JM EAGLE LA CHAMPIONSHIP

April 26, 2024

Emily Kristine Pedersen

Quick Quotes

Q. All right, here with Emily Pedersen after her second round at the JM Eagle LA Championship. Solid round, especially your back nine today. How did you turn it around to finish so well at the end?

EMILY KRISTINE PEDERSEN: Yeah, I played pretty good most of the round actually. I just didn't really hole the putts on the front nine. I still hit I think eight out of nine greens and then I had a three-putt on 9.

I just putted a little better. Hit them a little bit closer on the back nine. All around a pretty solid day I think.

Q. How important is putting this week on the poana greens? I know the greens can be really tricky.

EMILY KRISTINE PEDERSEN: It's very important. The most important thing is to not get too frustrated with the greens because you are going to get some putts that are not going to stay on the line you hit it, even though you hit a good putt.

I have been really trying to just be kind and be a little bit more in acceptance that sometimes they're not going to go in. I'm trying to almost hope that instead of looking at in in a negative way saying I could hit a bad putt, and it bounces in. I am really trying to see it that way instead of getting too frustrated with the greens, because it's easy to do.

Q. You had birdies there on 11, 12, 13. Tell us a little bit about that stretch and what happened on those.

EMILY KRISTINE PEDERSEN: Yeah, I mean, I hit the fairway. Pulled a wedge a little bit. Then it was three feet on 11.

Then I hit a good 7-iron to three feet on 12.

Then I hit a long drive on 13 and had a 5-iron in and pushed it a little bit in the right bunker. Then got up-and-down from the bunker.

Q. Not sure if you have been looking at the leaderboard out there but obviously Grace Kim had a really incredible couple days. What is it you think she's seeing out there or doing?

EMILY KRISTINE PEDERSEN: Well, I think she's got to be holing some putts out there. Obviously when you play well you've got confidence. It's funny, I always come to this course and in the practice rounds I think, damn, this is going to be one of those courses where the cut is going to be 4-, 5-under.

But it's sneaky tough. It's always not ending that way. But you just have to grind it out on this course. The birdies can come but also can go the other way quickly. You have to stay super patient and just grind.

Q. Last question: What sort of round do you think yourself, the field, will have to put together to maybe close the game a little bit tomorrow? What sort of needs to happen?

EMILY KRISTINE PEDERSEN: Well, I think we have to hit a low one. Obviously if Grace is playing well and she keeps going they way she does, we need to catch her some way.

But anything can happen out here, so just have to one hole at time, try and make a birdie.

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