CN Canadian Women's Open
Vancouver Golf Club
Coquitlam, British Columbia
August 23, 2012
First-round Notes and Interviews
Yani Tseng -6, Rolex Rankings No. 1
Na Yeon Choi -5, Rolex Rankings No. 4
Inbee Park -4, Rolex Rankings No. 11
Lydia Ko -4, (a)
Mindy Kim -3, Rolex Rankings No. 119
Moira Dunn -3, Rolex Rankings No. 358
Lorie Kane E, Rolex Rankings No. 205
Brooke Henderson +5, Canadian amateur
Rolex Rankings No. 1 Yani Tseng looked to be back to her old form on Thursday, firing a 6-under 66 to take sole possession of the first-round lead at the CN Canadian Women's Open outside Vancouver. Tseng leads by one over 2012 U.S. Women's Open champion Na Yeon Choi. It marks the first time that Tseng has led or co-led at the end of a round since she shared the third-round lead with Karin Sjodin at the Kraft Nabisco Championship back in March.
Tseng tallied eight birdies and one double bogey in her opening round at the Vancouver Golf Club. The 23-year-old is no stranger to this golf course, having won a CN Canadian Women's Tour event here back in 2007. But the biggest key for Tseng's recent resurgence, having also recorded an 11th place finish at last week's Safeway Classic, has been a return of her confidence
"It's very important for me," said Tseng, who had missed the cut in three of her previous four events before last week's strong finish. "I mean, this week if I missed a couple of shots I don't worry about it, not like before. I feel like this is the way I used to play, so if I hit the best shot, I just try to recover from there. If not, if I make bogey, I try to make birdie the next hole, so I'm not worried.
"But like the last couple of months, it seems like I'm worried too much. I don't know if I can make birdie again. But today on No. 1, my 10th hole, I make double there. But I make like five birdies on the back, so that was very good."
The country's champion…Na Yeon Choi has already captured one national championship this season, the 2012 U.S. Women's Open, and now she's trying to add a second one to the list. Choi fired a 5-under 67 on Thursday and sits one shot behind first-round leader Yani Tseng.
Choi tallied seven birdies and two bogeys in her round at the Vancouver Golf Club on a day that featured quirky weather conditions, including a mix of rain, sun and cooler temperatures.The rain, which was off and on throughout the day, was actually a benefit for the players as many had remarked about the difficulty of the greens early in the week.
"Last two, three days, I think the course is very firm, even fairway and greens," said Choi. "Greens are fast, especially downhill. But after it rained a little bit, I think the course seemed very soft and slow on the green."
Feels like home? Na Yeon Choi has never been to Vancouver before but she acknowledged that she has a special connection with the city. Choi's English tutor of the past couple years, Greg Morrison, is from the area and although he's not here with her this week, she has an additional cheering group this week.
"I'm pretty sure his parents are out there and they support me," Choi said. "So I feel really comfortable. This is my first trip in Vancouver, but I feel very comfortable because maybe I heard a lot of things here from my English tutor."
In addition to feeling comfortable with her knowledge of the city, Choi also found another little piece of "home" in the area.
"I go to a Korean restaurant every meal if I can and last night I found a great restaurant," Choi said. "It tastes like my mom cooks. So maybe even tonight I'm going to go again."
Getting comfortable… For the eighth event in a row, Inbee Park found herself sitting near the top of the leaderboard. With seven top-10 finishes in the last seven events, the South Korean has gotten comfortable leading the pack but refuses to boast in these achievements.
"I don't really think about this is my eighth week in the top-10 or seventh week in the top-10," Park said. "I try to not think about that and just play week by week. That's been working really good. I've been hitting it really good and putting it really good, so I think that helped."
In the midst of her most successful season on the LPGA Tour, Park's consistency has given her confidence that she hopes will carry throughout this week and future events.
"Starting low, you just put yourself in a really good position going into the weekend," Park said. "If you're too far behind going into the weekend, it's really tough to shoot a low number on the weekends. But you're really confident with your game and you put a low score in the first two rounds, that gives you a lot of confidence so you can do better."
Bring on the rain... With spurts of rain showers throughout the day, LPGA players were thankful for the weather changes. It was a consensus among the ladies that the conditions during Thursday's round changed the course to their benefit.
"I think this (rain) is going to help a little bit," said Moira Dunn, who is tied for fifth heading into Friday. "I think it might throw people off a little bit. It softened it a little bit, and without the sun drying it out. I think it's going to play not quite as difficult today. We'll see what happens for the rest of the week."
Mindy Kim, who is tied with Dunn, put herself in perfect position on the greens today. She found herself below the pin many times today, a place she aims to be on every hole.
"It's definitely faster if you're above the pins," Kim said. "You don't want to be long from any pin. It was just being short of the pin, I think, is key here because (the greens) were really firm today, even with the rain."
Youngster on the course… Not many 14-year-olds would feel comfortable playing alongside LPGA greats that they grew up admiring. But for Brooke Henderson, she felt like she belonged with them. She teed of this morning with fellow Canadian Alena Sharp and rookie Mo Martin, who both helped ease her nerves throughout the round.
"Alena is so nice and a great player too," Henderson said. "I'm glad I got my first LPGA event playing with her and Mo Martin. It was awesome. There are definitely things that I can learn from them. Definitely I'm going to take this experience so I can feel more comfortable in later years."
Quotable: "I'm very comfortable where I am. I've learned when I come home to play in the CN Canadian Women's Open, I want to enjoy it and entertain and embrace the fans. A little bit of rain today maybe kept a few people away, but, hopefully, tomorrow will continue to come and make some donations to that Miracle Match." – Lorie Kane on playing in her home country
Tweet of the Day: "Too much game/will to be down long. RT @StinaSternberg Did you hear? Yani Tseng shot 66 and leads the Canadian Women's Open. #comebacktime?" -- @AlanShipnuck
Of Note…Defending champion Brittany Lincicome shot an even-par 72 in Thursday's opening round…There are 15 Canadians in the field this week and the top Canadian finisher after round one was LPGA veteran Lorie Kane, who shot an even-par 72…New Zealand amateur Lydia Ko shot a 4-under 68 in Thursday's first round and was tied for fourth.
Yani Tseng, Rolex Rankings No. 1
THE MODERATOR: We'd like to welcome our current leader, Rolex Rankings No. 1 Yani Tseng into the interview room. Quite an impressive round out there for you today, 6‑under par, 66, that even included a double bogey in there. Seemed like you really just had things working for you today. Take me through the round and how great, as you said last week, shooting 5‑under felt like the greatest round ever? This one must feel good as well.
YANI TSENG: Yeah, I feel so good and so happy. Today out there with so many fans following this group, I'm so excited to have their support. They always give me a big crowd on every shot. I hit so many good shots today, but I didn't drive that well on the front nine. So I saved like three or four shots out of like 15 feet for par, so that was huge for me.
On number 1, I hit my driver all the way to the right. I should chip it out inside but it went over the tree. I'll never do that again. I know I could be a couple shots better if I don't have that double. But it could be a couple shots worse if I don't save that par on the front nine.
So I'm very happy with my round today, and very much looking forward to tomorrow and keep making birdies.
THE MODERATOR: Last week you said you felt like Yani's back. What's been the biggest difference in your performance last week and how you played out there today? Is it confidence? What is it you feel has been the biggest difference to being able to put these rounds together again?
YANI TSENG: I think that confidence is big. It's very important for me. I mean, this week if I missed a couple of shots I don't worry about it, not like before. I feel like this is the way I used to play, so if I hit the best shot, I just try to recover from there. If not, if I make bogey, I try to make birdie the next hole, so I'm not worried.
But like the last couple of months, it seems like I'm worried too much. I don't know if I can make birdie again. But today on No. 1, I make double there. But I make like five birdies on the back, so that was very good.
THE MODERATOR: Overall, how was the golf course playing today? The last few days players mentioned how tough the greens were, how hard they were getting, that little bit of rain this morning. Did you notice a big difference this afternoon how receptive the greens were?
YANI TSENG: Yeah, the greens were much softer this afternoon. They weren't as fast as they were yesterday. So I think it's pretty good. It's playing like not as hard as yesterday. So in the afternoon, I felt like I would get a little lucky. I didn't get too much rain out there. It was a beautiful weather and the people out there were so nice, so I was really enjoying this afternoon.
Q. You birdied I think five of your last six holes. How close were they? Were there any long putts or were you dialed in with your irons? Were they all very close?
YANI TSENG: I putted a couple of long putts. Like the last hole was like one foot. On number 8, it was like ten feet and number 7 ‑‑ number 6 was like 4 feet. But number 5 was like 30 feet. So that was huge.
