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THE EVIAN CHAMPIONSHIPSeptember 13, 2013Sandra GalEVIAN-LES-BAINS, FRANCE MODERATOR: Good afternoon everyone. We'd like to welcome our current leader, Sandra Gal, into the interview room. First off, congratulations; a great 5‑under par round today on a new course that you haven't gotten to play with all the changes much yet. What was the key to your round today, and how were you able to shoot such a great score? SANDRA GAL: I don't see really one key. I think I just played solid golf. Missed a couple fairways but got it back it play. I made a hit a couple long putts. Couple times I hit it stiff. You know, felt pretty solid with my irons. I think just keeping it in play, rolling in a couple putts, and I think most importantly just having a really good mindset. I was really looking forward to this week. Been playing well the last few weeks as well, months coming up to this. Just really enjoying myself out there. You can't get enough of the views here. Just puts you into a really good mindset, I think. MODERATOR: Talking about your game coming around, I know at the Safeway Classic you finished sixth. Was there something recently in your game that started it click? What's been the difference offer the last few weeks where we've seen your game start to flourish? SANDRA GAL: Yeah, I struggled a little bit last winter. I did make some swing changes, and it really took a while for it to kind of settle in. I knew that was going to happen, but it was just a little bit tougher than I thought. Everything started coming around last couple months. I started working with Gary Gilchrist in April. We simplified a lot of things. So just I think doing certain drills and keeping my swing a little bit more solid and more representable being a tall player has really helped me. Like I said, I knew it was coming. I just needed to be patient this year, which was hard, but I was. MODERATOR: A lot of changes to the this golf course, but you hadn't necessarily played well here in years past. I think the best finish was tied for 50th. Do the new changes on the golf course seem to suit your game? Do you think this golf course fits you better now? SANDRA GAL: Yes, definitely. I really did not play well here before. I was very happy to see that we made some changes. It's our fifth major now. I do think it fits me much better. It's a little bit longer, which suits me as a little bit of a longer hitter. As well as shaping shots to those different tiers on those greens. I think it fits my eye also off the tee boxes a little better. Very excited about those changes. MODERATOR: Questions. Q. You said you made changes in the winter and started working with Gary in April. Were the two not... SANDRA GAL: Yeah, no. I started with a couple changes in the winter, and those didn't work out quite the way I wanted to. So I did switch coaches in April to Gary. He took it from there and simplified a lot of things. Q. You were obviously disappointed about the Solheim Cup, but your form now, do you think that's part it of it now, that you didn't get on the team... SANDRA GAL: No. I was very disappointed, but it has nothing to do with how I played. Like I said, the first half of the season was not great. I knew good play was coming, I just had to be patient. So around the time of the Solheim I just started to play well, but it was obviously too late to be picked. My good play now is just a result of a lot of hard work and a good mindset. MODERATOR: I'm sure it was a disappointment not playing on the Solheim Cup team this year, but looking ahead the when it will be played in Germany, how much more of a focus is that for you to make that team? SANDRA GAL: Huge focus. I hear everybody talk about it already, so I think it's going to be so good for German golf just so see all that excitement that's around that tournament. It's just the biggest event there is this women's golf. It would in entire so many kids in German. I mean, being on this team for me is a must. Just say it that way: I have to be on it. MODERATOR: Any more questions for Sandra? Q. Highlights today? Any birdies, long putts, or chip‑ins? SANDRA GAL: Yeah, I was lucky to hit the hole on 14th. Downhill putt on a par 3. Just hoped it would hit the hole and it did. So that was a longer one. I hit it fairly close and made some good putts, so I don't think I really sunk a lot of bombs. It's kind of what you have to do on those greens as well. When you have a longer putt you're likely to come over a ridge, so you've got to just try to hit it on the right tier. Q. As far as the course changes, probably have heard players say it's a year away from being the way they want it. What is your assessment on it and its suitability for a major? SANDRA GAL: Yeah, obviously we all know this course needs to mature. The changes, what Evian or the tournament did here is incredible in nine months. I mean, I really couldn't picture it. The fact that we're actually playing I think is a miracle. So definitely needs another year to mature and for everything to kind of settle in, but it's for sure very challenging. I think it suits to be a fifth major. MODERATOR: Any other questions? Q. I watched you playing, and you were like really quiet, like on the course. You were always like aside and focused. Is that the way that you concentrate the best, or do you just come out with the daylight like later on and you were just tired? SANDRA GAL: Just wanted to go to sleep out there. No, you may not notice, but I did talk quite a bit with my playing partners. It's more from tee it fairway, and then we all go to our shots and focus on what we do. I think just I wasn't trying to be quiet. It's more that I'm peaceful. So that's probably what you see out there. I do enjoy hitting good shots and I will talk to my playing partners. We talked about all kinds of things today. I think peaceful is a good word. Q. You missed some makeable putts on 15 and 18. SANDRA GAL: Yes. Thanks for reminding. (Laughing.) Q. Reflections on that, and will we see lower scores today? SANDRA GAL: Yeah. I mean, I'm happy with 5‑under. Like you said, I did miss a couple putts. I did make a lot of them as well, so I can't complain. There were still two, three par‑5s out there that I did not capitalize on. See, it's always give and take. I know I made I think three birdies on par‑3s, so one day you make those and one day you go in two on a par‑5. It's give and take. Is it going to below rounds out there? I do think there will be. I do think the afternoon is going to be warm and the ball is going to fly a little bit further and the greens are going to roll out a little bit quicker. Yeah, I mean, not necessarily an advantage, but I think just maybe a little bit smoother and faster. I do think there will be some low rounds. Q. Talk about the challenge of the weather. You were washed out yesterday. May have to play 36 Sunday, but there is a possibility of rain. Does that add to the mental challenge? SANDRA GAL: Yes, I think it does in a way, but I always think about it that's it's the same for everyone. So the more you can accept the way it is, the better you're going to do. I think for us, the main thing is just keeping the course in playable conditions so we'll get those 36 holes in. MODERATOR: Any more questions? All right. Thank you very much. Great playing, and best of luck the rest of the week. SANDRA GAL: Thank you very much. FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports |
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