DOW GREAT LAKES BAY INVITATIONAL

July 13, 2022

Kristy McPherson

Maddie Szeryk

Midland Country Club

Quick Quotes

Q. Here with Maddie and Kristy. I just learned the team name is The Rookie and the Vet. Maddie, how did this team come together for the both of you?

MADDIE SZERYK: We played together at Q Series, and I know her game. She's super sweet. We could have a great time. It's been awesome.

Q. Kristy, what is it like playing with Maddie?

KRISTY McPHERSON: She's the only one that's ever called my sweet. It's awesome. I mean, I just rode her today, just let her do all the heavy lifting, and it's nice. She's so consistent, and like I said, I played with her at Q Series and she birdied the last two to get her card, and that's means a lot and it's hard to do when you know you have to do it, and she asked me to play.

I'm, like, heck, yeah. There is not a nicer person in the world and not a more consistent golfer. I don't know if you know what you're getting into, but I'm there if you want me there. So it was nice for her to ask me, and we had a great time out there.

Q. Kristy, we've seen you here before with another partner as well, but just what is it about this community and this event that is more laid back but still is something that plays to your game?

KRISTY McPHERSON: I love this event. Midland is a great spot. I love the downtown area. It's a lot of good food, a lot of good people here. They do a great job with the event. Fans come out. They always have a lot of junior golfers here.

It's a really cool place to be, and I think this golf course is a great team tournament golf course. You can kind of work your way and do whatever you want to do. You can play safe or play aggressive, and a lot of good holes you can go either way on.

But I think it's -- I'm not a long hitter, so it's kind of good for me that you don't have to be a bomber on this golf course. You get a partner that can start chipping in and make a lot of putts for you, then you're doing all right.

Q. Chipping in and making putts. Maddie, tell me what the first day of this competition was like for you and for Kristy.

MADDIE SZERYK: It was a team effort. It was really fun. We did a great job.

KRISTY McPHERSON: Something a rookie would say.

MADDIE SZERYK: First hole back after the rain delay, just having easy little chip shot up there.

KRISTY McPHERSON: Let's be honest. I kind of (talking over one another) a 4-hybrid I left her with a hard shot and she chipped it in. I put it exactly where she needed to be to make it.

MADDIE SZERYK: Exactly. Exactly.

KRISTY McPHERSON: I told her all day I was setting her up for greatness. Every time I get her in trouble, just another opportunity for greatness, and she pulled through.

MADDIE SZERYK: Exactly.

Q. What hole was that on?

MADDIE SZERYK: 4.

Q. How far?

MADDIE SZERYK: 15 yards.

KRISTY McPHERSON: Yeah, a shot to the front left. Right where the veterans leave it for their partner. Perfect shot.

Q. Perfect shot. Other than that, what were some other highlights that you saw throughout the day?

MADDIE SZERYK: I made -- I think on 2 I had a 20-footer for par. Big right-to-left breaker, and it went just in on the edge.

I'm, like, all right. It was pouring rain. I was, like, all right, great. Par. Let's go to the next hole. I made another 30-footer for birdie, and we just played really solid.

KRISTY McPHERSON: I told you I rode her all day.

Q. Kristy, what is it like to be able to have Maddie under your wing this week and kind of take her alongside you during practice rounds, during competition rounds? What's it like to have someone, like you said, nice, easy-going for this kind of week?

KRISTY McPHERSON: I think she's been told by enough people here don't listen to a word I say, so I think she's been given the fair warning this week.

No, it's just nice just to have such a sweet -- can I call you kid? I can call you kid, right? Such a sweet kid. I'm, like, she knows that I'm trying and she knows that, obviously, I'm not as sharp as I want to be right now, and she doesn't yell at me when I hit a bad shot.

I'm like, that's so nice. You're going to get a lot of good things out here if you don't yell at me.

Her consistency of her game is just great and exactly what you want in a partner. Her attitude, and she just -- every time you hit a bad shot, I have your back. Sure enough, she did. It's exactly what you want in a partner.

Q. I know you say your game isn't where you want it to be at this moment. Just gearing up for this week, what were you specifically working on as you got ready for a team event?

KRISTY McPHERSON: Trying to keep it on the golf course. Trying to hit fairways. Honestly, I did a lot of short game because even if you're not hitting as good as you want to, if your short game is okay, then you can kind of get away with some stuff and you make a few putts here and there and you can chip it when you have to, which I didn't exactly do today. If your short game is okay, then you can get away with a lot.

It's getting there, but definitely not as good as I want it to be, but tomorrow we get two balls in there, you know. Try to get a putt at it, take pressure off of her, and let her do her thing.

Q. Speaking of tomorrow, Maddie, have you talked about any sort of strategy? Now that you have one competition round under you, what do you think for tomorrow's four-ball?

MADDIE SZERYK: We haven't talked about it a lot yet.

KRISTY McPHERSON: We just found out which holes we were hitting on. I'm, like, you want to talk about this?

MADDIE SZERYK: Just going with the flow, and both easy-going. I think we'll talk about it some more and just kind of see how tomorrow goes and just have fun with it. Bounce some ideas off each other.

Q. I love that. Well, best of luck, guys. Great job today.

MADDIE SZERYK: Thank you.

KRISTY McPHERSON: Thanks.