DANA OPEN PRESENTED BY MARATHON

September 3, 2022

Lucy Li

Highland Meadows Golf Club

Quick Quotes

Q. Here with the clubhouse leader, Lucy Li. You end the day at 14-under. I got to ask, as you were going to the first tee this morning, were there any nerves?

LUCY LI: Yeah, I mean, I was probably a little nervous. It wasn't anything crazy, but haven't felt nervous in a long time, so definitely I was a little nervous on the first hole.

Made bogey there, but after that I didn't really feel anymore nerves. Kind of just -- I guess on the second shot on the first hole. The first shot was pretty easy, so...

Q. So after the bogeys on the front nine, when you really made the turn is where it really started to get more comfortable for you out there; would you agree?

LUCY LI: Yeah, for sure. You know, actually making those bogeys might have helped a little, just getting that out of the way and knowing that I could just freewheel it out there a little.

You know, the putts just weren't falling at first, and so it was great to get a few of them to fall kind of coming in down the stretch.

Q. Walk me through some of those last holes. How crucial was it to pick up some opportunities there on the shorter par-4s and the par-5s?

LUCY LI: Yeah, for sure. Birdieing 10, that was a good one.

And then I think the birdie on 14, the par-3, was huge because I just missed like a really short putt the hole before, and so I was a little bit upset about that.

It was nice to get one back there. A little bit of a longer putt. Kind of made up for the putt before.

So it was just good to keep the momentum going.

And then the par save on 15 was also big.

Q. Before I open it up, are you one to look at leaderboards as you're going through the course?

LUCY LI: Yeah, for sure. I've always been one to leaderboard watch. I think it's just knowing where you are, I kind of -- not changing your game plan, but just adjusting your strategy. I think that's important; something I've always done since I was a kid.

Q. Mentally, that can help and sometimes hurt, but sometimes help. You definitely think it helps to know where you are when you're on the course?

LUCY LI: Yeah, for sure. I mean, I get that sometimes looking at the leaderboards can give you more pressure, but I think it's important for me to know where I stand.

So that's just been something I've always done.

Q. How important was today kind of proving to yourself you can do this? You never had a 36-hole lead. You bogey some holes and fall back, and then you come back and now you're the leader going into Sunday.

LUCY LI: Yeah, for sure. Definitely started off a little shaky, but it was great it finally roll some in. Kind of started playing freely again, the way I've been hitting it the last couple days.

Started hitting some really good shots on the back nine and rolling some putts in, so that was definitely good for my confidence.

But I think it's just really important, like I said yesterday, to keep doing what I've been doing the whole year and just not to treat this round or the next round any differently.

Q. What was the atmosphere like out there coming down the back nine just on a Saturday afternoon?

LUCY LI: Yeah, definitely was really hot, so I was just trying really hard to keep my concentration. That was number one for me.

Sometimes when it's hot you can get a little hazy, so that was the number one thing I was focusing on, was to stay focused.

Q. I think you're playing with Lexi tomorrow. A final group on Sunday, playing with her, how do you think...

LUCY LI: I mean, it's great. Doesn't get any better than that, right? Hopefully be a good turnout and good final round.

Q. Have you guys played together before?

LUCY LI: I haven't played -- I don't think I've played with her in a tournament round before. I played with her and I had some practice rounds -- I did play a practice round with her when I was 11 at the Open, she outdrove me by like 60 yards. She probably still outdrives me by 20 yards, so, yeah.

Q. You were both kind of like child phenoms. Did you know each other well?

LUCY LI: Not really. I haven't spent that much time on the LPGA, so I haven't really gotten to know her that well. She's a lot -- quite a bit older than me.

But, yeah, definitely someone that kind of went through the same things as me, so it's definitely cool to see.

Q. Just on that note, is she somebody that you kind of looked up to or wanted to emulate? Honestly, she set every youngest record ever and you broke all those records. Is she somebody that you really wanted to be like?

LUCY LI: You know, definitely admire her. I didn't really try to emulate her because we're so different.

Q. Yeah.

LUCY LI: I think a foot difference in the height. So I've always tried to play my own game, but it definitely -- she's a super cool player, and I'm excited to get to play with her tomorrow.

Q. And then just another one from me. Final group on Sunday at an LPGA Tour event after clinching your LPGA Tour card. What are the emotions you're feeling right now? That's a lot.

LUCY LI: Yeah it's been a kind of a whirlwind couple of months. Definitely didn't expected to be here a couple months ago, so I'm just really grateful to be here and have this opportunity. Whatever happens tomorrow will happen.

Q. You obviously won on the Epson Tour and have held leads before. You now have held a lead here for 36 holes. Is there a difference in kind of emotions, your mindset, how you carry yourself between when you held leads on the Epson and out here?

LUCY LI: Well, for me, I try to keep it as similar as possible. Obviously out here there are cameras and fans, so definitely there is a little bit different feel.

For me, it's just trying to kind of emulate the same feelings of not putting too much pressure on myself and just playing each shot as they come.