LPGA MEDIHEAL CHAMPIONSHIP

October 6, 2022

Ruixin Liu

The Saticoy Club

Quick Quotes

Q. All right, here with Ruixin Liu. Not exactly the most hot of starts, but once you got it going with that birdie on No. 6 you kind of never looked back. How are you feeling after day one here at MEDIHEAL Championship?

RUIXIN LIU: Well, this golf course is very challenging and I need to stay very patient in order to play good, and that's what I did today, even I didn't start very hot.

And my putting has just been very, very accurate today, so I think that's why I can score low.

Q. What was going so well on that first birdie of the day, and was there a sense of relief once it went in on 6?

RUIXIN LIU: Well, I had a bogey on No. 5, so I kind of feel like I need to rescue myself out of it.

So that was a par-5, No. 6, and just stuck it very close to the hole and just have a tap-in birdie.

Q. Was that a relief after six holes of no birdies going in and then finally kind of getting the momentum going?

RUIXIN LIU: Yes, for sure, because after the practice round I know it's very hard golf course. Once I have one birdie going I was very relieved to know I can go low.

Q. Then you had four in a row there from 8 to 11. Just walk me through what was going so well.

RUIXIN LIU: So No. 8 was par-5; my second shot was very close to green, so that was up and down.

And No. 9 was very good downhill putt, and that one was very, very good.

And No. 10 I think is the best birdie of the day. 30 yards downhill, you know, stuck it close.

But I think the most dramatic birdie for me today is 11, because I pulled my first shot on the left rough and I have to hit a low one. It was a 7-iron. Very hot going towards the flag, hit the flag, six feet.

Otherwise it will be I don't know how many yards behind the green, yeah.

Q. So that was probably the most relief you felt on the course.

RUIXIN LIU: I know. A little bit of luck.

Q. Being able to end with two birdies in your last four holes, the confidence after today, how does that help you heading into tomorrow?

RUIXIN LIU: I think after today I know I can conquer the course just like I did today, so tomorrow same plan: Stay focus and stay patient, yeah.

Q. I like how you say staying patient was a big part of the game plan for this entire week. When you got here and realized how challenging a course this would be, was that the main objective of the week, what you focused on in the practice rounds and throughout?

RUIXIN LIU: Yes, I think patient and cautious is my main goal, because every single hole can get into trouble, so I think I need to be very cautious every single shot and be very focused, yeah.

Q. This is definitely getting down to the swing of things, towards the end of the LPGA Tour season. Has that been on your mind as we come to the last domestic event before we head to Asia?

RUIXIN LIU: For sure, because now I think I'm 97 on the point list, so I'm very close on the edge. Be able to stoke a low round like today definitely help to boost my confident, and going forward move on, yeah.

Q. And then on the opposite side of the country we have the Epson Tour Championship. You are a multi-Epson Tour winner, Epson Tour graduate yourself. What does it mean for you to see what is happening in Daytona this week? And you especially know all of the hard work it takes to get to the Tour Championship and bear the rewards of your season.

RUIXIN LIU: Well, no matter where I finish, Epson Tour always have a special place in my heart, especially Daytona, because I won there 2018. I know how hard those girls worked, including me.

So it's a very good place to prepare us for the LPGA, and also to get us going, know what the tour life about. So I'm really appreciative and I hope all the best of luck for the girls.