THE CHEVRON CHAMPIONSHIP

April 18, 2024

Gabriela Ruffels

The Club at Carlton Woods

Press Conference

THE MODERATOR: We're here with Gabi Ruffels after her first round of the Chevron Championship. Solid round today, one of the lowest this afternoon. Talk about how your game felt today.

GABI RUFFELS: Felt super solid. Got off to 3-under pretty early, through I think 6 or 7 holes and it got a bit tougher with the wind and kind of fell back to 1-under and kind of had a rough patch a little bit through the middle but I was happy with how I finished and happy with the birdie on 18.

Q. How do you stay patient out there knowing that it is a major, a bigger stage this week, staying patient through some of those tough patches you mentioned?

GABI RUFFELS: You just know that it's a major, and pars out here are good and scores are not going to be super low. I saw 6-under was leading, and I think 4-under was second from the morning wave. I knew that pars are good and scores weren't super low, so just kind of had to stay patient.

Q. What kind of comfortability do you have having played this event in the past, even though it might not have been here? Just kind of coming back to a major you've been to before.

GABI RUFFELS: Yeah, for sure. I played the last three years at Mission Hills and loved each one of those and had some pretty good results, and I think it's just the experience and the good memories from the majors, or from this major, and kind of hoping to do that in a different state, I guess.

Q. It is your birthday you mentioned. Happy birthday. Anything you're going to do today to celebrate at all?

GABI RUFFELS: Yeah, so right now I'm going -- the Australians are having a barbecue. It wasn't really for my birthday but it happened to be on my birthday, so maybe they'll do something, which will be fun. It'll just be fun to be around them and just do a little something.

Q. Earlier this week when I was in the media center, I saw you and Nelly playing a practice round. What's it been like to -- both Nike athletes, seeing the wave she's on and being able to pick her brain, hang out with her a little bit?

GABI RUFFELS: Yeah, I guess we have kind of more in common than what we think. Both our parents knew each other. My dad knew her dad Peter pretty well from tennis.

Yeah, her and Jess, I guess, were one of the first people I knew out here. She's pretty good friends with my brother, and we also share the same coach, or coaches.

Yeah, I've been able to kind of pick her brain a little bit, but most importantly she's a great person and just fun to be around, and it's really cool to see the run she's on.

Q. It was a bit of a long day out there, a little bit of an up-and-down one for you. How would you describe the round overall?

GABI RUFFELS: It was good. I was happy to finish with a birdie. It's actually my birthday today, so I was happy to have a good round out there.

Q. You played for a number of years at this championship when it was at Mission Hills but your first time playing here in Houston. How would you describe the test here in Houston compared to when you played in Palm Springs?

GABI RUFFELS: Yeah, this tournament has always been really special to me. I played the last three years at Mission Hills and love that golf course, but I like this one, too. I've had great memories from this tournament, and hopefully I can have a good one this week, too.

Q. You had some great success last season on the Epson Tour, earned your way out here to the LPGA. How has that transition been for you as a rookie?

GABI RUFFELS: It's been great. It's just a bunch of learning. I learned so much from my year last year and just trying to translate that into this year. I got off to not a super great start I guess in Bradenton, but I played well the past three events. I've really enjoyed it.