THE ANNIKA DRIVEN BY GAINBRIDGE AT PELICAN

November 8, 2023

Louise Rydqvist

Pelican Golf Club

Press Conference

THE MODERATOR: All right, joined at the Pelican Golf Club by Louise Rydqvist, winner of the 2023 Intercollegiate Annika. Just first and foremost, how excited are you to be here? You won her intercollegiate and now you're playing in the first namesake tournament on the LPGA Tour. How excited are you to be here?

LOUISE RYDQVIST: I'm extremely excited to be here. I played all the ANNIKA tournaments. Started in The ANNIKA Cup in Sweden and The ANNIKA Invitational and then the ANNIKA Collegiate, and now I'm here at the The Annika LPGA. It's absolutely amazing. I couldn't be happier.

Q. And kind of talking about Intercollegiate ANNIKA, your 54-hole score of 208 was a career-best at South Carolina. As you look back, what was working for so you well?

LOUISE RYDQVIST: I would say my game from tee-to-green was really strong that week. Obviously couple putts rolled in, but my game from tee-to-green, absolutely.

Q. What do you remember about those final holes and after the final putt dropped? Any fun celebrations you had or did? What do you remember most about that win?

LOUISE RYDQVIST: I think I remember most just walking off that green and my coach came up to me and hugged me and said, we're going to win this thing and I'm going to give you this exemption. It brought me to tears. I was overwhelmed at that time when I realized I won, the team won, and then getting that exemption. It was just so many great things happening at the same time. It was awesome.

Q. This will be your first time playing in an LPGA Tour event. What have you done to maybe prepare for this physically, mentally? Ton of Swedes on tour as you know. What's been your preparation for this event?

LOUISE RYDQVIST: I talked to my coach, Hans Larson. He also coaches Madelene Sagstrom out here, so has a lot of experience being out here with her. Been talking a lot with him.

And then also I'm actually staying with Frida Kinhult. She reached out to me right after that exemption came out and was like, hey, do you want to stay with me during the week? Absolutely. That's awesome. That is probably the best preparation I could have just have one of these members out here helping me getting long all.

Then also as I know, Linn Grant and Maja Stark, growing up playing junior golf with them. I went to high school with them. Just that part. The Swedish Federation does so much things uniting both professional players and amateurs, and I think that transition makes it a whole lot easier, so I'm very thankful for that.

Q. You just mentioned it, but I maybe wanted to delve deeper into some specifics. How crucial is it for you mentally or whatever to have Frida, not only reach out, but maybe she's helping you along throughout the week? I know it can be a whirlwind. What has she helped you with, or anyone really?

LOUISE RYDQVIST: Yeah, I mean, the Swedish players out here, especially Frida this week is definitely mentors for me. If I have any questions whatsoever I reach out to them and they help me through everything.

It's just making it so much easier for me, just being out here.

Q. Did you know an exemption to this event was in the mix when you were in contention at the collegiate event?

LOUISE RYDQVIST: That's actually really funny. The morning before we were in the car, me and my coach. I said to her, I just read this article about there being an exemption this week; is that true? She's like, yeah, I saw that, too.

I was like, oh, well no, pressure. I'm just going to go out there and do my thing. Obviously I wouldn't be here if it wasn't for my team. Just that whole thing is just amazing.

Q. And what's the Annika name, considering where you grew up, mean to you? How early on do you remember knowing of her?

LOUISE RYDQVIST: I mean, she's been there my whole life I feel like. Always been in the picture of golf. And also not only golf. She does so much beyond golf for women's sports in women's golf in general. She's a legend for sure, yeah.

Q. And what's the biggest thing you want to get out of this week?

LOUISE RYDQVIST: I mean, I'm here this week to learn and just take in as much as I possibly can. Just to get this experience of the LPGA Tour as like a place where I could possibly work in the future and like imagine myself here around all these great players.

As of so far, everyone has been so friendly and super nice. It's very positive and I just love it out here.

Q. So your high school, you Linn, Maja, and...

LOUISE RYDQVIST: Yeah, Ludvig Aberg, he was in that class, too.

Q. Was it a regular high school?

LOUISE RYDQVIST: Like a sports high school, so like a mini college basically. So we get very well-prepared for what's coming next.

Q. Yeah.

LOUISE RYDQVIST: So I mean, being around them that early, I was a little intimidated by them at that age. I mean, right now they're my friends out here for sure.

Q. So you watched the Ryder Cup with a little extra interest?

LOUISE RYDQVIST: Absolutely. My coach, he was at Solheim Cup the week before and won there with Europe and Madelene, and traveled right after to Rome to support Ludvig and brought that victory home as well.

So the experience he has like putting into me, all of his players, is just amazing.

Q. Have you had a chance to reach out to Annika, ask my advice at all during the time you've been here?

LOUISE RYDQVIST: Not really. I actually participated in her radio show the other day, and there we talked a little bit about the strategy out there. Talked about the undulated greens and how the putter may be like the strongest weapon out there around the greens.

So we talked a little bit about that. Talked about if the wind gets blowing out here we got to keep the ball low and obviously straight. But that is nothing new.

So, yeah, basically.

Q. Okay. Thank you.

LOUISE RYDQVIST: Absolutely.

Q. Good luck this week.

LOUISE RYDQVIST: Thank you so much.

Q. Not only are you hoping to play well and kind of learn and taking the experience, you get to -- Stacy Lewis mentioned it earlier when we talked to her, but you get to scout for the SEC tournament a little bit. Is that in the back of your mind? What do you hope to take away from at that aspect of it?

LOUISE RYDQVIST: Yeah, obviously that will be a huge championship for us, and as a team I hope that I can bring as much information as I possibly can back to the team. My assistant coach is on his way down right now. I think he's in the shuttle from the airport, so he'll be here with me Thursday, Friday to just soak in all the information we possibly can together so that we can prepare the most before the SEC tournament.

Q. As you get ready for spring play coming up, what are some goals you have this off sense? What do you hope to take away from this event as you head into your collegiate season?

LOUISE RYDQVIST: I would say it's such a great opportunity to see where my golf stands against the best players in the world and see what I need to do to take myself to the next level.

And also, just kind of check in on where my game stands right now, what I need to work harder on in the off-season to be prepared for this spring. Get a lot of workouts in, getting stronger, getting faster, that's always a good thing, yeah.

THE MODERATOR: Thank you so much.

LOUISE RYDQVIST: Thank you.