THE ANNIKA DRIVEN BY GAINBRIDGE AT PELICAN

November 9, 2023

Emily Kristine Pedersen

Pelican Golf Club

Quick Quotes

Q. All right, I'm here with Emily Kristine Pedersen after a great round in the first round of The ANNIKA. Walk us through your round and maybe some of those birdies and the eagle you had out there today.

EMILY KRISTINE PEDERSEN: Yeah, just pretty solid tee-to-green. I hit 13 fairways, 16 greens. Actually started off missing a five-footer on the first and a three-footer on the second.

Then I kind of got a little bit of momentum.

Hit a good one on 6.

Birdied 7.

And then kind of luckily I think it went into the pin a little bit hard on 8 for the eagle, but I'll take it.

Yeah, a lot of chances and a lot of birdies.

Q. When you make the turn like that after having that many birdies and the eagle, what's going through your mind?

EMILY KRISTINE PEDERSEN: I think just pretty much just the same thing. Just trying to put a good swing on every single shot and then see where it takes me.

So I was just focusing on putting a good swing on 10 and putting on a good swing for the next one, and then trying to keep that mindset.

Q. It may not seem like it to you, but from an outsider's perspective, you have just gotten better and better and better throughout the course of really the last couple years. What are you doing?

EMILY KRISTINE PEDERSEN: I mean, I'm growing up a little bit I think. No, but I don't know. I think just the older I get I take a little bit more responsibility of my practice. I'm trying to just put in everything.

What I'm doing lately is trying to be a little bit harder on myself in practice and nicer to myself on the golf course.

I think it's been the other way around for quite a few years, and I'm really trying to manifest that, trying to manifest that we overestimate what we can change in a day, but underestimate what we can change in a year, and I'm just trying to keep that in mind all the time.

Q. How do you do that on a practice tee so you can simulate the pressure you're going to feel in a round?

EMILY KRISTINE PEDERSEN: You can't, but just, I mean trying to focus even better when I try and make a swing change, just really be hard on myself, be detailed in trying to do it and not just be like, even if I hit it well, then I want to see better results.

So my target practice gets tighter and hopefully can feel like it's not always that difficult when I come out and play on the golf course.

Q. How do you remain patient? You're co-leading after the first round, but it is the first round.

EMILY KRISTINE PEDERSEN: I mean, I'm just going to keep trying to do the same thing. There are so many good golfers out here. Every week it's such low scores. You need to have probably that 20-under as a target every single week, and that's still 12 more under for me to get to that.

That is a long way, a lot of birdies. The course sets up to -- you have to be smart. I know there will be tougher pins on the weekend and can really be some sucker pins out here. I'm just trying to put that good swing on every single shot out there.

Q. This is your first time co-leading in an LPGA event. What does that mean with all the hard work you put in?

EMILY KRISTINE PEDERSEN: It's obviously where you want to be. You play out here -- or at least I play out here to try and win tournaments. It's always good to be up there. Yeah, good start.

Q. Any previous experience you have that you can recall off the top of your head of leading after the first round prior to the LPGA?

EMILY KRISTINE PEDERSEN: I mean, I've won five times in Europe so obviously I've been leading there and I know what it feels like. I kind of like it. I'm trying to get there to be there on Sunday.

Q. You kind of hinted at it, that there are so many good players out here you kind of really have to focus on going low. When you come out for an afternoon tee time and see that there are two 63s and a 64 already up there, do you feel like you have to go harder to go low?

EMILY KRISTINE PEDERSEN: I mean, it shows that there is a good score out there. I feel like every single week there is people shooting 7-, 8-under in the first round, so you know there are birdie opportunities out there.

I obviously also think there is really good greens in the morning and then obviously sometimes it's easier not having to chase a score and just do the best you can.

But I just take it as, okay, I have birdie opportunities out there and just try and set them up on every hole.

Q. Now you'll have the good greens tomorrow to go set up for somebody else I suppose.

EMILY KRISTINE PEDERSEN: Hopefully. Obviously today I know where I am on the leaderboard at the moment, but, again, there is 54 holes left and I still need to play a lot of good golf to be out there to even finish Top 5, top 10 this week.

So just try and stay patient.

Q. Last question: This year the tournament has Annika's name on it. Do you remember the first time you met her maybe or what it means to have her name on this tournament?

EMILY KRISTINE PEDERSEN: Obviously she's probably the greatest golfer in the new era at least. I think I spoke to her the first time in the year I was picked for the Solheim. Obviously she's done a lot of good golf. She's done a lot for Scandinavian golf and it's just fun to be around.

Q. That wasn't the first time you spoke to her, was it, when she picked you for the Solheim?

EMILY KRISTINE PEDERSEN: Well, the year leading up to that. Not the actual pick.