Number 4 I had one foot, so I hit my irons good. I think on the back nine I drive much better. I kind of figured out how can I play a straighter shot because of the front nine? I only hit the second one with two fairways, so it's just not good. So I'm happy that I figured out the back nine.
Q. You are the number 1 ranked player in the world. You seem very motivated right now. You obviously want to hang on to that. That's important to you to be number 1 and stay there?
YANI TSENG: Yeah. Number 1 has always been my dream. I want to stay in this place as well as possible. I feel there is a long way to go, and so many things I can learn and I can play. Like the last couple months I was traveling, so it was a very good lesson for me to learn.
Q. That watch you just put on, is that a Rolex that you get for being number 1?
YANI TSENG: Yeah, this is a Rolex from Player of the Year. So it kind of gives me motivation that I want another Rolex watch too.
Q. I watched a number of players coming in on 18. A lot of players seemed to be coming in short. You came in almost on target. You birdied 18.
YANI TSENG: Yeah.
Q. I'm wondering if during this round, if memory starts to kick in at any time and you remember the previous four rounds you played here? Does that play any part?
YANI TSENG: I couldn't remember much. I know I was like 1‑under or 2‑under for two days. The last few holes were very tough. Today, especially today we played long. On the 18 hole I hit it perfect right on target. The last three holes are very important for this tournament that you need to be patient. You need to strike it on the fairway and do the best you can.
Q. You played the course in reverse today, right? You started on 10?
YANI TSENG: 10.
Q. But you're talking about the last few holes. You were referring to those par‑4s that finish. How tough are they going to be on the weekend down the stretch?
YANI TSENG: Like today it was a little wet out there. But I think when it gets dry, it's going to be much harder and you might need to hit a little higher shot to let the ball stop better.
But like the last three holes seemed like this course is very narrow, a very tree‑lined course. On number 15, I forget, the fairway was the worst, so that was tough out there.
But everything is kind of very straightforward. I think you need it to give you a couple more shots to go into the last four holes.
Q. Do you feel excited that there were so many Taiwan he's fans here for you today?
YANI TSENG: Oh, yeah. Absolutely. I feel very excited. Not just Taiwanese fans, all the fans out there. They give me big, big support. I was very appreciative. That way I feel I'm playing a tournament. With all the crowd there and they all follow me 18 holes, so I was very appreciative of their support.
Q. When you have a finish like that, five birdies the last six holes, is that a momentum builder and something you take into the next day, or do you say tomorrow's a new day and I have to start all over again? What do you do with that?
YANI TSENG: Yeah, I wish I didn't finish today. I wish I could keep going, keep playing. But 18 holes are finished. Tomorrow say new day. I'll try to keep the momentum going and do the best I can and make more birdies. But tomorrow is going to be a new day.
If I hit my driver better, I feel like tomorrow will be fine too.
Q. When you said that Yani is back and of course now you're starting to show it to us here in Coquitlam, do you feel you can control your game that well?
YANI TSENG: Yeah, I think so. That's why I shot 6‑under today. With the double, I'm just very happy what I've done today. I'm very patient the whole day. Even when I hit it in the tree and I still tried to save par in the tree. So I feel I can control the game very well. But hopefully the next three days I can still stay positive and don't try to think too much of the win and just try to play one shot at a time.
Na Yeon Choi, Rolex Rankings No. 4
THE MODERATOR: We'd like to welcome our current leader Na Yeon Choi into the interview room. Congratulations, a great 5 under par round, 67 today. Conditions kind of changed by the minute. Can you take me through your day out there and how you were able to shoot so well today?
NA YEON CHOI: Well, actually I talked to my parents last night. I told them, and they asked me, How is the course? I said the course is very difficult, and I don't know. I could shoot a lower score. I might shoot even par all day will be my good score.
I didn't expect much to play low scores on this course, but I had a birdie on 2, and then I had three birdies in a row on the front nine. Then I think I got some good vibes from there. I just tried to stay calm because there was a lot of rain and stuff. So I just tried to stay calm and stay focused on my game. Just tried to hit the fairways first, and then greens first, and then just make the par.
If I have a birdie chance, I just tried my best to make the putt. After the 18th hole I shot 5‑under. I think I'm really happy and I'm very satisfied.
