Q. Well happy birthday.
ANNE VAN DAM: Thank you.
Q. If you had to finish this sentence, golf on your birthday is...
ANNE VAN DAM: That's a good one. Okay.
Q. Okay?
ANNE VAN DAM: Okay.
Q. Less frustrating?
ANNE VAN DAM: I would say it is not something I would pick to do on my birthday if I was home, but, yeah, it's fun. Like I had a lot of fun with Kelly and Jenny, and, yeah, we had a very nice, relaxed day.
That made my birthday very nice. It was pretty cold in the morning so made it a little less nice; now it's good weather, so probably going to go out.
Q. Do you remember a time -- do you remember the last time you didn't play golf in maybe like a tournament setting on your birthday?
ANNE VAN DAM: Good question. I would say definitely the last four or five years.
Q. Have all been on --
ANNE VAN DAM: Yeah, at a tournament. But, yeah, I've been all around the world: France, China, Texas last year, I think Spain the year before that, and U.S. here.
Q. So not too bad when you can spend your birthday all around the globe.
ANNE VAN DAM: Different country every year, yeah.
Q. Any special birthday memories? Ever got a hole-in-one or won a tournament on your birthday when you were younger?
ANNE VAN DAM: Not really.
Q. No? But you do share a birthday with a really good friend.
ANNE VAN DAM: Yeah.
Q. Take me through that, how crazy it is.
ANNE VAN DAM: Yeah, it's fun. We've known each other since 13, 14 years old and we've always been really good friends. I think this year is the first year when we are together on our birthday so we can actually celebrate it together.
Yeah, before we would always call each other first thing in the morning and just go, What day is today? It's fun we're sharing together this week. Probably going to grab some dinner and have a fun night.
Q. Yeah, nice. I would say a couple drinks are in order. You guys obviously have to play the weekend.
ANNE VAN DAM: Of course, of course.
Q. You're right in contention.
ANNE VAN DAM: Of course definitely a few drinks. It's always good to celebrate.
Q. Take me through the round today.
ANNE VAN DAM: Yeah, I mean, it was pretty solid. Kind of cold, which -- and different wind direction, so it made the course play a little bit different. Bit longer, too. Longer putts into the green.
I mean, yeah, I had two bad tee shots on my first hole, No. 10 and No. 8, and the rest I played really solid. A lot of balls in the fairway, good chances. Hit a lot of good putts.
Yeah, it was pretty steady day. Could have been a few lower, but definitely not complaining.
Q. Is this your first time here?
ANNE VAN DAM: Second time.
Q. I talked to Stacy Lewis earlier, and she said the way this course is playing at this time of year compared to when you play a few months ahead of time, it suits players up to players like you who can hit the ball farther than most. Have you noticed that at all?
ANNE VAN DAM: It's definitely playing a lot longer. I remember last year it was playing so firm that I had a lot of like 5-woods, 4-irons from the tee, where now today I hit a lot of drivers.
So especially the par-5s. If you can come in with like a 4-iron or 5-wood, easier than 3-wood just short of the green. Yeah, it definitely suits me. I think two long par-3s, so I think it definitely suits me. It's a nice course, I like it.
Q. Last one. You had a nice birdie to finish up on the par-5. Some good momentum for the weekend.
ANNE VAN DAM: Yeah, definitely what I said. I had a shitty tee shot on No. 8 and it's a very easy hole and kind of a stupid hole to make a bogey.
Yeah, it was nice to bounce back after that bogey and, yeah, finish the day positive.
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