ISPS HANDA WORLD INVITATIONAL

August 18, 2023

Marissa Steen

Galgorm Castle & Massereene Golf Club

Quick Quotes

Q. Here with Marissa Steen. Take me through your round today. Maybe a bit different than what you had yesterday. Just some of the highlights.

MARISSA STEEN: Yeah, really my main goal going into today was just to stay patient. Out here on this links course it's just so much more exposes. That was all I was saying, was just stay patient. It's not going to play easy for anyone.

I started on the front, so my first five holes were dead into the wind. I was pretty happy to be even through that stretch. Yeah, and hung tough. Luckily made a long putt on the last, which I always joke will make lunch taste a little bit better.

Q. You had the best score out of Galgorm yesterday. How important was yesterday's round coming into today for you?

MARISSA STEEN: Yeah, I think it was huge. I told my caddie, I have a local caddie this week, and I told him after our practice round at Galgorm I think out there it's really important to drive it well because it gets really narrow in some places off the tee and the rough is super thick.

The couple holes that I hit it into the rough it was just a guessing game on how the ball is going to come out. And with more trees the wind really swirls and it's a lot harder to judge than out here at Castlerock.

Q. What sort of mental preparation in your game sort of switched from yesterday, parkland, to today with the links? What did you change up, if anything?

MARISSA STEEN: Not really anything. Galgorm was still challenging yesterday, just in a different way. Really in the UK in general just because the wind and the weather can just be so crazy, I always think just over here, just stay as patient as possible.

Q. And how much confidence I guess do you have going into now the weekend after having success on that course yesterday?

MARISSA STEEN: I feel good. I've been rolling it really well on the greens, which is obviously a huge confidence booster. Just want to take the same mentality I had the first two rounds through the weekend.

Q. Last question: Any highlight birdies or anything out there from today that really stood out in your mind as the highlight of the day?

MARISSA STEEN: I would definitely say on 18, making a 50-footer. I was just trying to get it close and have a tap-in par, so to see that go in was fun.

Other than that it was just steady. Didn't make a lot of birdies but hung in and never got myself into a bunch of trouble.

Q. I lied. This is the last question: Par, how important is just par out here on these courses this week?

MARISSA STEEN: Oh, it's huge. Again, my caddie and I have talked about that all week. Like really, and especially seeing the wind forecast for yesterday and today, I haven't even looked at the forecast for the weekend yet, but just knowing it was going to be so gusty, like I said, just staying patient, staying true to the game plan, trying to hit the ball solid so it holds its line a little bit better.

Yeah, other than that, it's huge.