COGNIZANT FOUNDERS CUP

May 9, 2024

Madelene Sagstrom

Upper Montclair Country Club

Quick Quotes

Q. All right, joined by Madelene Sagstrom after her first round at the Cognizant Founders Cup. Fantastic round today. Just take us through it, especially the eagle you had early on.

MADELENE SAGSTROM: I came off hot. I had a fairly good chance on 10, which was my first hole. Georgia made a really long putt on 11 and then I made one right after her. I was like, okay, that's a nice way to start. Hit a great second shot into 12 and holed then I another long putt.

It was kind of a little bit of our bonus. Traditionally I am a good putter. For some reason I putted well here all the years we been here. For me, my game plan has been to be a bit more consistent with my ball striking, giving myself some chances and, I really did that and took advantage of the some of the putts I had.

Few long ones went in so little bit of bonus, but very steady overall.

Q. Since moving here in '22 you've had a ton of success. T3 finish, T10 finish; shot a 63 here in '22. What is it about this event or this course that brings out best in your game?

MADELENE SAGSTROM: Probably like -- everything always adds up together, right? This golf course first of all suits my eye really well. I've been playing around with the ball flight a little bit. My coach, Hans, is in town. This is the third year he's here, too. We love the golf course.

It's tough off the tee which normally tends to work out well for me if I hit it straight. Putting is a big thing. You have to make putts. For some reason I just really see the reads on these greens. You don't know, some places you go you can't see anything, and here it's kind of good momentum.

And obviously having good memories, good experiences here is key. You want to go back to a place where you really enjoy it. I'm staying with a great host family this week. They're some of my closest friends.

I think it just adds up. I know I'm going to have a good time when I'm off the course and I know I am going to have good time on the conscious with Shane. Just everything. Good memories.

Q. A T8 finish at JM Eagle a few weeks ago; a T-9 finish earlier in Thailand. We're about almost the halfway point which is crazy to think about. How does the game feel? Are you feeling like you are getting into the swing of things, and are you building on some the momentum you've had over the season so far?

MADELENE SAGSTROM: Yeah, no, I had a really good stretch in Asia. Really happy with my game, putting myself in some good spots and playing in the final group a few times. Then I had a little bit of a dip after. I think my biggest thing is that I get very hard on myself, critical of my own game. I start trying to be really, really hard to be better at this game, but most of the time I actually have to try less. I just have to go out and be athletic and be myself and go out and have a good time.

JM Eagle, that last round putting a good number on there, I flew up the leaderboard. It's always tough there in the afternoon, so that obviously brought a lot of confidence to me just knowing that I can do it.

For me, like I said, ball striking has been the big thing for me. Having a consistent ball striking more often then giving myself chances.

Q. I know putting in the past has been a bit of a bugaboo for you, having that consistency. What have you found this year that you have that consistency?

MADELENE SAGSTROM: I think overall, like putting is so much momentum. Like it's so much -- once you start making a few you get very confident. I think that we kind of said -- few times today we were in between numbers and it's hard. It's easy to get greedy.

We said if we get on the putting surface, you're putting well, and then you figure out the speed quickly, the more chances you have, especially putting for birdie. It's a lot easier than having all these putts for par. Then you really -- well, have to make them and you want to make them. When you miss them you get very upset.

Having a lot of birdie putts creates momentum I feel like. And just knowing I'm doing good things. I been working with AimPoint, Mark Sweeney. Started with him in '21. Yeah, summer of '21, and that was life changing for me and my reads.

And then just having the consistency of doing good work and seeing results. Speed is everything and seemed to have pretty good speed today.

Q. I know life is good off the golf course. You seem like you're having more fun on the golf course right now. Is there something mentally that switched for you? Is it an appreciation as your career advances? Is it something mentally you know how to keep things in check maybe a little bit better than you used to in the past?

MADELENE SAGSTROM: I think -- I've had this conversation with my team a lot. I'm probably on the back nine of my career, so just having that mentality of if I don't go for it now I'll never go for it.

I've probably had most of my years behind me already, and I think it creates a little bit of freedom, a little bit of stress. But just going out and enjoying it. Just going out and knowing that I have a good network of people around me.

I mean, Jack, fiance, husband, whatever we want to call it. It's just like knowing that I have the people behind me that believe in me kind of pushing the pedal until I'm done. It's just a nice balance. I know it's more to golf -- more to life than just golf.

Q. Speaking of Jack, I know there has been some discourse between you and Anna and the candy in the golf bag, whether it's going to fit into his wedding suit or not. How did that poll turn out, and what's been the discussion about the pastilles and all the stuff?

MADELENE SAGSTROM: I am the biggest looser in this. For some reason -- look, she's a feeder, and then my caddie is feeding him, too. They just bring him candy. I said to him, I don't care what you're going to do but you have ordered a suit now that's supposed to fit in September.

We'll see. We'll see if he can button the suit. It's a funny banter. I'm just so happy for him and Anna. They seem to have such a good relationship. It's really nice to see them being in a good place together and being a part of that a little bit on the outside but following them. It's just fun.

Q. What's his poison? What's his favorite snack, candy?

MADELENE SAGSTROM: He likes everything. Literally likes everything. I think he's on the fruit pastille. Shane brought wine gums for Anna and all of them this week, so they enjoyed that.

Q. Obviously I know we can combine fiance and husband, but looking forward to the wedding in September in the UK, how excited are you for that and how much fun has it been to plan a wedding, be out here, and be with Jack now that he's on Anna's bag?

MADELENE SAGSTROM: I mean, this life is hard as it is sometimes. It's really easy to -- it gets very blended together. It's easy to become your score, to become -- this is all I do, this is all I am.

So I think that having something else, having a lot of my family coming to this wedding that I wasn't expecting, I realized that there is more to life. This is very important. This is what I love to do. But there is more to life. There is a lot bigger things we sometimes forget and don't focus on so much.

So it's been very refreshing. I haven't really felt the wedding stress, to be honest. I don't really care. Like I'll eat with whatever silverware there is. It's been a nice distraction. It's fun. Jack and I have bonded on a different level and really looking forward to spending time with family in September.