EPSON TOUR CHAMPIONSHIP

October 5, 2023

Ashley Lau

LPGA International, Jones Course

Quick Quotes

Q. I'm her with Ashley Lau after the first round at the Epson Tour Championship. Great first round.

ASHLEY LAU: Thank you.

Q. Congrats. I heard it's your best ever.

ASHLEY LAU: Best ever, yeah.

Q. Talk me through how this feels to have that, especially out here?

ASHLEY LAU: Yeah, honestly wasn't expecting it out here with the wind, and I wasn't hitting my driver really good. I was pulling it left, pushing it right.

So it was just like a grinding day from approaching and honestly just had to really get it on the green to give myself some birdie opportunities.

I did that. I think I hit about 15, 14 greens, so I mean, that's, yeah, recipe for more birdies, so, yeah.

Q. Absolutely. And you were bogey-free as well.

ASHLEY LAU: Yeah.

Q. How many rounds do you think you had bogey-free?

ASHLEY LAU: Less than ten maybe. Hopefully this adds to the resume a little bit.

Q. Absolutely. And you also had an eagle out there on No. 18.

ASHLEY LAU: Yeah.

Q. Birdied the last three holes on your front nine.

ASHLEY LAU: Yes.

Q. What can you say about those last three holes coming in, if you were to play from No. 1?

ASHLEY LAU: Okay, wait I think I birdied the last two.

Q. Last two? Okay.

ASHLEY LAU: I had a par in between. Anyway, honestly, really wasn't thinking much. Just I wrote on my pin sheet, one shot at a time and really try not get ahead of myself even though I was playing good.

Yeah, and just try to get -- play the wind a little bit. I think after 7, my 16th hole, I was really feeling the fatigue just mentally. I was pushing the cart myself and I was hungry, so it's just like everything added up.

I was like, one shot at a time. That's what I told myself. That's what I wrote on my pin sheet. It worked out. You know, just kept hanging in there and just, yeah, finish strong.

Q. And this is your rookie season out here on the Epson Tour.

ASHLEY LAU: Yeah.

Q. Is that something, that one shot at a time maybe you kind of learned throughout this year? Any other things you learned about yourself?

ASHLEY LAU: Oh, yeah, for sure. I think I've learned to be more patient with myself. Not every round is going to go the way you want it to. Yeah, definitely learned to be patient, and, yeah, just one shot at a time. I feel like sometimes even though you tell yourself you always get ahead of yourself.

It's so easy to do that out on the golf course, no matter you're playing bad or good. So, yeah, that's why I wrote on my pin sheet just to give me a little reminder out there. Just one shot at a time and smile, be positive. So, yeah.

Q. I can really tell you're very positive.

ASHLEY LAU: Thank you.

Q. Anything you're going to go work on? Great round.

ASHLEY LAU: I think my driver definitely, and definitely trying to hit some low shots on the range today. I'm teeing off in the afternoon tomorrow, so the wind is going to be a bigger factor than this morning.

So, yeah, just working on some lower shots and my driver, yeah.