THE LPGA DRIVE ON CHAMPIONSHIP

January 25, 2024

Nanna Koerstz Madsen

Bradenton Country Club

Quick Quotes

Q. Joined now by Nanna Koerstz Madsen after her first round here at the LPGA Drive On Championship. Just take us through your first round. A little bit of up and down to start, but then really fired off with five birdies. Just talk about your round.

NANNA KOERSTZ MADSEN: Yeah, it was a good day. I played steady golf. Missed a green here and there but made an up and down.

My approach was just staying -- being a little patient out there because it was a grind. I mean, it was a lot of wind out there, so keep it on the high side of the hole.

Yeah, but I was happy with the round.

Q. How much did last week help you? Some of the girls out here, it is the first round, shaking the rust like you did last week. How much of a benefit was it playing last week?

NANNA KOERSTZ MADSEN: It was definitely a benefit. I shot 2-over in the first round last week and just got better and better throughout the week.

So I think getting some of that rust off last week definitely helped me coming into this week.

Q. Just kind of talk about the off-season a little bit. What did you do? What have you been working on that's helped you get into these kind of positions?

NANNA KOERSTZ MADSEN: Well, I've been working on some technical stuff which has really improved my swing and my contact on the ball.

I've also just taken a little break from golf. I think I took almost a month off. After Pelican last year I needed that, to think about something else other than golf.

Yeah, working and relax, chill.

Q. How much of a necessity -- I mean, I don't want to call it a necessity -- you know, how much beneficial was it for you to put the clubs away and just kind of be a person, for lack of better words, for a little bit, and then pick it back up and hone your craft?

NANNA KOERSTZ MADSEN: I mean, it's kind of different from year to year what I need, but this year I really needed to put away the clubs. I had a rough last year. Didn't feel like I was there mentally and stuff, so I think really mentally really helped me putting away the clubs for a little while and get a new perspective on things.

Yeah, so it helped me a lot.

Q. You mentioned being patient. Is that just the nature of playing a golf course like this with how windy it was today, but also the greens and how tricky they are being a Donald Ross design?

NANNA KOERSTZ MADSEN: Yeah, with the wind blowing as much as it did today you really needed to stay on the high side of the hole. Even though you probably knew it was probably not going to go in aiming so high, but it could get really worse if to end the up below the hole.

Really needed to play a little defensive.

Q. How important was it to really measure in your approach shots and put it on the right quadrant of the greens?

NANNA KOERSTZ MADSEN: Important. You don't want to be long. You don't want to be either side of the greens. You can get some really tricky chip shots from there, yeah.

Q. Was there a particular turning point in your round or was it a steady round?

NANNA KOERSTZ MADSEN: I think on 11 I made a long putt and I was like 3-under after that. Then, I don't know, I made a really good up and down after that and just suddenly two birdies, yeah, and you're 5-under. Yeah, 11.

Q. So when you're starting later on and Nelly posted 6-under, I know it's the first day and it's a long golf tournament, but how important is it to get off to a good start and kind of keep pace?

NANNA KOERSTZ MADSEN: I feel like it's always great to get off to a good start. You never know what's going to happen. It's a long tournament. There is still 54 holes left.

But it doesn't hurt having a good start.

Q. So how much positivity can you take from this round and springboard into the next?

NANNA KOERSTZ MADSEN: I'll take all the positive I can.