DOW GREAT LAKES BAY INVITATIONAL

July 19, 2023

Linnea Strom

Linnea Johansson

Midland Country Club

Press Conference

THE MODERATOR: Here with the Linneas team. Team name: "Just Call Me Linnea," Linnea Strom and Linnea Johansson. Take us through your round today. Some of the highlights out there for you guys and how you were playing together.

LINNEA JOHANSSON: We had a great day today. Started off early, morning tee time. Linnea hit some really good irons today. I managed to roll them in.

We hit all fairways, and I think that was a good highlight of the day, you know, hitting all fairways. It's not easy in alternate shots to do that. That takes a little bit of stress off your shoulders for both players.

So I think that was a great start for us.

LINNEA STROM: Yeah.

THE MODERATOR: Awesome. What would you say, other Linnea? What about your two games compliment each other, just in general? Not even just today, but what do you do well and she does well that compliments?

LINNEA STROM: I do think we're both pretty good all-around players. We try to figure out, like yesterday, you know, who should hit on what hole, and I think we pretty much just did what we did two years ago.

I played the even holes, and I think it worked out great today because, like Linnea said, I got a few more irons, and I hit those good today. Then Linnea holed some very good putts out there.

I think, in general, it's so important alternate shot to continue to play steady and just give yourself a lot of opportunities out there.

I think the highlight today was when Linnea stuck it to 2 feet on hole number 10, which gave us a little bit of confidence going into the back nine, and we just kept going after that.

So, yeah, I think we stayed patient out there, and it was nice to finish out with three birdies. So, yeah, very fun.

THE MODERATOR: What is your comfortability like on this course? I know you guys played together a couple of years ago. How comfortable are you with this course and playing together?

LINNEA JOHANSSON: I mean, we've both been here twice before. We love coming to Midland, Michigan. We love this event. It's something different than what we do every week.

Just being here, the hospitality, the golf club, the community, it's just great. Good housing, and everything is perfect.

We have known each other for many years. I would say maybe, like, 15 years now. We have played alternate shots and team events before in European Team Championship and other events, so we know each other very well.

Yesterday when we went through what's the game plan, there was not much to discuss because we know inside and out what we do. We know how to be towards each other, and how we're not apologize if something goes bad or how we always have two putter on the green.

Things like that, it just becomes very natural for us. I know that Linnea is doing her very, very best on every single shot, and just have that confidence behind us, it's great.

THE MODERATOR: You mentioned playing well today in the alternate shot format. How, if at all, does the discussion, does the strategy change going into foursomes tomorrow? Four ball

LINNEA STROM: Yeah, four-ball tomorrow. I think obviously it's easy to think four-ball, we have to be aggressive, we have to make birdies. But I think also for us it's very important to make sure we have two balls in the fairway, two balls on the green.

Just continue to give ourselves good chances at birdies and then maybe be a bit more aggressive like on the greens. You know, if one holes in the par, you can be aggressive with the putter.

I think like Linnea said, we're just very comfortable with each other. We know we're always doing our best, so I think that's going to come pretty smoothly tomorrow as well.

It was super fun today to play alternate shot, but I really look forward to tomorrow as well and just support each other out there and have fun.

THE MODERATOR: Last question: I saw you guys greenside last week when Linn Grant won her first event. How cool is it for you guys to see your fellow Swede just win, and how much confidence does it give you for yourself and I guess happiness overall?

LINNEA JOHANSSON: I mean, every time a Swedish player wins on any tour it's great, and both of us were lucky to be there. It's not every week you can be there when someone wins. So we decided to stay and be there for Linn, and it was just an incredible performance. It's always fun to see someone play so well.

When I left Sunday, we drove here in the car, and I said, like, Hey, we just have to ride on this. We're all there for each other and support each other. We are trying to do whatever we can to ride on her great performance from last week.

LINNEA STROM: Yeah, I agree. It just gives so much energy and so much fun to be there on the 18 to watch her win. I think we just have a little bit of energy from last week. We got to do that together, you know, especially for her. It was pretty cool. It's a lot of fun.

LINNEA JOHANSSON: Gives me chills just talking about it.

THE MODERATOR: You're doing a great job. Keep it up, ladies. Thank you so much.