Q. 7-under 63. What a day. What was working so well for you out there?
MEL REID: I don't know. I feel like I'm swinging it like an octopus coming out of a tree. I've struggled honestly the last six months. Obviously parted ways with Jorge, so I'm just feeling it out. I'm trying a few guys. I think I've found someone.
Yeah, it's just new feels. Yeah, like I said, I've just gotten really bad habits and I'm trying to not get in them habits. Yeah, obviously to shoot 7-under was nice. Played great. Missed one green.
Yeah, just grinding my ass off at the minute, so it was nice to get a bit of a reward for it.
Q. Take us through some of the highlights out there.
MEL REID: I mean, 8 is playing really hard today. That green is not designed to be hitting 6-iron in, and I would say I'm one of the longer hitters, so we hit a beautiful little draw 6-iron in there; wind kind of moved it a little bit left and almost holed it; had like two, three inches.
So them ones are always nice. Obviously got off to a good start. Hit a great shot of the 10th hole, my second shot. Yeah, I mean, I just played solid. Like I said, missed one green, which was which a wedge which was silly. Yeah, just very, very solid. Just solid golf.
Q. Late draw yesterday; a little bit earlier draw today. Obviously the wind picked up. A little bit more mild conditions. Did you feel like that made it a lot more scorable out there?
MEL REID: Yeah, when I'm trying to work on something and the wind is blowing 20 off my left side, it's not the easiest thing to do to kind of trust it. Yeah, just trying my hardest. It's golf. Whether I played well this week or not, you know, I kind of wanted the off-season -- I do feel a lot better about the off-season now.
I feel like this is definitely light at the end of the tunnel. So, yeah, like I said, 7-under was just kind of a bonus. Yeah, I'm happy, obviously happy with that.
I wanted to get 62 so I could give Leona some shit. Yeah, I can't do that now. I literally missed my putt on the last, so I'm annoyed now.
Q. Saw you two catching up earlier this week. What were you all chatting about?
MEL REID: Just gossiping about everyone. We're obviously perfect, so, yeah.
Yeah, no, she's, yeah -- you know, I love her to bits. She's a good girl. Yeah, Solheim is a game changer and she's really come out of her shell. I mean, she's obviously a great player and I just think she's -- I like to say, and she'll probably tell me off for this -- but I she's think a little bit more comfortable in her skin like on tour now.
That's what Solheim Cup does to people. Yeah, just really proud of her.
Q. You of all people would know that, right?
MEL REID: Me?
Q. Yeah.
MEL REID: You think I like Solheim, do you? Just a little bit.
Q. Just a guess. What did this Solheim win do to you?
MEL REID: I think it just confirmed that I've got a bit of a different role now. I've got definitely a bit more of a leader role in the team room, something that I was quite proud of that I felt like I did quite well.
You know, we had to. We had to become a unit otherwise we had no chance against America. Yeah, that's kind of was my new role. So I took Leona under my wing a little bit, whether she liked it or not. I think she didn't liked it, but she did at the end.
Yeah, I just felt that was a different Solheim for me.
Q. When did you go back to England?
MEL REID: We're going back on the 13th. We've got four weddings in December.
Q. Holy moly?
MEL REID: Dude, I'm at that age now everyone is getting hitched up. We've got four weddings I think, so we're going back the 13th for two weeks and then we've got another wedding in Phoenix.
Q. When is yours?
MEL REID: April 15th. Yeah, she's still got time to figure out what she's doing yet.
Q. Are you helping with the planning at all?
MEL REID: No. I did food tasting. That was about it. And I made sure there was (indiscernible) there. That as about it.
Q. Way to take one for the team.
MEL REID: Oh, she loves. I'm like, You go girl. She's just telling me when to show up and what to wear I think and where to show up, and I'm just going to show up.
Q. Looking at the course of the year, crazy busy year. A lot of people are feeling it a little bit. How are you feeling with these last couple weeks?
MEL REID: Yeah, I mean, I enjoyed four weeks off, honestly. I needed it. Since COVID has kind of we came back we hardly had any off-season. I know speaking to a few of the girls, especially the ones that played Solheim, were really, really tired at Founders.
Like I spoken to Sophia about it, and, you know, Carlota was saying how tired she was as well. Yeah, I mean, it's just -- I think because we been traveling back and forth everywhere -- we're obviously grateful we're playing; don't get me wrong.
But the travel has been a lot for sure.
Q. I wanted to ask about the Player of the Year race.
MEL REID: Uh-huh.
Q. Do you like a points system? PGA Tour does a vote.
MEL REID: I think it should be a vote.
Q. You think it should be a vote?
MEL REID: Yeah, 100%, because, I mean, I would honestly pick Nelly. That's no disrespect to Jin Young Ko. She's a phenomenal player. But I think the pressures that Nelly has being American, you know, I would personally vote for Nelly. I think she's handled it tremendously.
You know, I personally would vote for Nelly.
Q. So the Olympics are not weighted into points system.
MEL REID: Right.
Q. Do you think that's one reason why you would like to see a vote, because her gold medal mattered?
MEL REID: Yeah, I mean, she won a gold medal. I mean, that's a pretty unbelievable feat, to be honest. Yeah, I mean, I personally would -- and that's nothing -- I think Jin Young, I've got so much respect for her. She's an unbelievable player.
You know, very lucky to have her out here. But for me, I think the pressures that Nelly is under being American, I think she's handled herself extremely well.
FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports