THE MODERATOR: We were just chatting out there and saying the wind has really got up. Can you talk about your round, which is also up-and-down throughout the day, with some great highlights.
AMY OLSON: Yeah, well, I think the biggest thing, I started out rough. I had a double-bogey on the second hole, and just trying to battle back from that. But there were really tough pins that you couldn't be super aggressive with, so I was just really patient all day and I'm really proud of myself for not trying to make something happen and I held my ground pretty well.
THE MODERATOR: Can you talk about the double-bogey on the second and how you steadied yourself afterwards?
AMY OLSON: Yeah, my swing right now, my struggle has been with my irons missing left sometimes when I'm trying to take a little bit off of it, and I was right in-between clubs on that hole. And holed it, and ended up in just a really tough spot, and ended up making double-bogey. Really frustrating from the middle of the fairway where you're looking at birdie or par at the worst.
So that's always -- that's just a tough blow, especially early in the round, but made a birdie right after that, so it was nice to bounce back.
THE MODERATOR: And you bounced straight back with two birdies on the next three holes. Then the back nine, I know the wind was getting up and yet you held on brilliantly well. Can you talk about that how you kept yourself steady?
AMY OLSON: Yeah, it's a really tough stretch. Like holes 2,3,4 -- I mean, 5 was a brutal pin -- sorry. I'm going off of last years holes. So 11, 12, 13, 14 was a brutal pin, but 11, 12, 13 and 15 are super long, and so just making pars on those holes, I had a great sand save on 12.
Made a great birdie on 13 and 14, I honestly hit the perfect shot and I have no idea how you get close to that pin. Ended up bogeying it.
And then 16, I had a tough -- I didn't quite hit it where I wanted off the tee. Had a lie that I wasn't 100 percent sure of, and we're sitting there looking at it and I'm like, you know, I don't think there's a huge penalty for being aggressive here, so let's go for it and try to go for the green and it came out perfect, ended up on the green and 2-putted for birdie. It was nice to be rewarded there.
Q. Are you liking the new setup of the closing holes?
AMY OLSON: Yeah, I think it's interesting, it will be interesting coming down Sunday because you just have a tough stretch there that you have to be really patient during, and then you have a few chances after that to really ab aggressive and make birdie. I think it sets up well for an exciting finish.
Q. You mentioned patience twice. Can you talk about the mind-set that you have to bring into this knowing the conditions can change so dramatically and so quickly, and how you have to just sort of battle through all of that through 72 holes?
AMY OLSON: Not to mention good and bad bounces. Yeah, links golf really tests your patience. There's times that you can be really aggressive and there's sometimes where you're standing in the middle of the fairway and just because you don't have quite the right angle, par is a great score.
So knowing when to be aggressive and when to kind of take your medicine is really important. I think me personally, I've been trying to balance over the last couple years aggressive play versus conservative play, and this is just one of those golf courses that does reward conservative play, and I think knowing when to change your mind-set is really important out here because there's some weeks you've got to go really low and other weeks you just have to be -- I'm going to say it again, you've got to be patient.
THE MODERATOR: You're well-placed on the leaderboard. Walking in you were surprised to see the scores and that you're so well-placed. How do you feel going into the weekend.
AMY OLSON: Yeah, it's so odd being out there and having no leaderboards, and I didn't check the scores all day, so I didn't know where I was at. There weren't a ton of times where I was like man, do I have to make a decision. A lot of times that doesn't happen till Sunday.
So very pleased that I am where I am right now. And it's always -- I mean, any time you're in the top five heading into the weekend, you're in position to make a charge. Tomorrow is moving day and looking forward to that.
Q. Is it weirdly liberating not having leaderboards, or would you rather have them up, or will you think you won't look at leaderboards if you're not doing it right now?
AMY OLSON: It's interesting, not having leaderboards and also not having cheers on the golf course, you can't really hear where the momentum or excitement it's just eerily silent, but I think in some ways that is kind of nice, especially the first couple days have been great with it.
Q. In some ways, someone was saying the other day that actually it feels more intense that there's no spectators; you're not sharing what's going on with anyone else, so it becomes very intense what's going on. Are you finding that, with no spectators?
AMY OLSON: I find that you can just stay in your own game in your own world really easily, and I love that.
Q. So no distractions, it's intense, but it's actually quite peaceful?
AMY OLSON: It is in a way. It becomes I guess like inside the ropes is a bit of a sanctuary.
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