COGNIZANT FOUNDERS CUP

May 11, 2023

Ryann O'Toole

Upper Montclair Country Club

Quick Quotes

Q. Here with Ryann O'Toole after her first round at the Cognizant Founders Cup. You had a late string of birdies today. What were behind those? I know you mentioned you had some really good putts out there.

RYANN O'TOOLE: Yeah, I definitely -- I mean, what's funny is I putted really well today. Made some really long putts after three-putting the first hole for I don't know what reason.

I just think I watched the first girl hit it way by and I got a little like, okay, it's fast, and then I left it seven feet short, and I'm like, and that never happens.

After that I was like, ah, whatever. Sometimes I play really good after I bogey the first hole, so after that I just stayed patient. I had a few long putts drop, was striking it well, and just kind of just let the round unfold.

Q. I know you played here last year.

RYANN O'TOOLE: Yeah.

Q. How important is that putting on the on this course? I feel like that's always the theme here, you got putt well to play well here.

RYANN O'TOOLE: You got to do a lot of things well here. Fairways are tight, too, so you got to definitely hit the driver well, hit some fairways, put yourself into position to even get to the greens.

But the greens are so smooth. They're rolling so well. They are very firm, which I like. I just think if you can pay attention to speeds, pay attention -- there is some breaking putts out there, but I don't know, I just like when the greens are pure like that. You can get really confident with it.

Q. Last year I know it was a top 20, maybe top 22 finish here last year. What do you remember from last year that you maybe took into the round today?

RYANN O'TOOLE: Last year I played really well. The last day I took on some water the last couple holes that I remember that I just kind of shot myself in the foot, threw myself out of the top 10.

That happens. It's golf. See if I can just kind of get that first momentum going and see what happens from there. I know it's way early into this event. Just glad I have one solid round under the belt. Go from there.

Q. Of your six birdies today, which one in particular stands out that you can take us through?

RYANN O'TOOLE: Well, like I said, a lot of my birdies I was making some long putts. I made like a 37-footer, a 33-footer, a 24-footer, and then on 17 I stuffed it to two feet, so I was like, this is a nice birdie here.

I had a couple other birdies. Two-putted on 12 for birdie there.

For the most part, it is a -- I think I just had to stay patient. Like I said, the greens are firm so you're trying to hit shots into these greens, and some release 11, 13 yards, some will sit all of a sudden.

I had backspin on some holes. I'm like, okay, I just have to keep hitting the spots and hope I've navigated correctly.