KPMG WOMEN'S PGA CHAMPIONSHIP

June 20, 2024

Madelene Sagstrom

Sahalee Country Club

Quick Quotes

THE MODERATOR: All right, here with Madelene Sagstrom after her first round here at the KPMG Women's PGA Championship. You just told Golf Channel that you were very, very excited to play this course. Take us through your first round and what you have seen of Sahalee that you just loved?

MADELENE SAGSTROM: I think I was a bit nervous coming into this week because I knew it was narrow. Particularly like if you look at my stats, I might not be the best narrow golf course player, but I think coming here and seeing how beautiful it is, and just like I told Amy a second ago, it's kind of straightforward: You have to hit good golf shots. You can't bail out left or right or anything. You have to hit good golf shots.

I think that it kind of makes it a little bit easier for me to try to commit. I know what swing tendencies I need to do to hit good golf shots. I think it makes it very clear when you don't commit to the shots you're trying to do.

So I think it's fun. It's challenging. But at the same time, it's very rewarding when you hit good shots out there.

Q. Were there any strategies that you were practicing or getting ready for as you prepared for this major and maybe had to switch and pivot as you got out on the course? What were some of the strategies this week?

MADELENE SAGSTROM: There were some tricky pins today. We kept saying all day, don't get greedy, don't get greedy. There are some pins here you can take advantage of and some par-5s I can reach both some on the front nine and the back nine.

It's more not get greedy on a pin like 14. It's like tucked on the left side. It's easy to give yourself a really tough short game shot.

I've been trying to stick to my game plan of playing a bit of boring golf. I hitting a fair bit of fairway woods off the tee, just kind of keep the ball in play and in position.

I think it's easy to try to get a little bit aggressive. I've been just like boring, fairways and greens, and then you know you're a good putter. That's what the mindset has been.

Q. Which part of your game is the best right now?

MADELENE SAGSTROM: I think my putting. I think my putting has kind of always been the strongest part of my game. It goes up and down, but when I play really well I putt really well.

I think what this week -- I mean, today hitting the driver and the irons better and better gives me more opportunities and I stay more patient. I know I don't have to putt so well to shoot a pretty good score.

So I think I that -- I mean, putting has kind of always been my strong part. When I putt well I normally score pretty good.

Q. Did you like these greens from the beginning?

MADELENE SAGSTROM: I did actually. I said at Meijer last week, I was struggling to see the breaks a little bit and this week for some reason I found the pace quite well and it just comes a little bit more natural here.

They do remind me a bit of Swedish style and look at them. They're not severely slopey. Some on the back it's kind of back to front.

I think the protection of the course is not the greens.

Q. True. (Laughter.) We saw you I guess about a month ago now shoot 22-under at a venue that, yeah, not totally like this, but tight off the tee. Are you seeing anything that you feel the same vibes as Upper Montclair this week that's really helped you play this well?

MADELENE SAGSTROM: I think it's the whole there is no bail-outs. Same thing there. That rough was really thick so you really wanted to be in the fairway.

I think sometimes I might give myself a little too much leeway. A little left is fine here and it doesn't get so -- my focus doesn't get so narrow.

And then when I really focus in and I know what kind of shot I'm trying to hit, I more likely to succeed with it. So I think it's a little bit of the same thing.

The fact that I do hit it far and when I hit it straight it's obviously an advantage. So I think that's for me just being able to keep the ball in play, like it helps being so narrow. You are standing on 15 and it's like, okay, you got five yards on the left and five yards on the right; we're trying to be in the middle. It's like you don't have much more. Like it's very laser focus the.

Q. That length, especially off the tee, does that help you maybe dial it back, hit a 3-wood, hit a hybrid, knowing you can hit it up a little bit further and will have a shorter iron in?

MADELENE SAGSTROM: I mean, some holes. Some holes there is definitely an advantage trying to get up a little farther. I am dialing back quite a bit in general out here. I am trying to hit the biggest spot and the flattest areas. You can be bit more aggressive than probably I'm playing the golf course.

We all hit fantastic shots in my group today, and on 16 we were kind of behind that tree on the right. But I'm trying to lay it up. Not trying to force it and go down the hill. Just trying to play a bit conservative, but at the same time, very smart and aggressive when I have the opportunity.

Q. How are you keeping yourself mentally in check? How do you keep yourself in check and not get too like let's roll, keep trying to make birdies when it's this tough and narrow?

MADELENE SAGSTROM: I think major golf, you know, you know you're going to get chances. I found that there were a few more chances on the front nine today than the back probably. Some of the par-5s you can take opportunities on the back nine.

I think pars are really good in major golf. There were some solid par holes out there. I think trying to pace myself, take the chances when I get. For me, if you hit the fairway, trying to hit a good iron shot. If I'm on the green I have an opportunity to make birdie, so that's kind of been my whole mindset.

But you kind of have to, I mean, pace yourself a little bit out there.

Q. How have you felt over the last month since Cognizant balancing the disappointment of coming up so close and yet the confidence of being right there?

MADELENE SAGSTROM: Well, I probably thought I was going to win U.S. Open; I did not. No, but it's the golf game. You're on a high, you play really well, probably the best golf, still finish second.

So I probably wish I would've played a little bit better since. I went back to Sweden right after Cognizant? Did I? And I did not play great there. I think it's golf. One day you're going to win a major and the next day you are going to -- I always say I'm going to go work at home in a grocery store.

It's the ups and downs of golf. I still feel like my golf has been trending, my game has been trending in the right direction. When you're out there and fighting with some shots sometimes when you don't feel like you can make contact it gets hard, but it's the name of the game.

Q. How many drivers are you hitting out there?

MADELENE SAGSTROM: I hit driver off 1, 6, 7. I did hit off 8 today. I probably won't hot off 8; depends on the wind.

If they move up the tee on 11 I would hit it on 11.

I hit it on 12, 15, and 18.