CME GROUP TOUR CHAMPIONSHIP

November 23, 2024

Nataliya Guseva

Tiburon Golf Club

Quick Quotes

Q. Here with Nataliya Guseva after her third round here at the CME Group Tour Championship. A lot of birdies on the card today. Just take us through the round.

NATALIYA GUSEVA: Yeah, honestly didn't have any expectations going into today's round. You know, being at the final stage of the season it's obviously nice, especially for my rookie year.

I'm just taking step by step out here and really enjoying it because teeing up with the best players in the world out here, Nelly, Lydia and all of the other girls. I'm just really enjoying it and taking it honestly as enjoyment process.

Yeah, great round today. Just my putter was pretty hot out there which really helped. When putting goes right, you just can release stuff, so I really hope tomorrow is going to be the same round and I'm going to take it the same way.

Maybe get close to the leader as well. So, yeah.

Q. What have you learned about yourself throughout your rookie season maybe from your first start way back when to now?

NATALIYA GUSEVA: Right. I was super nervous. I remember my first event was in Bradenton. I was super nervous teeing up. It was just some different feelings, especially last season I was on the Epson Tour which really helped me to grow up and mature.

Coming out of college it's always hard, and a lot of girls helped me throughout this way. I just learned a lot. You know, how to travel, how to do things right, not wrong.

So, yeah, it's definitely learning curve.

Q. Now to be here, one of four rookies to tee it up here at the CME, how much confidence has this year given you heading into next year and beyond?

NATALIYA GUSEVA: For sure, yeah. It's definitely a lot of confidence, but at the same time, every event and every round I still learn a lot of stuff about myself, which is great.

You know, golf is this type of game where you just learn constantly about yourself. Sometimes you have to hit a shot and even your technique is kind of bad or your putter doesn't go. You still have to score somehow. It's a crazy game and that's what I really like about golf. It always brings you something different. Yeah.

Q. With $4 million on the line do you think you'll take an aggressive approach tomorrow?

NATALIYA GUSEVA: Honestly, I would just still be trying to play the same as I played today. I'm one of the longest hitters out here and it already helps me to be kind of aggressive.

But I like -- whenever I play well I usually really enjoy myself and I really take it as much fun as I can. Sometimes with bet with my caddie on birdies or something like that for some different stuff.

So I'm just going to keep it fun out there and when it happens, it happens. I would love to win for sure. Everyone would love to win out here.

You still have to enjoy because it's still a game. So, yeah.

Q. Did you have any bets this week with him?

NATALIYA GUSEVA: I mean, sometime we do, yeah. Sometimes milkshakes, sometimes fifty bucks, something like that. It's crazy. We have one of the bet that he needs to wear some shoes that feels like very grounded, so like, I don't know, they're very weird; it's like slippers.

So that's one of our bets. So, yeah.

Q. I know you were at PGA TOUR event last week.

NATALIYA GUSEVA: Yeah.

Q. What was that like being outside the ropes? Did you practice your own game or completely take off?

NATALIYA GUSEVA: I took the clubs with me but I didn't practice. I just really supported my boyfriend throughout the week. It's way different being outside of the ropes. It's still super fun watching and cheering for someone on the PGA TOUR as well.

So lots of fun. Lots of good golf there. But still I would say LPGA is like right up there. Sometimes I see LPGA shots and I'm like, that's pretty good. I think sometimes we should be better than the PGA TOUR.

So, yeah.

Q. I know he's here this week supporting you. How special is that, two players in golf getting to support each other?

NATALIYA GUSEVA: For sure it's very special. Having him here, he's putting always smile on my face. I have also my coach in University of Miami, Patty Rizzo. She came out today. She's kind of like my American mom. When I make birdie she start to dance, so we always had this thing in the college golf and we have it right now here.

So I love that. I love my support system, and it's always nice when you have such nice people around you, so, yeah.