THE ANNIKA DRIVEN BY GAINBRIDGE AT PELICAN

November 11, 2023

Emily Kristine Pedersen

Pelican Golf Club

Quick Quotes

Q. Joined now by Emily Pedersen, leader after three days of play here at The ANNIKA. Take us through your third round here today.

EMILY KRISTINE PEDERSEN: Pretty solid today. Was my first day without a bogey. I think I hit it really well. I had a lot of chances. Felt like I missed quite a few birdie putts out there.

My short game was pretty good today. I got up and down every time I missed a green, and I holed a chip, so that definitely kept me in the game, especially early in the round.

Q. You mentioned it: Bogey-free. What were you doing to take advantage of either on the course or with your shots to keep you out of those situations?

EMILY KRISTINE PEDERSEN: Well, my short game was better today. It's not been great the last couple days, but today was good. That's kind of what kept the bogeys off the card and kept the momentum going, I think.

Q. Is there a different mindset either in your preparation or while you're playing when you know you have the lead, or are you just kind of focused on the golf in front of you?

EMILY KRISTINE PEDERSEN: It's a bit hard, but I spoke to my coach this morning, spoke to my mental coach, and they said, try and have it as a goal to lead by more than you lead with today to kind of have something for me to chase, and to just focus on what I was doing and not looking at the others.

So that's kind of what I just tried to do. Tried to make more birdies on the weekend than I did the first two days, and that kind of kept me chasing even though I was in the lead.

Q. Kind of a similar question. Do you draw back on any of your LET wins out there? Kind of the same question, or do you focus on what's happening out in front of you?

EMILY KRISTINE PEDERSEN: Yeah, I mean, obviously I know that I'll get nervous. I know that bad shots are coming. Obviously it's just about reminding myself as well that this is what it feels like at the top. This is what I want to play for.

So putting things a little bit in perspective helped me today. Just trying to put on a good swing on every single shot.

Q. What's been some of the keys to staying consistent and staying towards the top?

EMILY KRISTINE PEDERSEN: I've been hitting a lot of fairways. It's obviously easier when you come from the fairways. I've been hitting the ball a little bit further this week, so I've had a lot of wedges. My wedges have been pretty good on the numbers and just there has been a little bit of a left miss here and there, but the distance has been very consistent.

Q. 61 out there, couple 62s. Were you noticing that as you were going through the round?

EMILY KRISTINE PEDERSEN: No, not at all actually.

Q. Maybe it's better that way.

EMILY KRISTINE PEDERSEN: Yeah, maybe.

Q. You played a couple of really great sand shots. I think it was a par save at 10 I believe and then I think the birdie, first birdie --

EMILY KRISTINE PEDERSEN: 14, 15, yeah.

Q. Yeah. So how important did those wind up being as you got to the end of the round?

EMILY KRISTINE PEDERSEN: Oh, very important. It's obviously what's keeping the momentum going. Every bogey is a little bit of a climb back I think, so they definitely kept me in it, the birdie on 14 and then to keep it up, not making a bogey after birdie, so that was very important.

Q. You said the goal was to have a little bit bigger lead than you did before. How satisfying is it that it actually came out that way?

EMILY KRISTINE PEDERSEN: Good. I mean, I would like to have it bigger. I know I still have to play really good tomorrow, but you always want more I think.

Q. What do you think it's going to take to get it across the finish line?

EMILY KRISTINE PEDERSEN: It's tough to say. I think definitely over 20, in the 20s, but it's tough to say. It depends who has a good day. If anyone in the top has got a 61 it's going to be a tough day. I know that everyone out there has that in them, so I just have to try and make as many birdies as I can.

Q. I believe you have now the 54-hole record for this tournament.

EMILY KRISTINE PEDERSEN: Okay.

Q. Does that help at all?

EMILY KRISTINE PEDERSEN: No. (Laughter.) Not really.

Q. Because everybody is shooting 61 or 62.

EMILY KRISTINE PEDERSEN: Yeah, exactly.