FORD CHAMPIONSHIP PRESENTED BY WILD HORSE PASS

March 27, 2025

Nataliya Guseva

Whirlwind Golf Club

Quick Quotes

Q. All right, here with Nataliya Guseva after her first round here in Phoenix at the Ford Championship. Just tell me about the round today. You sort of got going; had a good back nine, front nine. Tell me about the day.

NATALIYA GUSEVA: Yeah, coming from two weeks off kind of didn't really expect much. You know, just really was working a lot on my putting because like I knew that that's what I kind of have to improve like throughout like those weeks coming up, especially with like two majors coming up soon.

So I feel like I putted out good there and hit a lot of good shots. Definitely left so, so many like birdies out there.

Yeah, hopefully we'll just get them tomorrow, so, yeah.

Q. Yeah. Just looks like the afternoon played a little tougher than the morning did. Just tell me about that.

NATALIYA GUSEVA: Yeah, we're playing in a desert, so I feel like afternoons are always going to be tougher out here. The ball rolling insanely much. It kind of just plays like two clubs less sometimes.

It just really hard to spin on the greens as well. So definitely way, way tougher, and just like way more like -- you got think a little bit more, which sometimes I don't really like to do.

Yeah, I mean, that's like how golf works, and I feel like it's nice to have some type of challenge out here this week.

Q. Did you practice a lot in the afternoon on the practice days, get any reps out there, or did you try to stay when it was cool?

NATALIYA GUSEVA: Most of the time when it was cool but the pro-am was afternoon, so it was hot out there yesterday as well.

I think when the weeks go -- like kind of in the end of the week it's supposed to be a little bit cooler, so, yeah, should be good.

Q. It's not a style of golf that we see a lot on the LPGA Tour. What experience do you have with desert golf and how did you get ready for this week?

NATALIYA GUSEVA: I just feel like a lot of just dialing those type of numbers, because like I'm from Florida and like most of the time it's humid out there. Coming out here it's way different type of golf.

So it's just dial those type of numbers and knowing that like it's not going to be the same as like any other golf courses out there. It's just like really to predict how the ball is going to roll out there, and, yeah, having fun with it as well.

Q. How do you build on this going into the next three rounds?

NATALIYA GUSEVA: Definitely just taking step by step because, I mean, that's how I was today and the putts were rolling pretty good. And not like put the pressure on it as well.

So, yeah, and have fun.