COGNIZANT FOUNDERS CUP

May 11, 2024

Madelene Sagstrom

Upper Montclair Country Club

Quick Quotes

Q. Here with Madelene Sagstrom after her third round at the Cognizant Founders Cup. Just on another level today, you and Rose. What went into the round?

MADELENE SAGSTROM: I mean, when you always play with good players and somebody that's playing well, I mean, I kind I felt like we kind of fed off each other all day. She was hitting good shots and I was I hitting good shots; she was hitting good putts and I was hitting good putts.

It's nice playing with people that are playing well, so, I mean, I was -- I don't know. Like I felt like I gave myself a fair bit of chances, not crazy close to the hole, but a lot of putts looked really, really good.

I didn't really do too many mistakes. One on 16, but I finished it off by making up another par anyway.

It was overall a very steady round. Very happy with how I'm playing. In a good spot for tomorrow.

Q. Golf is such an individual sport. When you are playing with someone, it just seems like you're going back and forth, does that feed into your confidence, you being a little more aggressive? What goes into that?

MADELENE SAGSTROM: Yeah, I think you're just trying to find your own momentum out there. Rose -- we both had birdie putts on 1 and she made her birdie and I didn't. I was like, you can't really react too much to what somebody else is doing.

If I just keep doing what I've been doing the other two days, just go out there, find my game, find the rhythm on the greens and I should shoot a pretty good score because I have good game in the system.

That's kind of what I did. Tried to stay calm. Hit a really bad second shot on 5. Hopefully didn't hurt somebody too much. I think to hit somebody. They said they were fine. Made a nice up and down from there, and just not breaking that momentum and keep giving myself chances.

Q. You said early on you love this golf course. What were you doing out there to put yourself in some of those scoring opportunities. I mean, bogey-free on the round. What were you doing to keep yourself out of the those situations?

MADELENE SAGSTROM: You have to drive it well off the tee here and keep it in play, because the rough is still very thick. It wasn't wet today as it was yesterday. But it's still very thick so you have to keep it in play. I did that.

I don't really think -- I mean, the ones that I missed the fairway -- well, one was bad, but other than that they weren't too far off so then you kind of get away with it.

But it's tree-lined so you have to make sure you stay in play and then take advantage of some of the pins when you can. There were some tucked ones. I mean 11 played really long today. I hit a 5-iron into that green with a tucked pin.

You just can't do anything there. You just have to take your medicine and try to make a good putt, which I did, and then be more aggressive on -- I mean, was it 16? No, 15 was much more manageable, pin in the center of the green.

Kind of just have to play it a little bit like that.

Q. When you're playing in good do you let yourself look around or are you just locked into the zone?

MADELENE SAGSTROM: No, I mean, I always -- I wish I was not a leaderboard watcher but I am. I can't play -- I can't say I'm not. I kind of like to keep an eye on how it's playing out there. I knew and Jack and Anna had a good round this morning, so I knew that got me on a high. Yeah, 5-under for them was really nice.

If you keep it in play out here you can always score. That's probably the biggest thing about keeping it in play and putting it in the right spots on the green.

Q. When you're making this many birdies and rolling the putts the way you've been, does any hole look unattainable?

MADELENE SAGSTROM: I thought I was going to make everything today. I looked at everything, oh, this is going in, oh, this is going in. I felt like there was a lot of movement in my body when they were hitting the edges. I felt so like in sync with my speed. It's been great so everything looked like they were going in; burning edged all day long.

It's a nice feeling knowing wherever I am on the green I have a chance to make birdie, which kind of relaxes the rest of game a little bit. Shane was like, we just need to hit the green and I can figure it out from there.

Q. Could you describe that feeling? Do you see a line and it's kind of -- is it visual? Is it a feeling physically that you know you're going to make everything?

MADELENE SAGSTROM: It's a bit of both. My AimPoint has been super on this week. I can really feel the numbers really well. I had a putt on 17. I lined it up because it was kind of it could be this half number off. I lined it up, I stood over and I was like, no, this is low. So I changed it, so I played a two instead of a one and a half and it went in the hole. I was like, yeah, come on, trust yourself. Like, you got this.

It's kind of like when I'm over the ball, like I've read it, I've done with my line, and then I am just trying to really absorb the hole and just focus on hitting a good putt.

I mean, weeks like this I'm just not trying to think too much but just more reacting and being athletic with it.

Q. How long you've been doing AimPoint?

MADELENE SAGSTROM: Since summer of '21.

Q. And just looking ahead to tomorrow, I know there is an obvious question there, what would it mean; for you this week has already been such a success. How much positivity are you drawing off this week with everything that I know you got going on later this year?

MADELENE SAGSTROM: I think you always want to see your game trending in the right direction no matter how old you are, how long you've done this. Everyone, all of us work super, super hard at our games. Knowing that and seeing the results of all the hard work me and my team put in over time, it's just really he rewarding.

Even the little bit of work we did from round one to two and I got like one of the shots we had been working on all week and I pulled it off. It just feels really good inside.

So I think you want to work hard. We also want to see the results and the rewards for all the hard work. I been playing well. Like I said, finished a good round a little Wilshire and kept it going from there.

I look forward to tomorrow. It's still another new day of golf, but my game feels really solid. I think I got a good chance.

Q. (In progress.) ...it's almost like match play, so much space?

MADELENE SAGSTROM: I think -- I don't think -- yeah, no -- yes and no. I think it's really hard to try to react to somebody else's game.

I did say it earlier, you have to try to find your own momentum. I have to find my own game. Not trying to react if she makes birdies or bogeys. Just more really go out and trying to hit the best shots that I can do over each opportunity that I have.

That's kind of how we been playing today. I felt like this laser focus all week. I felt super -- not super committed to everything, but felt really in the moment, and that's kind of the game I need to play tomorrow.

Just try to go hit the best shot I can do, hit the best and putt that I can do, and not try to be so much reacting on her.

Q. Obviously with Nelly this far back her chances of winning six in a row are -- are you sitting there shaking your head going, you know, how far she's taken this streak?

MADELENE SAGSTROM: I mean, it's -- this is something -- I think it's something that everyone wants to do. It's incredible what she -- I mean, she's been playing incredible golf for a long time.

I think she very well deserved that streak that she's been on. It's been incredible to watch and I think that all of us are just trying to do something a little bit like -- can I win one? That's a good start.

No, it's been incredible. I think she's really stepped up attention on women's golf lately and it's really cool to watch. I think it's really cool for the game.