CME GROUP TOUR CHAMPIONSHIP

November 21, 2024

Linn Grant

Tiburon Golf Club

Quick Quotes

Q. Okay, here with Linn after her first round. Solid round to open up this tournament. Talk about your day you had out there.

LINN GRANT: Very solid. Bogey-free, which is always a nice achievement. Missed a couple short putts in the beginning actually so felt like could have been a couple more under.

Still kind of kept the momentum going on the back nine and just had a very solid day. Very good off the tee. Didn't really make any mistakes. Had a lot of fun.

Q. And I've heard from a few players about the wind out here. Do you think it came into play? And how much did it come into play and how is it on this golf course?

LINN GRANT: Yeah, I think playing like 10 and 11 today with the wind right to left on 10 where like the tee shot is so narrow. So I'm not a fader, so for me it was very difficult. It's just those kind of tee shots where you don't feel the wind. Once you hit your shot it just takes it away.

Then coming in on 9 and 18 it gets quite windy. Just had to keep track of it over the round. But it is quite difficult. I had a couple putts that just swayed away with the wind today as well.

Q. Nice to be back here in Naples. Talk about why you enjoy coming back here I guess.

LINN GRANT: The weather usually is very nice. People are very kind. I feel like they all love to watch golf, which makes it more fun to play.

Obviously it's a great event. Really fun week. It's kind of a good last week to kind of finish the season off. Hospitality is great. We're staying at the hotel this week, which is so nice. You can just walk down to dining and all that.

So it feels very luxurious.

Q. Obviously, too, a big purse this week. What's it like to see that kind of prize money offered at an event?

LINN GRANT: I mean, it feels very big obviously. It puts some extra nerves on us out there, at least for me, just knowing that the putts and the shots are worth a little bit more.

And then obviously kind of - or at least I do - I think probably too many steps ahead, thinking about, oh, what happens if I play really well and yada, yada, yada.

So it's more like it really puts the tournament on a bigger edge. It requires better golf. But it also makes it more fun. All the majors are gone for the year coming into this week, and knowing that we have this week to really give it all for the last week and just showing ourselves what we can do, it's just amazing what CME have done for or tour and the constant support.

Q. You have the ability to spin the ball that a lot of people don't have. Is that an advantage on a golf course like this or which courses do you think that benefits?

LINN GRANT: Most courses I think. Obviously hitting into the greens, it helps. Out there today it wasn't too firm, but usually like if the courses are firmer obviously that's an advantage. If they're too soft it can be quite tricky to get into. You have to hit it past all the time.

For me I don't get any roll on my driver so just carries and stops, which sometimes can be a little bit annoying, but it's worth it I guess.

Q. And what is your experience on bermudagrass, and is it something you feel comfortable transitioning to when you come to Florida?

LINN GRANT: No. I don't like it. (Laughter.)

Q. Okay.

LINN GRANT: I think it's really tricky and every time I play on it I try to learn something new that can help me in the future.

Usually when I hit my short game shots I use a lot of bounce, and I realize that's not to any help out here. Feel usually that can hurt more than it helps.

I feel like I need to work more on playing with the leading edge and stuff like that.

So I try to learn.

Q. I was going to ask one last kind of fun question maybe about your brother still on your bag. You kind of had that switch this year. What's it been like? Why do you think the partnership has gone so well with him on the bag?

LINN GRANT: I think we're just like enjoying talking about other things. Obviously he has a different view of it than I do, and sometimes it just feels very relaxed to have him there.

Sometimes he can just ask some fun questions that kind of takes my mind off of it, and he kind of sees my game from a different view. Or if I feel like I've hit a bad shot he can be like, that's still good. That's still on the green. I'm like, yeah, okay.

So it's nice. And also nice to be able to like really tell someone what you mean and fully communicate with them in a better way.

I don't have to worry about hurting someone's feelings. Like we have each other, all that. So that whole part of the relationship works easy.

Q. He's still got a job.

LINN GRANT: He's still got a job. He's still got a job if he wants a job. It's more like that.