WOMEN'S OLYMPIC GOLF COMPETITION

August 8, 2024

Morgane Metraux

Le Golf National

Quick Quotes

Q. When was the last time you shot 28?

MORGANE METRAUX: Probably, I don't know, actually. I shot 11-under once. I don't know. I actual will you don't know.

Q. Your low nine is 30.

MORGANE METRAUX: On tour? I shot like an 11-under on the Swiss pro tour. So maybe that once but not often.

Q. How long ago was that?

MORGANE METRAUX: 2020.

Q. Can you tell us what worked really well?

MORGANE METRAUX: So there was barely any wind this morning. Perfect conditions and the course is just perfect. Like if you hit a good putt, you know it's going to go in because the greens are rolling so well.

I was really calm. I knew my game is in a good spot, and I was rolling it well. Yeah, it was actually surprisingly very calm starting the round.

The difference between yesterday and today at the beginning is just the putts that fell. Yeah, it just brought me confidence going forward and just tried to stay as present as I could and one shot at a time. Yeah, it went pretty well.

Q. How was the up-and-down on 7? You missed the approach shot on the right.

MORGANE METRAUX: Well, I had actually a very good lie on an uphill slope which helped a lot. Yeah, it was a very tricky shot. I actually worked on it yesterday after round. So that was good timing.

Yeah, it was just a nice little cushion or the ball and I just executed it very well.

Q. How difficult was it to follow up a fantastic front nine on the back nine?

MORGANE METRAUX: I actually tried not to think about it. Just keep doing the same things. The swing didn't feel file as good on the back nine, and on those short holes, if you get slightly off line, it gets really tricky. The rough is really thick and the greens are really firm. It's not that I played worse, just one or two shots that cost me a few. The putt, for example, on 10 didn't drop. It's not that big of a difference but the score changes quite quickly.

Q. Can you talk us through your thought process on 18, choosing to go for it?

MORGANE METRAUX: Yeah, so it's a pretty large green. The wind wasn't down too much. I thought I could stop it pretty easy on the green. I only had an iron to the green. So I actually didn't even think about laying up. I just didn't quite catch it and hit it a bit left and low. It hit the wood. So it was probably missing like three feet to be fine. But it is what it is. It's fine. Only got a bogey out of it. I wish I didn't but it's fine. I'm still in a great position for the weekend -- not the weekend, the last two days.

Q. Did you feel different on the back than you felt on the front, and if you did, was there something that changed at all?

MORGANE METRAUX: On the back nine it was a bit more gusty, so we had to go through more of a longer process.

Q. Emotionally?

MORGANE METRAUX: Emotionally, no. It's always fun to see yourself on top of the leaderboard. It was the same on the front. I saw I was on the top, too. I tried to stay aggressive on those holes.

Q. Did you feel coming in that you were in this sort of frame of mind ability-wise, obviously there's no real trend saying that you're going to go shoot 8-under but did you sense coming into this week, you liked this golf course?

MORGANE METRAUX: I didn't know the golf course until Monday. So it's all very new for me. But it's simple in a way that you know that you just have to hit fairways and greens here. If you don't, it's going to be very difficult.

I like it because it's just in such good conditions, and it's just a great course. If you hit good shots, you're going to be rewarded and vice versa. I really like that about courses.

I've worked a lot on my game in the last week, and obviously prior to that, but last week I did a lot of good work and I was feeling good about what I was doing. I just didn't realize it was going to be good. There's few good events coming up after this, too, so it's very promising.

Q. Was it swing stuff?

MORGANE METRAUX: A bit of everything, actually, yeah. It's constant work, isn't it.

Q. Any part of your game today particularly stood out?

MORGANE METRAUX: I think my iron game, second shot game on the front nine was particularly good. I also made a lot of short to mid-range putts. Sometimes, some days they just don't fall and today they did. I think those two things were key today.

Q. Was there ever a swing or a shot or a putt early on that made you think, you know, might be a decent day for me?

MORGANE METRAUX: There wasn't a particular shot, I don't think. I mean, I hit really good shots on 1 and 2 which I think are some of the hardest holes, especially with some of those pins. The pin on 2 was really difficult. And to be this close to the hole there on that hole was crucial for the confidence and for going into the round. But I didn't think there was one in particular.

Q. Off the tee?

MORGANE METRAUX: I think 9-iron.

Q. What did you have on 1?

MORGANE METRAUX: 8-iron.

Q. Can you talk more about your Olympic experience? What did your sister share with you after she came back, knowing that you had the opportunity and didn't go. I know you expressed a little bit of regret that you didn't --

MORGANE METRAUX: I was quite happy that she could take my spot. If anybody could take my spot, I was hoping it would be her and it worked out.

She had a bit of a difference experience because of the whole COVID thing. I don't know if there was any spectators. I think there weren't. So the atmosphere was very different. She couldn't go to any other events. The Village, you can only stay where you were at the event. It was different but she had stars in her eyes when she came back. She was very happy to have the experience.

Q. Did you want to make sure you got experience this time?

MORGANE METRAUX: Oh, yeah, for sure.

Q. Do you expecting to see anything else?

MORGANE METRAUX: The rest is very important, too. I don't think so. I wish I could but priority comes first with the golf.

Q. Do you have stars in your eyes now?

MORGANE METRAUX: Oh, yeah, now I do. Yeah. It's an amazing experience, yeah.

Q. What's it like out on the course, the atmosphere? Is it that helping your game?

MORGANE METRAUX: It's always fun to see Swiss flags and people shouting my name. When I make a birdie, they make a lot of noise. It's fun to know there's so many people supporting me. I don't take it as pressure. I'm just happy I can perform in front of them and you know have that much support. So it's really fun.

Q. You have had national team experience before. What does it feel like when you get to see your country colors?

MORGANE METRAUX: I was saying, I don't know if it was yesterday, but we don't get to play for a country in professional golf really except for Solheim and Ryder Cup, and I haven't been part of it yet. Yeah, it's so special. My favourite events as an amateur were always European Championships, world championships. To have an opportunity to play for your country is something that's really special and I just want to do really well for my country.

Q. Did you do World Amateur Team?

MORGANE METRAUX: We got Silver in Cancún in 2016.

Q. Which speaking part of Swiss did you grow up in?

MORGANE METRAUX: French. My German is not very good.

Q. What is your strategy then for the weekend?

MORGANE METRAUX: Just the same. Stick to the process. Same routines. See how it goes.