THE MODERATOR: A lot of the players that we had in early this week were talking about how tough that front nine was playing. To be able to go 4‑under on the front, had you to be feeling good when you made the turn about how your day was going?
NA YEON CHOI: Like I told you, I got really good vibes and good feelings after I discovered four birdies after 8 holes. The weather was a little colder this morning, and the greens were back and forth. So I felt like I don't know, like I felt ‑‑ I felt the rain helped to make the greens softer, so I just tried to keep thinking positively. And I think that worked very well today.
THE MODERATOR: Did that rain help the greens? I know we were talking about how hard they were getting with the dry weather. But did they seem more receptive after the rain started?
NA YEON CHOI: I think so. Last two, three days, I think the course is very firm, even fairway and greens. Greens are fast, especially downhill. But after it rained a little bit, I think the course seemed very soft and slow on the green.
Q. What do you think makes this course especially difficult?
NA YEON CHOI: I think the front nine is very hilly. We have downhill par, uphill par, I think it's more than we look. So we have to delicately especially downhill putts. I think that's why we say greens are very difficult this week.
Q. The U.S. Open win, how special was that coming as it did at the same golf course where Se Ri had won years ago? What did that mean to you?
NA YEON CHOI: Actually, that was very amazing. Still it's like some people say congratulations on winning the U.S. Open, I mean, that was almost more than one month ago still lot of people thinking about me and congratulating me. So I'm really happy and appreciative of them.
You know, like Se Ri won 1998, and I watched that on TV when I was 10 years old. My dream was just being there and trying to play on the LPGA Tour. That was my dream. It was so amazing. I didn't expect when I was young I would win the U.S. Open. But it's like after the U.S. Open win, I just thought this is my dream come true.
Q. I understand you traveled with an English tutor last year, studied the language very hard. Why did you think that was important? How have you seen things open up for you because your English and you're a little more comfortable with the language now?
NA YEON CHOI: I thought I needed more connection with the fans, American fans. That's why I was looking for an English tutor. Actually, he's from Vancouver. I'm pretty sure his parents are out there and they support me. I don't know. I feel really comfortable.
This is my first trip in Vancouver, but I feel very comfortable because maybe I heard a lot of things here from my English tutor. Actually, two years ago I couldn't talk much with the media, with the fans. But now I can talk with them, so I feel really comfortable. I don't know. I feel more comfortable living in America. So I think that brought some good to my golf game too.
Q. What is the tutor's name?
NA YEON CHOI: Greg Morrison.
Q. And you talked about the good vibes. You get some good vibes. There is a large Asian population in the lower main land. Did you get some good vibes from the fans as well?
NA YEON CHOI: Yeah I wasn't surprised that a lot of people were out there, especially Korean crowd out there. So they support me a lot. I think I got good vibes from that, and that's why I could play well today.
Q. Michelle Wie was talking about the amazing Asian food here. Have you gotten to enjoy any of it this week?
NA YEON CHOI: Yeah, I go to a Korean restaurant every meal if I can. Last night I went to great ‑‑ I found a great restaurant. It tastes like my mom cooks. So maybe even tonight I'm going to go again.
Q. It's good luck, right? You've got to keep up the same routine.
NA YEON CHOI: [Laughs] Yeah. It's like three minutes away from the course.
Q. Really, the only trouble you had was on the back nine you had back‑to‑back bogeys there on 13, 14, 14, 15. What happened on those? How did you recover from that?
NA YEON CHOI: Golf is a long day game. I think I was losing my focus at that moment. So that's why I got two bogeys. But after two bogeys I realized I have to focus my game, and I have to go back and get back on track. So I just tried my best. When I had birdie on 17, that gave me a good feeling.
So I felt like I have a lot of confidence in my game, and hopefully today ‑‑ today isn't Sunday, but it's Thursday. So I have to play three more rounds and do my best. I'm not going to change my strategy with this golf course, so I hope to get good results on Sunday.
Q. How motivated are you to be number 1 in the world? You're very close now.
NA YEON CHOI: Yeah, one of my goals is being number 1 in the world. But I can't control the results. I can't be there if I won. I have to do what I have to do. I can't control about the results. So I just do my job and go out there, have fun, and focus on my game. If I have a good result, that will make me number 1 in the world.
Q. You're using Yani Tseng's former caddie. Is he your full‑time caddie now?
NA YEON CHOI: No, he will be working for me full‑time.
