NW ARKANSAS CHAMPIONSHIP

September 23, 2022

Ryann O'Toole

Pinnacle Country Club

Quick Quotes

RYANN O'TOOLE:

Q. All right, here with Ryann O'Toole. What a start to the week here in Arkansas. 7-under; six birdies in a row on the front nine alone. Walk me through that stretch.

RYANN O'TOOLE: It was one of those you just start laughing, you know, as the fifth one poured in and the sixth one poured in I'm like, okay, I got it. I'm just going to keep going.

I gave myself an opportunity on 8.

You know, I birdied 10.

11 I got on the wrong spot, so that was a little bit after sacrifice.

12, birdied.

13, opportunity; missed.

14, missed.

I mean, there is just so many opportunities out there today. To be honest, with six birdies in a row I was just taking them as they came.

You know, I felt like putts weren't anything crazy. They were pretty simple, like straight, inside right edge, right edge, like left edge.

So I just kept it rolling.

Q. You have been playing really solidly this season and had some low rounds. Has your putting been what's been holding you back a little bit?

RYANN O'TOOLE: Well, you know, I used to -- playing like last year at the end of the year going, oh, my putter has been -- I want it better, I want it better. Jorge is like your putting is your best stat out of everything. I'm like well, it doesn't feel that way. Maybe because I hit so many greens that I just feel like I give myself opportunity over and over.

So I just have been staying patient. Made a couple like key, not changes, but just awareness of putting stroke. Kind of feeling like I don't get so stuck over the ball and it's been helping me a lot.

I've noticed it last week in and this week. I took about a month off. Just really worked on some stuff. Took some time to myself, and it's been good.

Q. That time off, it seems like a paid off pretty well. I feel like a lot of younger players will just continue to play. Is it something you've learned to do, like, Hey, I need to take a few weeks, get reset, and then head into the rest of the season?

RYANN O'TOOLE: Sometimes, it just depends on where you are in life. Sometimes you're just at a point where, Hey, I got some personal stuff going on. I need to take some me time; need to sort the brain out.

It's hard to come out here and perform, especially if your mind is elsewhere. I was curious how that was going to be. I don't like to usually take that many tournaments off, but sometimes it's good. I guess it is showing itself now that it's important.

Q. The putt on 10 en looked like it broke about six feet. You poured it in like it was a tap-in. Everything has been the right speed. Is that what you've been working on?

RYANN O'TOOLE: I just think I've been really working on keeping the putter low on the back stroke. I tend to get stuck over it, so then I pick it up and then I kind of like drop it on it. So the ball comes out a little squirty, doesn't come out consistent.

So really just my focus of keeping it really low on the back stroke has helped me a lot. It helped not getting so stuck in like sitting over the putt for longer. I definitely have noticed that in watching coverage. Like, okay, let's hit the putt.

So it's just getting myself to pull the trigger quicker, but also keeping it lower on the back stroke has really helped this week, consistency, and also line start.

Q. Yeah. This is an event that has historically had low scores. How do you keep the pedal down for the next 36?

RYANN O'TOOLE: It's hard. You got to really stay in the moment. Making six birdies in a row I was going, okay, this could be a really low round. You also know golf is one of those things. You can catch fire here or there, you can have a slow start, and then just turn it on on the backside.

So I just wanted to make sure that I kept consistency and took them as they came. Like I said, I left a lot out there, which kind of helps momentum into tomorrow, rather than feeling like you made everything.

So I think I hit 18 greens today. I think that helps also.

Q. What was it about the Pinnacle's greens today that you were seeing that was working for you?

RYANN O'TOOLE: I think I read these greens fairly well. You can tell when you're downgrain, into the grain. They're very -- they are on the soft side, so irons right now are sticking. Like you can throw darts, so that helps, especially if you're in between clubs.

You can hit that knock-down shot and still doesn't go anywhere. Only thing you got to be careful about is you have full wedges in, some of them are ripping back. Like I had one on 9 that ripped back 20 feet or 30 feet, so you just got to make sure that you pay attention to that.

The shot on 18, I had to club up just to try to take the spin off. I didn't want to see that ball coming back at me.