PELICAN WOMEN'S CHAMPIONSHIP

November 12, 2022

Maria Fassi

Pelican Golf Club

Quick Quotes

Q. All right, here with Maria Fassi after her second round at the Pelican Women's Championship. Take us through your round a little bit. Another good one for you, and still atop the leaderboard as you head into the final day.

MARIA FASSI: Yeah, good round. A lot different of course than yesterday's. A lot more kind of just saving pars and making four-, five-footers, again, to save pars and stuff.

Just couldn't really get much going. I still managed to get under par and be right there for tomorrow. I know there are plenty of birdies out there for me, and just very excited to go out on Sunday and be in contention.

Q. How happy are you that you were able to get that round yesterday just to set yourself up for today, even though your round maybe wasn't as revolutionary?

MARIA FASSI: I mean, it was great for many reasons. For just of course the confidence that I know that I can post a round like that, like you said, kind of setting me up for today to kind of know that I have some cushion, and that I can -- you know, if I would've had a round like I did today, it wouldn't be like necessarily struggling as much.

Again, I think it all goes back to just knowing those rounds are there. I feel like this is a golf course where if you hit it in the right places on a couple holes you can really go deep. So, you know, it's up for everyone to grab tomorrow, but I am excited that I've seen a round so low like the one from yesterday.

Q. Like time you were in this position in Ohio you were playing in the lead group. Tomorrow you'll be just one out of the lead group. Does that help, knowing you're in the chase and have less pressure, or would you rather be playing with them at the top?

MARIA FASSI: I think that I have to play good golf tomorrow to, you know, come at the top. It doesn't matter if you're playing in the last group or a few behind.

I think if you post a good round, that's all really I can do. I'm just happy that I'm in contention. I'm happy we're even having this conversation.

Tomorrow it's just go out and do what I've been doing this week. It's been great, and hopefully just seeing a few more putts go in.

Q. When you're coming off a career-best round like that, what's the balance when you have to go back and do it again so soon of knowing that you're capable of doing that, but also recognizing, for example, if the birdies aren't falling, what's the balance between that to not get frustrated when you're not kind of matching that same level less than a day later?

MARIA FASSI: I think it's a lot about just kind of managing expectations and understanding that while a round like that is very attainable, it also takes a lot of work, a lot of good shots, a lot of good putts made.

So it's not like everything was easy yesterday and it just magically happened. It was a lot of work. Maybe in a different way than today, but I think just really going back to my process on hitting good shots and trying to stay as present as possible. It's of course easier said than done, but that was kind of my approach into today's round.

Q. You mentioned yesterday about how driving has always been a strength of yours. When you look back at the stats from the past years you're always in the Top 3 when you've been on the tour in terms of average drives per yard and all that. When did that start to become a strength of your game, would you say, looking back at your upbringing with golf?

MARIA FASSI: I think that I started to get a little bit on the longer side maybe when I was 14, maybe even 15, but it wasn't necessarily straight off the tee. I feel like the last couple of years it's been long and straight, so it's just I have a lot of confidence on the tee with my driver, so it's just a very, you know, good asset to have when I have the distance I have.

I mean, I think I hit every fairway yesterday and I missed two today. Again, just a lot of confidence on the tee and knowing that I can go hard and it's still going to be in the fairway.

Q. Was it just a matter of time before it clicked and went straight, or did it take -- was there a final tweak or two that allowed for it to click?

MARIA FASSI: A little bit of everything. Just working a little bit on my swing, getting more stronger and more stable. I think, too, just getting confident in -- like I rather be 285, a little bit in the rough, than, I don't know, 260 and just thinking that I'm having to kind of load back from just hitting it.

So I think it's just I tee it up and pick my target and just swing at it and trust that the club face is going to meet the ball in the right spot.

Q. What's your favorite aspect of this golf course?

MARIA FASSI: I said it yesterday: I think the greens are the best we play all year. The golf course is, again, also one of my favorites. Playing a lot different this year. I think this is one that usually plays fast and firm, which, again, it's an advantage for me with the greens being firm.

But this year is a little bit softer, but it's also playing a little bit longer, you know. So I think it's just a course that allows you to hit it off the tee. If you give yourself a decent look, if you get it started on the right line, you have a lot of chances of it going in because of how pure the greens are.

Q. When you have a career round like that, do you sleep better or are you so excited that it's hard to sleep?

MARIA FASSI: I've had bad cramps all night so I didn't sleep all that good, but it did take me a minute to kind of calm down after the round yesterday. We met with my team after the round and I think I might have said five words. I was just kind of trying to soak it in, but also just let the round go and kind of leave it on the golf course and not bring it back to the house with me.

But it was definitely hard to just not talk about it, especially when I'm on the phone with my parents or with friends and you kind of have to run through the round again. But I'm happy to do that as many times as they need to.