THE MODERATOR: Here with Leona Maguire after her first round at the KPMG Women's PGA Championship. Just take us through your round.
LEONA MAGUIRE: Yeah, started off on 10 today with a birdie, which was nice. Course is starting to dry out a little bit so drives were getting a little bit further down on a few holes. Actually had to hit 3-wood off a few holes today instead.
For the most part, gave myself quite a few chances. Felt like I left a few out there. Overall a really solid round of golf.
Q. Just as a KPMG ambassador, a lot of great news that came out about this event. Speak on that and some of the announcements and how excited you are to be a part of all that.
LEONA MAGUIRE: Yeah, they're really setting the standard, pushing the boat out every year. It seems pretty incredible. Every year there is always something new, bigger, better.
I mean, obviously with the purse increase going up, to have ShotLink this week and the Insights and stats straight after a round as well, that's huge. It's nice to have something that the guys have every week even if it's only for a week.
Yeah, to come to a venue like this as well, to be in such great shape and the greens are so pure and all of that. Yeah, we're incredibly lucky to have KPMG as a big partner of the LPGA. I'm very grateful to have them as part of my team also.
Q. Do you plan to use the real time stats this week to go out and work on something now?
LEONA MAGUIRE: I think my coach will. If I hear from him, great. If I don't, I'll figure everything is okay. Yeah, I think that's something my team will monitor in the background rather than me pouring over them every night and dissecting what I did or didn't do.
Q. What do you feel you did best today?
LEONA MAGUIRE: I think I stayed very patient. I've been struggling with my driver off the tee quite a bit recently. Drove it a bit better today, which was nice, and got myself out of trouble today quite well when I did get off line behind a couple trees.
So just accepting that's going to be part of this week around here. You're going to have to shape a few around a few trees.
Gave myself a lot of chances. Would've been nice to hole a few more putts, but still got plenty golf to play.
Q. I know it's not been the stretch you maybe wanted to be playing at this point in the year, but how have you managed to stay patient and give yourself some grace and know the good results are coming?
LEONA MAGUIRE: Yeah, that's a big thing. I probably have been very harsh on myself I would say lately. Probably too harsh. I've had people around me, family, people on my team going, you need to be kinder to yourself.
I think that was the message this week. Not put too much pressure and expectations and just sort of embrace the challenge that here is going to bring like any other major.
I suppose it's very tempting to try and be too perfect at a major knowing the consequences are higher if I miss a shot.
Yeah, to be kinder to myself this week was a big goal.
Q. For you, a test like this, do you think you like it more when it's a little bit harder? Lets you give yourself some more grace maybe when the shots don't always work out.
LEONA MAGUIRE: I think this is a phenomenal golf course. I was texting a little bit with Coach Brooks at Duke last night. He grew up out here in the Pacific Northwest, he is from Oregon, so he kind of said that. He was like, you like strategy; go and use it at Sahalee.
Yeah, it's one of those things I think practice rounds and tournament rounds are going to change quite a bit, so you're going to have to use your instincts and get creative at times, which is something I enjoy.
Q. What did you find with your driver?
LEONA MAGUIRE: Just hitting it straight. (Smiling.)
No, I mean, yeah, I was missing a lot high and right last week trying to get through it just a bit better. It actually I think this course sort suits a fade a little bit more, which is quite nice, which is what I like to see.
A lot of the time the narrow chutes and the overhangs are mostly on the right, so it's nice to be able to start it on the left side and watch it come back.
Q. Does this course remind you of any other course you've played?
LEONA MAGUIRE: It's a little bit similar I guess to Eugene Country Club where we played nationals my sophomore year, and Portland as well. It's similar a little bit to Stillwater I guess. Makes Stillwater seems -- Columbia Edgewater, sorry -- seem a little bit wide. Yeah, it's very stunning obviously with the big trees and all of that.
I'm sure it looks incredible on TV. It really makes you commit to your targets.
Q. When you see Nelly on top of the board again, what's impressed you the most about her this season and what she's doing?
LEONA MAGUIRE: I mean, what's not impressive? The consistency of it, just being there week in, week out. Played with her last week at Meijer. Yeah, she just -- her ball striking is something she -- she hits it very straight and always gives herself a chance. She sort of hangs in.
Even last week when it wasn't going her way she sort of hung in and hung in and gave herself the best chance to make the cut right to the end.
Yeah, you don't win that many times in one season without playing some incredible golf. That's the thing. Some weeks it's your week and some week it's not. Yeah, impressive what she's doing.
