MEIJER LPGA CLASSIC

June 16, 2023

Emily Kristine Pedersen

Blythefield Country Club

Quick Quotes

Q. Here with Emily Pedersen. A bogey-free day today. What was working so well on the second day here?

EMILY KRISTINE PEDERSEN: Just I think solid ball striking. I've only missed three greens the last two days, so obviously that helps keeping bogey off the card.

And then just a lot of greens, a lot of fairways and no three-putts, no bogeys.

Q. I was going to say, nice hot start with a birdie on the first hole here. What does that do? I know a string of pars after that. What did that do to set the tone for the round today?

EMILY KRISTINE PEDERSEN: It's always nice to get one in early and then just -- but, I mean, I tried to not look at the score too much. Tried to just hit the best shot on every hole and not think about if I start with a birdie or bogey.

But it's always nice with a birdie.

Q. What did you take from yesterday's round as you prepared for today? What was something about your game that you liked? Did you take anything or work on anything?

EMILY KRISTINE PEDERSEN: Yeah, I had two three-putts yesterday and kind of didn't feel like I had the speed on greens, so I did a lot of work on that after. It was a little bit better today.

I would still like it a few more tap-ins.

Q. And as you got over to your back nine, which is the front nine holes, we are seeing a lot of scoring opportunity there. What is it about those holes that suits your game?

EMILY KRISTINE PEDERSEN: The actual back nine?

Q. Your back nine, the front nine holes.

EMILY KRISTINE PEDERSEN: Okay. I just think there is a lot of wedges. I feel like it's a little bit wider off that tee, and then some good pins on the par-3 today, which I think is going to show a lot of birdies.

Q. Father's Day weekend here. What is your relationship like with your father and just how much support and what has he meant to your career?

EMILY KRISTINE PEDERSEN: My dad has meant so much. I started traveling at the age of 12 and he was a partner in the law firm, and he kind of went on his own so he could travel with me and I could pursue the dream already back then when I was so young.

It's meant the world to me. I definitely wouldn't be here without my dad. Without my mum either, but my dad traveled with me a lot when I was young.

Q. Pretty good iron shots into 7. How close did you hit that?

EMILY KRISTINE PEDERSEN: I think probably four feet. It was a bit lucky. It kicked off the right side there, but I'll take it.

Q. You said some of the par-3s seem scorable, but those pins were -- couple od the ones that I saw were in some pretty tough spots. How dialed in is your iron game right now?

EMILY KRISTINE PEDERSEN: Pretty good. Definitely better than it has been. I think the most important is I'm hitting my distances, and then off the line sometimes it's a little bit easier to deal with. When you hit your numbers it makes it easier for my caddie as well, I think.

Q. What's that feeling to see your name at the top of the leaderboard?

EMILY KRISTINE PEDERSEN: It always feels good, but there is a lot of golf to go. I know how good the girls are out here, and it's going to be a weekend where people are scoring super low as well, so I have to keep plodding away.

Q. How much more aggressive does that make you play knowing you might need to get to 20, 22?

EMILY KRISTINE PEDERSEN: No more aggressive. I mean, I'm hoping -- I didn't really take advantage of the par-5s today. I only made one out of five birdies, which is normally where I score well.

Hopefully I can do that on the weekend and still have a few birdies here and there.

Q. I was going to ask if that's part of the game plan for this weekend? Now that you're getting comfortable on the greens, trying to read them a little bit better are you shifting that energy to be more aggressive on the par-5s?

EMILY KRISTINE PEDERSEN: Yeah, I think it's more because I've been hitting my longer irons and woods better than I have been, so I feel like I can go for. And then obviously my short game wasn't great today, so I didn't get really what I should have out of it I think.

Hopefully I can fix that for tomorrow.

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