PELICAN WOMEN'S CHAMPIONSHIP

November 9, 2022

Gemma Dryburgh

Pelican Golf Club

Press Conference

THE MODERATOR: Here with Gemma Dryburgh at the Pelican Women's Championship, coming just a couple days after your first LPGA victory.

Now that you've had hopefully a couple days to process it, I know you maybe suffering from some jet lag, but couple days to process it, how are you feeling looking back on that win?

GEMMA DRYBURGH: Yeah, still hasn't really sunk in yet. Still getting so many messages.

It's been great to see all the players and caddies this week. I think everyone was watching, which was great. Yeah, still ou buzzing from it. Still can't believe I've done it.

That 18th hole, it was just kind of sinking in then. Just before that it was just kind of focused on the golf really. Yeah, can't believe it.

THE MODERATOR: As you're walking up to the 18th hole getting ready, it's sinking in, were you starting to shake? What did you have to do to make sure, okay, stay calm, hasn't happened yet?

GEMMA DRYBURGH: Yeah, I was really calm all day somehow. I kind of just focused on my breathing and just kind of stayed in the moment as they say, that cliche, but it was so true at that day.

Then I just before the 18th hole I asked my caddie how many shots do we have ahead and he said -- it was three at the moment, potentially two if Lin birdies the last. I was pretty confident I could, you know, at least par the last being a par-5, but thankfully was able to get the birdie.

THE MODERATOR: Of all the scenarios you imagined for your first win, was winning in Japan one of those?

GEMMA DRYBURGH: No. I had been to Japan once before for the World Am in 2014, so it had been a few years, and just to even play a professional event there was really cool, never mind winning.

Q. What do you see as the biggest perks of being an LPGA champion?

GEMMA DRYBURGH: Well, I kind of didn't realize how many perks you get. That night some of the staff, we went to the 19th hole and had some octopus and champagne.

Yeah, it was very, very nice. And they kind of just told us that I get in all the majors, obviously in the Tournament of champions, and then CME. That was a big bonus next week.

So yeah, it hasn't really sunk in all the perks I get. But, yeah, very excited for next year now. Kind of to have reassess some goals.

THE MODERATOR: Didn't you get an interesting prize in Japan I thought I saw? Tell us about that one.

GEMMA DRYBURGH: Yes. I won a toilet. Yeah, very excited. So they asked me, where do you want the toilet sent? Well, I'm renting at the moment, so do you mind if we wait until I buy a place? They were like, yeah, we can wait. I was like, okay, great. Yeah, I can't wait for the toilet.

Q. What was the story behind that?

GEMMA DRYBURGH: TOTO toilets. They have them here at the club. They're all over the place. Didn't notice.

Q. Very nice. You had a top 10 I believe at the match play. Otherwise, in stroke play you hadn't had a top 10 all year, and all of a sudden things fall together like that. What really clicked, and how is it funny about golf the way that can be?

GEMMA DRYBURGH: Yeah even before my win I was having kind of the best season I've had ever on the LPGA, so just kind of every year I've just focused on keeping improving everything and everything has got gradually better.

Just became a little more consistent. I think just this year was a bit frustrated because I felt like I've been playing really well but feel like I've had three out of four good rounds and maybe the last round or one of the rounds in the weekend hasn't been quite as good.

So I was kind of getting frustrated with that. I knew I hadn't had the results I maybe thought I could have, so it's just nice to get at that win last week.

Q. Yeah. And you talk about being calm down the stretch. You don't know how you're going to feel in coming down the stretch contention like that. Was that a nice surprise?

GEMMA DRYBURGH: It was, yeah, because I've dreamt of winning before and I thought like, oh, my heart is going to be beating out of my chest. I'm going to be shaking. It was completely opposite to that. I was so calm.

I wear a Whoop and I had a look at the data, and it was like one of the calmest, less strenuous rounds I've ever had, which is really strange. I just felt so confident in my game and my putting.

My caddie kept me calm. He had a few jokes out there. Yeah, he had I think a list of jokes he was going to tell me throughout the round. Yeah, he did well.

Q. What was your travel like here? I heard you were on the grounds here Monday; is that right?

GEMMA DRYBURGH: Yeah. I arrived like 1:00 p.m. on Monday, yeah.

Q. How long is that flight?

GEMMA DRYBURGH: To be honest, I was still a little drunk, hungover on the flight, so I'm not sure how long it took. Maybe I shouldn't be telling the media that, but I had some champagne, you know.

Yeah, it took ages. So 7:00 a.m. we left on Monday in Japan and arrived Monday at 1:00 p.m.

So with the time difference, it was a bit strange.

Q. Hi. Congratulations. Well played. Very cool.

GEMMA DRYBURGH: Thank you.

