are you a fan of a Donald Ross design? Is that something that you enjoy playing on?

SO YEON RYU: Yeah, of course. I enjoy to play Seaview last week. To be honest, I never really played well the Seaview but I always thought it's really well design. Then this golf course is same, too. I guess because he made that green really tough. That's why you made a really wide fairway I guess.

I think he always has the thought of giving us good opportunity, but not easy.

Q. This is a cultural question. I had asked Inbee yesterday, and when westerners look at a golf course like this, they think about the Golden Age of architecture. I'm wondering if Koreans come over and just see a golf course, or is there an appreciation for that Golden Age of architecture?

SO YEON RYU: Well, to be honest, when I first joined the LPGA Tour, it's really shame to say this, but I really had no idea about golf architecture. Since I met Michael Clayton, one of the golf architecture, I started to learn a lot about it and then I started to know -- I mean, I started to appreciate the Donald Ross golf course.

So I feel like I'm still in the process of learning about all the architectures. To be honest, LPGA don't really have many opportunity to play really nice golf course, and this week we were able to chance to get really nice golf course and then good purse.

So hopefully many more to come.