LPGA MEDIHEAL CHAMPIONSHIP

October 7, 2022

Gaby Lopez

The Saticoy Club

Quick Quotes

Q. A lot of consistency out there today, Gaby. Just take me through what the last two days have been like for you at Saticoy.

GABY LOPEZ: It's been great. I told my caddie that I was a little sad that we were not going back to Aviara, but this actually looks a lot to...

Q. Lake Merced.

GABY LOPEZ: No, like to me, the golf course --

Q. Oh, really? Okay.

GABY LOPEZ: The golf course just looks a lot like Aviara and a lot of golf course in Mexico, and I loved it ever since we played the practice round. I've been trying to save some energy because I've been very tired and I'm very -- I'm getting very impatient out there.

We hit 15 greens yesterday, 15 greens today, a lot of birdie chances. Missed a couple putts, but under par is always positive.

Q. You had a couple birdie looks out there today. What was working so well on those holes?

GABY LOPEZ: You know, just hitting it close. Like I said, we had a lot of birdie chances. Probably didn't convert that many like I would like to, but it's golf and it's a matter the patience and it's a marathon, not a sprint.

Q. This has definitely been a lot of golf in the last couple weeks for us on the LPGA Tour. What has it been like for you, especially since your win at the Dana Open, just compartmentalizing it all?

GABY LOPEZ: Yeah, it's my seventh week on the road. I skipped one of the tournaments we played. I think I skipped Portland. Still, traveling for that many weeks, it's tough. It's tiring. Sometimes you just want to go to your own bed.

But just I told my caddie, okay, we're going to give the last push and I'm going to go back to Mexico to Punta Mita to rest for a month.

I'm just excited to keep continuing playing golf solid and hitting the golf shots that I want. Just a matter of being a little more patient on the putting green.

Q. When you're playing all these different types of courses all over the U.S., we've now gone from kind of the east coast all the way to the west coast here, what have you done to kind of better prepare yourself for whether it be these challenging greens or your body for that many weeks on the road?

GABY LOPEZ: I mean, at the beginning has to be a lot of like time on the greens, so just like speed on greens and around the greens chipping, because when in the tournament you know how low you can do at some times.

But, yeah, I mean, just trying to rest as much as I can. Haven't slept very well the last couple days, but trying to get to bed early and keep my energy level good for the weekend.

Q. Now you'll have the rest of this afternoon to rest, looks like a little bit of the morning as well.

GABY LOPEZ: Yeah.

Q. What will you take in from the last two days as you get ready for moving day?

GABY LOPEZ: Yeah, just staying mentally aggressive. There is a lot of birdie chances out there. Par-5s are really interesting. I think we got really, really awesome looks of eagle opportunities and birdies as well.

Still, you got to be able to respect some of the lies and some of the slopes on the greens. So just being aggressive when you have to and take your medicine -- like on number, I think it's No. 7, it's a tough pin position today.

It's just a hard hole, so just being able to just be patient and hit in the middle of the green and two-putt it.

Q. I think I talked about this with Jodi as well when she came in here. Every week it's always important to take advantage of the par-5s. What makes, as you said, the par-5s interesting this week?

GABY LOPEZ: I think probably like 14 or 15 that we have to hit 3-wood off the tee, and then hit another 3-wood on to the green. But it's elevated and you got to think about exactly where you want to be, if you want to be left or right. You don't want to get short-sided on this golf course. It can get slopey, and the greens, the pin positions are in a three and a four percent slope, so it's tough to make those side putts. You got to be below the hole.

So I think it's a lot of thinking out there. I'm very aggressive, and you got to take the chance on those par-5s. I didn't do that today. I did that yesterday. But we'll keep that aggressiveness for the weekend.

Q. What will be key to being aggressive as you take on the weekend?

GABY LOPEZ: I think being comfortable off the tee so you can get a really good look at second shot for the par-5. And I'm kind of thinking that I'm still in Dallas for green speed and I'm leaving a lot of putts short, so just being a little more aggressive with my putts when I am up the hill and just respectful when I'm downhill.

So, yeah, just being able to identify those chances and not let yourself be short on some birdie chances.