Q. You won the U.S. Open. This is a National Open as well. Not as big as the U.S. Open, but a National Open. How cool would it be to win two of those in one year?
NA YEON CHOI: I think the Canadian Open is a big tournament on the LPGA Tour, especially a lot of Canadians came to the tournament and supported us and watching us. So it's really great when we come back to Canada. I think this is a good event and special event. So if I have good results this week, it might be a special memory for me.
Q. So you've gotten good enough that you could fire your tutor?
NA YEON CHOI: [Laughs] No, actually, he has a four year old daughter in Korea. He lives in Korea right now. So after the last season he said I have to take care of my daughter's English too. So he said he couldn't travel with me this year. Still I keep in touch with him. When I go back to Korea, I still have class with him. He is still working for me, so hopefully my English will improve better.
Q. Is Hazzy a Korean golf company?
NA YEON CHOI: Yes, it's a Korean golf clothing company.
Inbee Park, Rolex Rankings No. 11
MODERATOR: I'd like to welcome Inbee Park into the interview room. Congrats on a great round today, a 4‑under round. Take us through your day and tell us what was working well for you out there?
INBEE PARK: Today was like the day nothing really went bad. I mean, I hit a lot of fairways and greens, and I was able to hole the putts that I needed. I still left a couple out there, but it's always like this. I'm really satisfied with the way I played today, and hopefully three more days like this will be good.
MODERATOR: Everyone seems to be talking about how the course has played differently today with the rain. Do you think the rain helped or hurt your game today?
INBEE PARK: Well, I don't really care about the weather because everybody has to deal with the weather and everybody is in the same situation. I try not to get that in my mind and just try to focus on my game.
The course played a little bit longer than the practice rounds, so I put longer clubs in. But at the end of the day, it ended up really nice, so it was almost going the regular distance at the end of the day.
MODERATOR: This seems to be a familiar spot for you, especially in the past seven events. You've got seven Top 10 finishes. So how important is it to start low early on and how much confidence does it give you going into tomorrow and the rest of the week?
INBEE PARK: Starting low, you just put yourself in a really good position going into the weekend. If you're too far behind going into the weekend, it's really tough to shoot a low number on the weekends. But you're really confident with your game and you put a low score in the first two rounds, that gives you a lot of confidence so you can do better.
Q. You're on a super roll right now. What do you attribute that to?
INBEE PARK: I've been hitting the ball really good. I don't really think about this is my eighth week in the Top 10 or seventh week in the Top 10. I try to not think about that and just play week by week. That's been working really good. I've been hitting it really good and putting it really good, so I think that helped.
Q. Can you talk about the greens? Some of them are a little severe. If you get on the wrong side of them, do you obviously keep that in mind, trying to stay below the hole on a lot of those greens?
INBEE PARK: Yeah, you have to put yourself in a really good position on your second shots to give yourself an uphill putt. Because some of these downhill putts, you can't really stop them.
The front nine has a lot of severe greens, and I think the back nine is really scorable. I think you really got to be careful on the front nine to put yourself in the right position and keep your score on the front nine.
Q. Just wondering, how familiar are you with Lydia Ko who was born in Korea and now lives in New Zealand. She's out there now 4‑under through nine holes. Have you had a chance to play with her at all or met her?
INBEE PARK: No, I haven't had a chance to meet her or play with her. But I've heard she's really good. She's had a really great amateur career, so...
Q. You mentioned you left a couple shots out there and who doesn't. At number 6 I think you had a short putt left out.
INBEE PARK: Yeah, on number 6 on the par‑5 I gave myself a really good opportunity, but I missed that putt. It happens. So hopefully tomorrow I'll give myself a lot more opportunity for a birdie, so I can make more birdies tomorrow.
Q. How did it feel today?
LYDIA KO: It was good. I had a really good front nine, which was the back nine. I kind of got cruising. I made my first bogey on 1, then I made pars. There was a par streak. Then I birdied 6, and I said, oh, okay. Because my goal today was 4‑under, so it was like goal achieved.
Then the next hole we were put on the clock, and I think everything went fast, and I hooked it into the hazard. But I had a good up‑and‑down and made bogey, so that was okay. Then I finished with a birdie on 9. So it was good overall. Pretty happy and goal achieved.
