THE MODERATOR: All right, here with Lauren Hartlage after her bogey-free third round at the KPMG Women's PGA Championship.
Just what were you seeing from the course today and what were you really able to take advantage of to go bogey-free?
LAUREN HARTLAGE: Yeah, my first hole I didn't hit the fairway. Had to get up and down from about 85 yards for par.
Got off to a shaky start there.
After that I stayed really patient. You're going to miss fairways and greens out here. It's really tight off the tee. Fortunately I was hitting it pretty well so gave myself a lot of good chances coming in.
Q. What have you been really working on that's seen your game move to this point? Been trending since ShopRite.
LAUREN HARTLAGE: Yeah, definitely the last few weeks I've been playing better. I didn't get into Mizuho or the U.S. Open so I had some time off before ShopRite to kind of work on my swing, my men top game, get ready for the stretch of tournaments and it's been really paying off.
Q. I know you and Grant Waite have been grinding. Is there anything you're comfortable sharing that you've really been working on to get to click at this point of the year?
LAUREN HARTLAGE: Yeah, it's nothing new. Been working on a couple things throughout the beginning the year. Working on those same things and getting more comfortable and being able to play with those feels has been really helpful.
Q. How do you maintain your comfort level when you're in this kind of moment?
LAUREN HARTLAGE: Yeah, I don't think you're ever going to be completely comfortable out there. It's just managing your feelings and letting yourself stay in the moment and just know that -- I mean, I know I'm not going to be comfortable on the first tee tomorrow. Just accepting that and letting it play more freely out there.
Q. At the same time, as you look toward tomorrow, not to get too far ahead, what sort of opportunity is it for you?
LAUREN HARTLAGE: Yeah, I'm super excited. Never been in this position before and this is something that I dreamed about growing up as a kid, so it's really awesome to be in this position and just kind of see how it goes and learn from every day, every round.
Q. And you were saying on your weeks off at home you were working some on your mental game. How do you do that? What types of things are you doing?
LAUREN HARTLAGE: Yeah, been working with my mental coach. A problem I had had at the beginning of the year is I like to look at the future, and if I miss a cut or two I'm already, oh, I'm going to miss the next three cuts.
It's just hard to not to give yourself maybe some negative thoughts your day or round if you hit some bad shots.
So just staying more in the moment. Just recognizing that one bad shot or tournament doesn't mean the rest of your season is going to be bad.
Q. When you first arrived here did you feel like this was a good golf course for you?
LAUREN HARTLAGE: Yeah, I love tree-lined golf courses and rough. Obviously what I'm used to at home. Obviously the trees are a lot bigger than in Kentucky, but I do like this style of golf course. I was really excited to see how think game shaped up around here.
Q. A lot of players talk about the moment they felt like they belonged out here. When did you first feel that?
LAUREN HARTLAGE: Yeah, that's another thing I kind of struggled with. I have been back to Q-School the last few years, so haven't been playing my best, and it's easy to think that you don't belong or you're not able to win a tournament.
But I just have people on my team helping me and leading me along the way and keeping my confidence up which has been really, really nice to have.
Q. Who is your mental coach again.
LAUREN HARTLAGE: Raymond Prior.
Q. Lauren, you finished with five birdies in seven holes yesterday. What was kind of clicking then, and how did you manage to carry that momentum over to today?
LAUREN HARTLAGE: Yeah, that was a really good comeback because I had a really rough start to the beginning of the round yesterday. It could be easy to give up or say it's not my day, but I gave myself a lot of good opportunities on the back nine and was rolling my putter really well and kept that momentum into today.
Q. Is that where maybe that work on the mental approach showed itself?
LAUREN HARTLAGE: For sure. A lot of times in the beginning of my career, on a cut day if I play well the first day I'm just trying to make the cut; not trying to work my way up the leaderboard.
That ended up making me miss more cuts. I realized how my mentality has affected my golf game, and just switching that and allowing myself to play each shot more in the moment and not projecting, oh, if I par out I make the cut, stuff like that. It's a lot easier to play more freely.
Q. How long have you worked with Grant?
LAUREN HARTLAGE: It's been about a year and a half I would say.
Q. Obviously he's won on the PGA TOUR. How does the fact that he's been in this position, walked in your shoes as a TOUR player, help you?
LAUREN HARTLAGE: It's been awesome. Yesterday before my round I wasn't hitting it great on the range and he was there. He's like, I've seen so many people hit terrible on the range and then win the tournament. Just because -- you're there to warm up. It's not like I have to hit every shot on the range perfect.
So little things like that. Knowing how it is as a player out here. He just understands what we're going through, so it's been super helpful for me. Especially this week.
Q. Play went until late last night. When you're out there make those birdies, how peaceful was it out there?
LAUREN HARTLAGE: Yeah, it was really quiet. We were finishing about 8:00 at night. There weren't very many people out there. It was peaceful and nice for sure.
Q. And you were making birdies and just keep climbing that board.
LAUREN HARTLAGE: Uh-huh. Yeah, it was nice last night. Got to eat dinner late, but I was like, I'm playing well, I don't mind playing this late.
Q. I know you're mom travels with you a lot, and having those couple weeks off to have some time at home, what does that do for you to reset and refocus?
LAUREN HARTLAGE: Yeah, it's been nice to have my parents come whenever they can, especially during the summer they're able to come to more tournaments. They love golf and they're very supportive of me. They don't add any extra pressure. They just want to see me happy and do as well as I can.
It's been great to have them in my corner just to always be there for me.
Q. Your mom being a high school golf coach help maybe?
LAUREN HARTLAGE: Yeah, she was my high school golf coach, too. She got me into it, so just great to have her out here because she understands everything that comes along with playing golf, the ups and downs.
Q. Your mom, do you remember when you first beat your mom and how good of a player is she or was she?
LAUREN HARTLAGE: Yeah, she played at Western Kentucky University, a Division I school in college, so definitely a really good player. Doesn't play as much now. I try to get her out there when I can.
I don't remember exactly when I first beat her. Maybe that's why she doesn't play as much anymore. That's what I like to think.
Q. What's her first name?
LAUREN HARTLAGE: Kim, Kim Hartlage.
Q. She's here?
LAUREN HARTLAGE: Yep, she's here.
Q. Curious, what part of your game do you feel has been best this week?
LAUREN HARTLAGE: Definitely my ball striking. You know, I feel like if you're hitting the ball well out here you can definitely score.
And just keeping the ball in play off the tee and giving myself good positions into the greens. Sometimes you can hit the fairway but there might be a tree, so giving myself good looks at the pins, I feel like I've been very good with the strategy behind that.
