MEIJER LPGA CLASSIC

June 16, 2023

Aditi Ashok

Blythefield Country Club

Quick Quotes

Q. Here with Aditi. 9-under through 36 holes. What's been working for you so far?

ADITI ASHOK: I think I've been hitting the ball really well. I think I missed maybe three or four fairways in two days. Maybe less than ten greens in two days. The ones I missed I've been able to you putt from the fringe, so that's been working.

Feel like my putting is the thing that is not really working. I've missed a lot of five, six footers this week. Yeah, still going good.

Q. We've seen a lot of the par-5s have been great scoring opportunities. You birdied, what, three of them in this round and I think you had eagle in the first round.

ADITI ASHOK: Yeah.

Q. What's been the key in those holes?

ADITI ASHOK: Yeah, I think in general par-5s on this course have reachable so you know everyone is going to walk work away with a 4. Some players hitting irons in there can make eagle.

Yeah, I'm happy I was able to capitalize on it, and especially compared to past years where I haven't hit the ball as far. This year that longer yardage has helped because I've been able to get on the green and not just with 3-wood; some of them have been hybrids.

So, yeah, that's made those holes a bit easier.

Q. What's the mindset heading into this weekend knowing you're right up there with Ayaka and everyone else?

ADITI ASHOK: Yeah, I think this golf course is one where players can make a ton of birdies. Like I played with Ariya today and she shot 64. It feels like she could have played three or four shots better.

Yeah, just have to go and try and keep making birdies. I feel like I did a better job today compared to yesterday. Yesterday putts didn't really drop. Yes, keep doing more of that, hitting more greens, and hopefully make more birdies than I did the first two days.

Q. Bogey-free round. We haven't seen a whole lot of those this week. Just how much confidence does that give you?

ADITI ASHOK: Yeah, I think that's proof that I'm hitting the ball really well. When you know you're in position on almost every hole it's hard to drop a shot, so, yeah, just trying to keep doing that.

I missed a couple fairways today which put me out of position and I was looking at bogey a couple times. Hopefully work on my drives a little bit for the next few days.

Q. Did you purposely add length to your game? Did you work at that?

ADITI ASHOK: Yeah, definitely. I think last year I looked at my stats and I was ranked last in driving distance and that's not very good, so I figured I should work on that.

Yeah, I mean, I've always worked in the gym and stuff, but I just tried to do more with like swing speed and speed training and change the swing so I could get more power.

Yeah, definitely helped.

Q. What have you added mile per hour wise?

ADITI ASHOK: I think about five, four or five miles per hour.

Q. Wow.

ADITI ASHOK: Yeah. Sometimes when I'm practicing I can get much higher, but on average I would say four or five miles per hour.

Q. Wow.

ADITI ASHOK: Yeah.

Q. Seems like your season started really slowly.

ADITI ASHOK: Yeah.

Q. Now you're in contention every week. What was the difference?

ADITI ASHOK: Yeah, the first few weeks I actually wasn't putting good at all. I had a putter which was a bit heavy. I tried to use it like end of last year and this year and it wasn't really working for me.

So Odyssey made me one which is similar to my old one which is super light. I switched that in LA, and ever since been putting pretty good.

Yeah, you think I was just not comfortable on the greens. Didn't have good pace and now I do, so that helped.

Q. Is it one of those deals when you're putting gets going it just frees everything up and off you go?

ADITI ASHOK: Yeah, definitely. I think when you know you can make those, not just birdie putts, but the short ones for par, I feel like it gives you more confidence to go at some pins.

You know you don't have to be as conservative because if you do miss, you can make up and down because the putting is there. Yeah, that definitely helped.

Hopefully keep it going the next few days.

Q. Going to ask you about having your father on the bag.

ADITI ASHOK: Oh, yeah.

Q. Has he always caddied for you, and what's the relationship like?

ADITI ASHOK: Yeah, we try to keep it more caddie/player, not like my dad.

But I mean, it's difficult, but I think we both worked really hard at it.

This week he's actually not on my bag because I played seven in a row. This is my sixth in a row so he wanted a week off. He's not caddieing for me this week.

Q. Is he at the tournament?

ADITI ASHOK: Yes. Just not caddieing this week.

Q. Is it strange to hear a different voice?

ADITI ASHOK: It's different. Yeah, definitely been good. I mean, I've been bogey-free two days, so I kind of rub that in his face a little bit.

No, it's just different. Yeah, just good for a change. We have next week, a major week, and those weeks are tiring, so he just wanted a week off.

Q. Father's Day this Sunday. Speak on the importance of your dad and his relationship with you on the course, off the course, and all that.

ADITI ASHOK: Yeah, definitely. I think apart from myself, I think he knows my game the best. In some situations he probably knows it better than me. That's what's helped I think with him being my caddie, especially the previous three, four weeks where I've been in contention.

In those situations knowing he's seen my play and knows when I play well sometimes I hit the ball further, so just being able to adjust with all that.

Yeah, he's been obviously great. I probably wouldn't be here if not for him. Yeah, I'm happy I'm playing well Father's Day weekend.

Q. How early did he start you playing golf?

ADITI ASHOK: We all started the same age actually. I was five and a half but he hadn't played golf before, so me, mom, dad all started at the same time, yeah.

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