Q. At 4‑under in this event, that's pretty darn good on the first day. You're right up there with the stars here?
LYDIA KO: Yeah, that's good. It's always good to scramble with the pros. It was a really good day at the office for me, so hopefully that will continue in the next few days.
Q. You come in here with a lot of confidence I imagine given what's happened over the last few months?
LYDIA KO: Yeah, I've played three events before this and I've gotten a medal for each event, so that's pretty good. Hopefully I'll be able to get a medal this week as well.
I mean, I won the U.S. Amateur, and to me putting was never my confident part, and I was putting really good at the amateur. And Kay Cockerill said I was a show game queen, so I think that went really good, and my putting helped a lot today. The greens weren't that fast. But there were a few tricky points, and I think I went really well.
Q. Who said you were a short game queen?
LYDIA KO: Kay Cockerill.
Q. Who is that?
LYDIA KO: She played on the LPGA Tour, and she's won many events.
Q. So she likes your short game?
LYDIA KO: Yeah. I chipped in three times last week, and I don't get chip‑ins ‑‑ I don't get three chip‑ins in a year, so it's good to have three chip‑ins in one tournament. She said you are a short putt queen.
Q. This is your first LPGA event; is that correct?
LYDIA KO: I played the U.S. Open and the Australian Open, yeah.
Q. So are you feeling comfortable around these big stars?
LYDIA KO: I'm getting there. I mean, it's kind of nerve‑racking to play along with the pros. I've played a few professional events, but this is my third LPGA event. Everyone is here, and the world's best are here. So, yeah, it's always good. I mean, it's good that I played good along with them.
Q. I know you're South Korean born; is that correct?
LYDIA KO: Yeah.
Q. A lot of South Koreans here really made a charge today. Do you feel there is something about Vancouver, the cultural dynamics here that give you some support out there? Did you feel supported out here by a different crowd?
LYDIA KO: Yeah, I mean, wherever I go I don't feel like I lack support in any way. So it's really good to have people. Actually, apart from my mom, I actually had two New Zealand people that are over here. They always do this trip in the middle of the year, and they came and it's good to have them here. It's always good to have people back home supporting. Yeah, it was really nice.
Q. Can we see another round like this from you? It put you in pretty good stead the rest of the way.
LYDIA KO: I hope so. This year I've been kind of finishing quite bad overall. Last year I kind of charged up the leaderboard in the end the last few rounds. But this year that's kind of disappearing, so hopefully from this event, I'll go up and up and up (laughing).
Moira Dunn, Rolex Rankings No. 358
Q. 3‑under par, everybody has been talking about how difficult this golf course might play in different conditions. But how was it out there for you today and what was working well?
MOIRA DUNN: It wasn't too bad. I didn't play the first 12 really well, but I got out of there with a par and made a putt. Sometimes I think it's making those early putts just to build up your confidence a little bit. And hit one really close on 4, and made a 15‑footer on 8.
So I kind of got going early, and I hit a lot of greens. I hit some, gosh, I think I hit 17 greens today. So I had one three‑putt. That can happen. It was after the rain, the greens had slowed down a little bit and I left myself 12 feet for par, so it was just kind of silly. I think it can be. I think this is going to help a little bit. I think it might throw people off a little bit.
It softened it a little bit, and without the sun drying it out. I think it's going to play not quite as difficult today. We'll see what happens for the rest of the week.
Q. How much of an advantage did that give you when you saw yourself going low early? How much confidence did it give you going into the back nine?
MOIRA DUNN: I was really happy with that. I think especially on that front being on the right spot. Giving yourself opportunities to be aggressive. I mean, you can hit it 5‑feet and not have a great chance at a birdie because the greens are so sloped. You're almost playing two totally different courses. They're just so different.
Q. How did you feel about your game coming into this week?
MOIRA DUNN: It's really odd. I've hit the ball really well since ‑‑ all season, really, I've hit the ball really well, and I haven't really scored. I've had little spots here and there where I've putted well and I've scored.
I really didn't hit the ball well last week, but I kind of worked on things on the range, trying to figure out and trying to feel what was going on with my swing. Starting to hit it better when I got up here. This is a nice course. It reminds me where I grew up, and it just kind of fits my eye.
Mindy Kim, Rolex Rankings No. 119
Q. You seem to always make sure you are below the hole. Was it important to stay below the hole today? Was that something you reminded yourself of?
