Q. Here with Leona Maguire. 10-under. Just take us through the back.
LEONA MAGUIRE: Yeah, I mean, I've been hitting it nice all day, giving myself lots of chances.
The goal today was to take advantage of the par-5s, so did that a little bit better today. Hit a bad shot on 10. That was a costly bogey. Kind of stuffed my momentum for the front.
Yeah, right back into it, and it was nice to go on that run 12, 13, 14, 15. Yeah, obviously a bonus to finish with an eagle at the end.
Q. Yeah. We've asked the others, the par-5s, we've seen a ton of great scoring opportunities. What is it about those holes that just allow for birdies and eagles?
LEONA MAGUIRE: Yeah, I think they're good holes because you have to hit the fairway. If you get out of position then they're not a birdie hole anymore.
But you hit the fairway, then they're a really good chance of birdie or eagle. So for someone that can reach the par-5 this week, which I wouldn't normally do. I can't reach 10 and I can't reach 4. Other than that, I can reach the rest.
So there is plenty of opportunities out there as long as you keep it in the fairway off the tee.
Q. When you finish a round like that, how much momentum do you take from that into the upcoming weekend?
LEONA MAGUIRE: Yeah, 100%. Everybody is going low. You feel like you have to go low, you have to be making birdies to even just stay in position, let alone move up.
Yeah, just more of the same over the weekend.
Q. Where were you in two on 18?
LEONA MAGUIRE: Just pin high just on the fringe on the right side, so maybe like, I don't know, less than 15 feet up the hill for eagle, which was nice.
Q. Nice bonus there.
LEONA MAGUIRE: Yeah, absolutely. Hitting fairway on 18 is key. The way the wind is blowing out of the left is quite hard. I can't carry that bunker, so it's hard for me to hit the fairway. I hit 3-wood off the tee. Hit 3-wood, 3-wood.
Q. And then can you take us through the run as you say on 12, how much that really got you going. What were some of the shots you hit in that stretch?
LEONA MAGUIRE: Yeah, I was really dialed in on those holes. Hit it to about six feet on 12.
Four feet on 13, which was nice.
And then 14 I was on in two, so just two-putted there.
And then 15 I hit it in to about ten feet.
So, yeah, I mean, it was solid. Gave myself really good chance at 16, just missed that.
And then made really, really good par save on 17.
So that kind of gave me a little bit extra momentum. The disappointment on 16 kind of canceled out the really good par on 17, which was...
Q. When you left here last year, what was the mix between playing great on a Sunday to give yourself a chance and just not leaving with the trophy? What was that balance?
LEONA MAGUIRE: Yeah, I think I was just too far back on Sunday last year. Obviously had a really good Sunday, but was too far back. I kind of did the opposite of what did I the year before. I had a really good Thursday, Friday in '21 and then '22 I had a really good Sunday.
So trying to be a bit more consistent this year hopefully and just put two more good rounds together over the weekend.
Q. You said you had the bogey in the middle that kind of stopped your momentum. You were able to pick it right back up. Mentally just how were you able to not let that, you know, affect you and get right back into it?
LEONA MAGUIRE: Yeah, I felt like I was playing well. I just -- my second shot clipped the tree and went sideways into the hay, so just kind of have to deal with it.
You know there are a lot of chances so you have to stay patient and be in the mindset that there will be plenty of chances; you just to have to be ready when they come.
So I putted quite nicely, a bit better than I did yesterday, which always helps on these greens.
Q. What is it about this course that suits you so well and how much do you look forward to coming here every year?
LEONA MAGUIRE: I think we were talking about it earlier. This is some of the best crowds I think we get all year, definitely of a nonmajor. I think it's nice to see so many kids out there as well and people cheering you on.
In the States there is plenty of USA chants today, but there was also a few Leona ones in there, which was nice.
I think you kind of feed ofd the energy of the crowd, so nice to give them something to cheer about on 18.
Q. Coming in here after a couple strong finishes, is there something in your game where you've seen an uptick in the last couple weeks?
LEONA MAGUIRE: Yeah, I think it's just steadily been getting better and better. Saw my coach last week down in Orlando. Came over for a few days, so we were just kind of fine tuning.
There is no major changes needed. I drove the ball really, really well yesterday; not quite as well today.
Yeah, you just need to be doing everything solid around here, which is nice prep going into a major next week.
Fastscripts by ASAP Sports...
FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports