DANA OPEN PRESENTED BY MARATHON

July 18, 2024

Paula Reto

Highland Meadows Golf Club

Quick Quotes

Q. All right, here with Paula Reto, clubhouse leader at the Dana Open. Just looking it up. This is your tenth start in the Dana Open. Lots of experience here. How did that help you out today?

PAULA RETO: Yeah, I mean, obviously just knowing the course and knowing where to be from the fairway and the greens, and how firm they are demanding if it's afternoon and morning. I had a morning round to do ever today so you knew they were not going to be as firm.

Those small things help you out when you come here, ten years in a row.

Q. You had a lot of good finishes. I think the past couple weeks. T12 I know at Evian and T12 a couple weeks ago at Meijer. What is your game feeling like right now? What are the good parts of your game helping with these finishes?

PAULA RETO: Yeah, so I'm still working on a lot of certain thing in my game, especially like the driver and certain irons, certain wedge shots.

Just being able to do that and seeing results has giving me more confidence every week. I feel like that's trending from week to week.

But just sort of baby-sitting those habits day in and day out. It changes, so I have to ready slow my swing down. It's one of my biggest things. Mu transition is so fast.

I like where I've been the last few weeks, and seeing is the results gives me more confidence that I'm able to do it day in and day out.

Q. To come in, start this week off this fashion, how does that help prepare you for what's to come?

PAULA RETO: Yeah, just knowing that the birdies are out there and I continue what I did today to tomorrow and the weekend, I'm able to place myself high enough hopefully.

But just the confidence that birdies are out there. Hitting my shots and seeing the lines on my putts, all those are really good starters for the week.

Q. Anything about the course today that -- obviously like you mentioned a lot of birdie opportunities out here. With the weather anything about the course that excited you about playing it today?

PAULA RETO: Yeah, I just love morning rounds. Being one of the first ones out there is always nice. The winds did start picking up a little bit so more strategy with that. The vibe, environment, I'm just excited to be here. Yeah, going to give it a good shot.

Q. Just wondering, looking at the scorecard, looked like you finished the front nine very well and started the back nine. Was that a key stretch in your eyes today and how do you feel?

PAULA RETO: Yeah, because I made a couple birdies towards the end of my first nine, sort of leaded to my second nine. That confidence, especially that next stretch, 4, 5, and 6 are pretty hard holes. So just parring those and clinching a birdie on the par-3, yeah, all of those is good momentum.

Kind of settles you a little bit. So not too nervous.

Q. You mentioned the experience today. What's it like playing here at Highland Meadows in terms of crowd?

PAULA RETO: Yeah, I just love Midwestern golf and the golf courses and the type of grass, and everybody comes out and supports us. It's just a long-standing event so just everybody knows about it. Everybody knows the LPGA is in town.

It's just nice to feel that vibe, yeah.