BANK OF HOPE LPGA MATCH-PLAY

May 27, 2022

Gemma Dryburgh

Shadow Creek

Quick Quotes

Q. All right, here with Gemma Dryburgh coming off a 2&1 win over Gaby Lopez and then a playoff win over Gaby Lopez. Gaby is a fierce competitor, isn't she? How did you enjoy both of your matches today?

GEMMA DRYBURGH: Yeah, I knew it was going to be a tough one. We both birdied the first hole. I put mine in first and then she drained it after me. After that I knew it was going to be a tough one, and it was the whole time.

So she's a fighter and she -- I was 4-up, I think I was dormie through 15, and then, yeah, she drew me back to -- all the way to the 17th hole, so it was a good match.

Q. She was undefeated going into this match. Were you at all intimidated by that?

GEMMA DRYBURGH: I knew she was obviously playing well so I knew I had to play well as well, but, you know, on the day you can do anything, so I felt like I could get the win.

Q. Yeah, and you did get the win. Tell me, coming in after a withdrawal, you were the first alternate, what were your expectations going into this tournament? Did you expect this?

GEMMA DRYBURGH: No. I had no expectations, to be honest, especially after losing my first match. I was like, oh, just try and make the most of it.

But, yeah, I knew I could still get into the round of 16 after two wins, which I've done, so I just kind of took that momentum.

And, yeah, I had no expectations to be honest. I think anything was a bonus, to be honest. Getting into the event, I really wasn't expecting it, so have to thank Anna Nordqvist for that.

Q. Being a European player, do you have a lot of experience with match play? What's your match play experience? Do you feel like you perform really well in match play?

GEMMA DRYBURGH: Yeah, I have had a lot of experience. Not since the Curtis Cup actually. Once you turn pro you don't get as many opportunities unless you get into the Solheim Cup.

But we played a lot growing up in the amateurs and with Scotland as well, club level as well. We play a lot of the match play at home which I think helps.

Q. Take me through the playoff hole. You only played one hole, correct?

GEMMA DRYBURGH: Yeah.

Q. Take me through the hole.

GEMMA DRYBURGH: Yeah, so I hit driver; Gaby hit 3-wood. I hit it a little bit further right but I had quite a good angle because that pin was on the left.

I was just in the semi; Gaby was kind of blocked out a little bit with the trees, so she kind of had to go a bit further right. She just missed the green on the front right and I hit the green, and then she didn't get up and down and I got up and down.

So, yeah, it was good.

Q. Can you take me through Tuesday night. I hear it was about 9:00 when you found out. Were you resigned at that point that you weren't going to get in?

GEMMA DRYBURGH: Yeah, to be honest, when I -- my caddie was painting the course the day before and I picked him up late from the course and we were kind of on the way home just thinking, oh, we're probably not going to get in. Kind of a little bit -- not demoralized, but not hopeful.

And then I got a text probably 10, 15 minutes before I got the official text and she said there might be an option in the morning in the first few matches, so be ready.

And then ten minutes after that she confirmed what my tee time would be and who withdrew. So it was pretty exciting, to say the least.

Q. What kind of preparation did you have? You didn't get to play in the pro-ams obviously.

GEMMA DRYBURGH: No.

Q. Did you get to practice out here?

GEMMA DRYBURGH: I did. I arrived Sunday so I got a full kind of practice round in, so I saw the course and everything, which was great.

But, yeah, wasn't in the pro-am, but I was able to play it kind of before the pro-am on Tuesday, so that was -- I got to see the course, which was good.

Q. And then how about Wednesday. I'm sure it was just a whirlwind because you weren't expecting to play and you lost.

GEMMA DRYBURGH: Yes.

Q. Did you still have hope at that point considering -- I would guess Gaby played better than anyone the first two days here.

GEMMA DRYBURGH: Yep. Yeah, I still had hope. I knew it was going to be tough because obviously I knew I had to win the next two matches, but after getting that second match in I kind of had more hope.

Then I also had it in my own hands. If I won the match we would get into at least the playoff, which is a nice feeling.

Yeah, on that first day I was a little bit nervous. Almost like when you're in a tournament you kind of have that preparation to get used to getting into the tournament mode. I didn't really have that. I didn't know I was going to get in. I didn't think I was going to get in until the night before.

So that was a little bit different feeling than a normal event. Yeah, it is nice to get the last two wins.

Q. And I know you're thrilled because you have moved on, but how do you feel about the format, that you beat Gaby on the course and you had to turn around and have a playoff with her even though you had already taken her down?

GEMMA DRYBURGH: Yeah, it's definitely a different format, isn't it? Because you've done your job for the day but it continues for another hole, however many holes it takes.

So you kind of get that win feeling, but then you got to go out and do it again, so...

Q. Against the person you already beat.

GEMMA DRYBURGH: Yeah, exactly. It's a weird feeling, isn't it?