MINDY KIM: Yeah, especially on the greens. It was really firm today, even with the rain. It's definitely faster if you're above the pins. You don't want to be long from any pin. It was just being short of the pin, I think, is key here.
Q. What of the coolness and the rain?
MINDY KIM: It's not ideal, but we'll take it because it's not pouring right now. No wind is great.
Q. Three-under, seems to be a good start. Are you happy with that?
MINDY KIM: Yeah, I could have ‑‑ I guess, I had a clean round today. I had a couple of hiccups, but I made my putts, and I think that's the reason why I shot 3‑under today.
Q. Tied for second with Moira Dunn. Just under Na Yeon Choi. How does that feel heading into the second round?
MINDY KIM: It feels great. I haven't been in this position for a while now. I've been struggling all year. It's a good start. There is nothing really much I can ask. Yeah, I guess that's it.
Q. With the weather today being hot and sunny and then rainy and cool, do you feel like that affected the course and your game at all?
MINDY KIM: Not really. But I mean the greens softened up a lot because there was a shower, a couple of showers when we were playing. So that was a help for us.
Lorie Kane, Rolex Rankings No. 205
LORIE KANE: I played some pretty good golf. Couple of holes kind of got away on me. I'm thinking that we misread that one putt on the par‑3. Other than that, I think I played a reasonable round of golf. I did have some chances coming home. 17 I thought was in when I hit it.
But overall, the first round, even par. Mind I left a few out there. So things were going my way.
Q. You hit that tree?
LORIE KANE: Yeah, on 16.
Q. I think it was a Douglas Fir.
LORIE KANE: Thank you very much. Yeah, a Douglas Fir. What is the difference?
Q. A Douglas Fir is a really bumpy bark.
LORIE KANE: Thank you. Now I know. Okay.
Q. Even on a course that you're playing on a day like today, even is good?
LORIE KANE: I think the first round you always want to get out and get a good start. Not shoot yourself in the foot, so to speak. Just try to get into the tournament. I am going to sleep better being at even par than I would have been had I been bogey up. The goal is to make birdie, but it's also to limit mistakes. I made two bogeys in a row, which we've been trying not to do. I thought I had a birdie on 17, like I said, and to birdie 18, one of the tougher holes on the course.
Q. I saw you smiling a lot too day as well?
LORIE KANE: Yeah, that mission was very successful. I think that ‑‑ I don't have to think, I know. I'm very comfortable where I am. I've learned when I come home to play in the CN Canadian Women's Open, I want to enjoy it and entertain and embrace the fans.
A little bit of rain today maybe kept a few people away, but, hopefully, tomorrow will continue to come and make some donations to that Miracle Match.
Q. Does it help having the crowd behind you?
LORIE KANE: Yeah. It's an extra club in the bag, for sure. They're very supportive of all the golfers, and I think that just comes with us being Canadian. We're very appreciative. Like I said, I hope we can get more people out to watch.
Q. Words of wisdom? I kind of missed that whole thing.
LORIE KANE: Yeah, I have a little cheat sheet in my pocket that just kind of is nothing fancy. The word today was just stay in the present and to enjoy myself. That's kind of what I remind myself of.
Q. Is that what it says? Stay in the present?
LORIE KANE: It says present. That's all it says.
Q. When you say that, you don't want to be ahead?
LORIE KANE: No, I need to be right where I am and enjoy the moment.
Q. On that idea, how much do you think you'll think about it tonight?
LORIE KANE: Tonight's going to be fun. Tonight I get to go the CN Miracle Match Gala. Spend some time with Natasha, our spokesperson for the Miracle Match and the BC Children's Foundation. I have a late tee time tomorrow, so I'm going to have some fun, do some practice. Once I leave the golf course, it will be gone and I'll be excited for tomorrow.
Q. So you felt like that helped today, the whole present thing?
LORIE KANE: Oh, yeah, sure. I think in golf you can get too far ahead of yourself. It's the first round. You want to make sure that you are very present and accountable for each shot you make.
Maybe on 11 and 12 when I made two bogeys back‑to‑back, I was maybe wandering a little bit. But I bounced back, and got myself in check and finished strong.
Q. Have you played with Michelle a lot?
LORIE KANE: I played with Michelle quite a bit when she first came out on Tour. It's been a while since I've played with Michelle. She's a true talent. I think there's only good things that can happen for Michelle now that she's graduated from Stanford and getting into more of a full routine of golf on a regular basis.
