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NORTH TEXAS LPGA SHOOTOUTApril 25, 2013Caroline MassonIRVING, TEXAS THE MODERATOR: We'd like to welcome our current leader, Caroline Masson into the interview room. Congratulations, a great 7‑under par round. A rookie on the LPGA Tour this year, but you've had plenty of experience playing professional golf before that. Take me through your day out there and what really got your round going out there today. CAROLINE MASSON: Yeah. Well, I started with a birdie on 10, you know, which calmed me down a little bit. It's always nice to start with a birdie. I was just ‑‑ I feel like I was really focused out there, very concentrated and hit a lot of good shots, a lot of putts. Just missed one green and made a pretty good putt there for par. So yeah, it was just a really solid round today. THE MODERATOR: You're a native of Germany and you've spent the last three years on the LET tour before this year? What has this experience been like in terms of taking that experience from playing on the LET and winning over there to now coming out here and being a rookie but probably not feeling completely like a rookie? CAROLINE MASSON: Yeah. I'm still a rookie sometimes. But on the course I've played some rounds as a professional, so it's still the same game. It's actually nice to know some players. You know, it makes me feel a little more comfortable, I think. So yeah, I don't know. I'm just enjoying it, and I enjoy playing here. The courses are great, and it's all a little bigger than on the LET. So yeah, it's been good so far. THE MODERATOR: Being at the top of a leaderboard even at an LPGA event isn't completely foreign to you. The 2011 Women's British Open you went into the final round playing in the final group with Yani Tseng, and quite an experience to get that, especially in a major. Take me through what was that experience like for you and what have you learned since then that you now bring in when you are up there near the top of the leaderboard? CAROLINE MASSON: It was crazy. Yeah, it was my second year as a pro, and yeah, I think I didn't realize it when I was actually playing. I played really well. I think I did hit one bunker in Carnoustie, and I think that's a pretty good finish there. So yeah, it was big for me, you know, playing with Yani in the last round, and just getting to know that atmosphere with all the cameras, because obviously on the LET we are not used to that. So it's always nice to be in contention. You learn from every round, especially when you fail, I guess, and I had a pretty bad last round. But considered the two birdies, and overall it was just a great week for me and I really enjoyed it, and I think I learned so much, I can't even tell you. THE MODERATOR: And playing here in Texas, this isn't completely foreign to you. You did spend one year playing at Oklahoma State before you went back and played on the LET Tour. What experience, like playing in the wind and playing in Texas, similar golf courses, do you feel pretty comfortable on this golf course? CAROLINE MASSON: I do, yeah. I think spending a year in Oklahoma, you know, prepared me for this. It was windy. And I think also playing on the LET, because I mean it was different, tough conditions every week really. It's very different from week to week, so we're used to playing in the wind. And yeah, I think that helped me a little today. It wasn't too windy, to be honest. It was pretty good conditions today. THE MODERATOR: Pretty beautiful today out there actually. Questions for Caroline. Q. (Inaudible). CAROLINE MASSON: I think everyone was really supportive, you know, and I had a great group today with Brittany and Natalie, so there were a few people following us. Yeah, everyone was really seems to be like excited that we came back to Texas, and I think we're all enjoying it out here. Q. How has your season gone so far? I mean have you had a lot of rounds like this? CAROLINE MASSON: Well, I mean so far I'm not really happy with my season. I had a good finish at the Kraft, finished tied for 13. But I missed like four cuts so far, you know. But I always felt like I wasn't too far away really. It was just like one bad round, or I don't know, just couldn't really make any putts or whatever. So I felt like, okay, there's a good round, you know, in me. I just gotta be patient, and yeah, I think that's what I did. So I'm pretty happy. I'm just very happy that I could actually pull off such a good round today. Q. You were speaking a minute ago about learning experiences and stuff. When you have a round like this to start a tournament, how does your mindset change or how do you have to keep your mindset the same heading into the second round and on the weekend? CAROLINE MASSON: Yeah. I've had good first rounds before, and yeah, you just have to stay in the present really. Tomorrow is going to be ‑‑ I heard the forecast, so it's going to be a tough day, I guess. Might have some rain in the afternoon. So it was great to have such a good round, but it's three more rounds, so I just have to focus really. I just want to keep doing that, play like I did today and just really focus on every shot and pay a lot of attention to the greens, especially down here you gotta be really careful because they are pretty quick for me. So just keep doing the same thing and just not thinking about it too much. Q. With the winds coming up, like they say they're going to be changing directions and stuff, obviously it's going to be tough conditions. I imagine you play pretty well in tough conditions considering you hit one bunker at Carnoustie; right? CAROLINE MASSON: Yeah, for some reason I feel like I'm playing pretty good in the wind. My win on the LET in South Africa was also in like really, really windy conditions. And yeah, I'm hitting it well, so I think the wind doesn't affect my ball too much, and that will definitely help me throughout the week. But it's just also important to just make some putts on these greens, you know, because without putting well, I think you have no chance to shoot a really good round here. So it's just all coming together really. Q. (Inaudible)? CAROLINE MASSON: Well, not that long, actually. I think the one on 9 was the longest, but yeah, I had a few really good chances within ‑‑ okay. Now I have to convert because I'm in meters. So that would be like ten feet or something. So I made a few good putts, and I made a longer one on the last, but yeah, it was just good to give myself like a lot of chances for birdie. And if I missed one, I was just staying calm because I know that there were going to be some more chances. Q. What would it mean for you to make the Solheim Cup team this year? CAROLINE MASSON: It's a huge goal for me. I like team sports and I'm a team player, and I played in the Junior Solheim Cup twice. So playing the Solheim Cup was always a dream and it would be awesome. I mean, you know, I did really well last year on the LET, so I was doing well in the European rankings, and it'll be tough for me to keep that spot, you know. So I just want to play well and as a result maybe the captain has to pick me. That's my goal for this year. But I just want to stay concentrated every week, play well every week, and I think the Solheim might come as a result really. THE MODERATOR: Any more questions for Caroline? Well, thank you so much. Best of luck the rest of the week. CAROLINE MASSON: Thanks. FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports |
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