Q. I wanted to ask you first of all before I get to my question, what was the best joke that your caddie told during the round?

GEMMA DRYBURGH: There is a few actually. Which one should I pick? I'll pick this one. He asked me what state in America sells the smallest soft drinks?

Q. No idea.

GEMMA DRYBURGH: Minnesota.

Q. Of course. (Laughter.)

GEMMA DRYBURGH: Emily got it.

Q. Did you laugh? Do you laugh at all his jokes?

GEMMA DRYBURGH: Oh, yeah. He has like constant dad jokes every week, so this was just normal. This was like probably -- he probably told like three or four more than usual. He had some would you rathers as well. I can tell you one of them if you want.

Q. Sure. Why not.

GEMMA DRYBURGH: Would you rather spend ten years in prison or ten years in a coma?

Q. Oh, man. What was your answer?

GEMMA DRYBURGH: One year in prison. I think I could handle it. (Laughter.)

Q. You're obviously tough. So I wanted to ask how your goals, your dreams have changed since you just ticked this major one off the list?

GEMMA DRYBURGH: Yeah, one of my goals this year was to win, so I guess that continues, to win again. To get in Solheim next year is a huge goal of mine. That was in the back of my mind and now it's more in the forefront I guess. That would be incredible.

Q. Have you talked to Catriona?

GEMMA DRYBURGH: I have. She sent me a message to say congrats. She's been a hero of mine for a long time, so it's great to get another Scottish win on tour. Yeah, it means so much.

Q. My last question: I remember during COVID you played and had a lot of success in the Rose Ladies Series. Can you talk about what that meant to you in that time period?

GEMMA DRYBURGH: Yeah, I was actually going to send a message to Justin and Kate just to say thank you to them. I had three wins on their Rose Series Tour, and I have to say, like I know it's a smaller event, but a win is a win, and I learned how to deal with those nerves during those events, and I just have to say a huge thank you to them.

In that period during COVID, and that next year, it was just invaluable to have those playing opportunities. And they were pretty decent fields considering they were small events. So Georgia and Charley were playing them and a lot of LET players. Those wins meant a lot to me.

THE MODERATOR: This week, your first time playing here at Pelican Golf Club in the Pelican Women's Championship. Tell me how you're taking it all in, getting the CME points to get in the field, and how are you enjoying it out here?

GEMMA DRYBURGH: Yeah, obviously still a little bit tired from the jet lag. Played nine holes yesterday and played in the pro-am today. Good to see the golf course. Got Paul out there walking a little bit more because he's not been here either.

So, yeah, fresh course for us. But looking forward to it and if it's windy, I'm sure I can deal with that hopefully being from Scotland.

THE MODERATOR: Yeah, I think you can. What made you want to be in the field for this week's event knowing CME is next week, big purse? How is this event helping you prepare for that?

GEMMA DRYBURGH: Yeah, very excited. A lot of the girls asked me already, are you still going to play? I said, yeah, definitely, because I feel like I need to run with the momentum. My parents are also planning to come to town. They were already coming, so I was like, I might as well be here and they can come watch me play as well, and they'll be here next week, as well.

Yeah, just wanted to play this week and just enjoy it. It's great to see all the players as well after a win like that.

THE MODERATOR: Now as a Rolex first time winner, do you anticipate feeling any different when you go and tee it up on your first hole? Does it feel different at all yet?

GEMMA DRYBURGH: Yeah, I think I couple of the players said, be prepared when they announce you and say LPGA winner when they announce you on the tee. That's going to give me goosebumps I think. I think I get a Rolex, too, which is pretty cool. Very excited for that.

Q. Were you playing this week if you weren't in the CME?

GEMMA DRYBURGH: Yes. I was what planning to play, yeah.

Q. You have a U.S. base?

GEMMA DRYBURGH: Yeah, in New Orleans. Yeah, went to Tulane, so back in New Orleans.

THE MODERATOR: Last question: I'm like thinking back to match play, obviously your best finish of the year until then. You were like the first alternate in the field.

GEMMA DRYBURGH: Yeah.

THE MODERATOR: Got that Top 5 finish. Tell me how have you changed since then and evolved to get that first win?

GEMMA DRYBURGH: Yeah, I mean, looking back at that it was kind of a season-changing kind of result, because I think that got me in The Open, the British Open, and got me into a few other things.

So kind of bumped me up the CME quite a bit. Obviously the start of that week I wasn't even thinking I was going to get in. I wasn't even going to maybe travel because it's such a limited field it's kind of unlikely that someone would pull out, so I'm so glad I did. That probably helped me get into Asia a well, that results.

So might not even have been in Japan if I had not gone to Vegas. Who knows?

THE MODERATOR: Thank you so much, Gemma.