We need Michelle to play well because she is integral to our game.
Q. You think you've had some good camaraderie out there? Sometimes you put your head down.
LORIE KANE: Yeah, I couldn't have asked for a better pairing. Brittany Lang and her brother, Luke are great friends of mine. Brittany had commented, she always loves coming to Canada and playing. Knowing that, that's a nice feeling.
And Michelle was an added bonus because of the people that Michelle draws to the golf course. I like watching her play. She can hit some shots.
Q. What about the ups and downs. She's having a tough season, and your career has been up‑and‑down. Today's a good day. I don't know if there's an answer, really. But wrestling yourself out of a slump?
LORIE KANE: I think we need to be fair to Michelle. Michelle came out on Tour at a very young age with a lot of expectations. The expectations we have as professional golfers is higher than anybody can place on us.
So I think once she levels things out and decides what she wants to do and how she wants to handle things, you'll see really good golf from Michelle. She's a good person. Like I said, the LPGA needs Michelle to be playing well because she moves the needle. If Tiger moves the needle on the men's side, Michelle moves it on this side.
Q. How did it feel?
BROOKE HENDERSON: It was a little rough. Struggled on the greens today, but hopefully I'll get on the putting green and be more aware of the slopes. Pretty fast on some of them.
Q. Was the speed that really confounded you?
BROOKE HENDERSON: Yeah, a little bit. My pace was off today. So I'll see if I can straighten it up for tomorrow.
Q. Keeping it below the hole is sort of the name of the game on a lot of these greens?
BROOKE HENDERSON: For sure, especially on the front nine. You have four or five that you have to stay below the hole to give yourself a chance. I did that pretty well. I was seeing the ball pretty well, but the putting just wasn't there.
Q. On 9 you hit a pretty good shot. You were above the hole there too, weren't you?
BROOKE HENDERSON: Exactly. I ended up three‑putting from 15 feet, so that's not very good.
Q. Did you feel like you had a lot of support out there?
BROOKE HENDERSON: Yeah, for sure. I had two members from my club that flew up to watch this week. My aunt and uncle and my mom and dad, so lot of family support and a lot of support from the fans, for sure.
It was an amazing experience overall.
Q. So what is the mindset for tomorrow's second round now?
BROOKE HENDERSON: I don't know. I just want to see if I can play better. I hit the ball well, just want to make a few more putts.
Q. Were you nervous?
BROOKE HENDERSON: Was I or am I?
Q. Are you nervous; were you nervous?
BROOKE HENDERSON: Yeah, a little bit. I was just really excited and really looking forward to today. On the first tee I was a little bit, but then I was calming down a little bit.
Q. Are you surprised by all the attention you've been getting or did you know it was coming?
BROOKE HENDERSON: Yeah, a couple people back home mentioned it to me. It's all right.
Q. How was it playing with Alena?
BROOKE HENDERSON: Oh, it was so much fun. She's so nice and a great player too. I'm glad I got my first LPGA event playing with her and Mo Martin. It was awesome.
Q. You were talking to A.J. a bit out there too. Did that help to calm you down at all?
BROOKE HENDERSON: Yeah, for sure. She is a great player and still is. She was on the bag today, but she's amazing. I want to be able to learn from her and take tips from her for sure.
Q. There were some shots and putts that you didn't like. Were there any shots that you did like that you remember?
BROOKE HENDERSON: Yeah, for sure. On the par‑5, I was hitting the ball pretty well. On the front nine I got pretty close. Missed both, actually, but I missed the one that was pretty short, but that's okay.
Q. Do you feel like you belong?
BROOKE HENDERSON: Yeah, there are definitely things that I can learn from them. Definitely I'm going to take this experience so I can feel more comfortable in later years.
Q. You seem to be intense out there. I only saw you crack a few smiles. I wonder is that intensity from your parents or is that something you've always had?
BROOKE HENDERSON: I don't know. I think it was just today. I'm usually not that intense.
Q. Because you wanted to do so well on a big stage like this?
BROOKE HENDERSON: Yeah, I just wanted to play well. A few putts got away from me. But, no, it was a lot of fun. I'm just looking forward to tomorrow.
Q. You finished early, what is the plan for the rest of the day, practice?
BROOKE HENDERSON: Yeah, practice a little bit, and maybe rest a little while.
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