FORD CHAMPIONSHIP PRESENTED BY KCC

March 30, 2024

Sarah Schmelzel

Seville Golf and Country Club

TV

Q. Sarah is a local product from North Phoenix. You talked about how this has been a full-circle moment. You grew up watching the LPGA play. Now you're a part of the LPGA and you have a chance to win here in Phoenix. What was today like for you to grind it out and get yourself in the position to do something tomorrow?

SARAH SCHMELZEL: Yeah, today was tough. It was almost like the weather is a little bit of a distraction from maybe the situation I was in, which was nice, and just felt like we handled it really well.

It was really tough out there, so it was absolute grind just to shoot under par this afternoon, so I'm really happy with it.

Q. Everyone has had to pull on patience and avoid frustration. What kind of things do you say to yourself to stay in the game and not get frustrated?

SARAH SCHMELZEL: Yeah, it's something I definitely have to work on. I try to just motivate myself. If I make a dumb mistake, which I felt like I made a double. When I made bad bogeys I just told myself, you're better than this, you got this, trust all the work you've been putting in.

There is not point in thinking about the last shot. Just try and think about the next one.

Q. Speaking of that work you put in, you switched coaches to Chris Mason. He's helped you determine and realize that what you have is enough and that you don't feel like you have to search anymore. How good is that to know that what you have inside you is good enough to win out here?

SARAH SCHMELZEL: Yeah, definitely. He's just done so much in helping me refine what I have, which has been amazing. We did work on quite a bit of technical stuff at the start, but even through that he was saying, you're working on stuff but you're really good and you can go out and you can play well.

It's just been a huge confidence boost week in and week out.

Q. I can't imagine what it would mean for you to win the first time and have it happen here in the greater Phoenix area, in Gilbert. When will you allow yourself to really think about that or what is tonight going to be, do you think, to prepare yourself for tomorrow?

SARAH SCHMELZEL: Yeah, it's definitely something I've thought about since I was a little kid in Moon Valley hitting putts trying to make a putt to win on the LPGA Tour. It's definitely something in the back of my mind, but like we talk the about with the work we've put in, it's just really about staying present, and if it works out it works out.

It's really special for me to just be in contention in this situation, and to have my family out here and watch me, that's all I can ask for.