Q. Eight birdies today. What went into that effort?
MARIA FASSI: I mean, hitting fairways. I think my iron play has been very good all week. It's just really can't be in the rough out here. It's pretty thick. I mean, you're almost giving a shot away any time you're in there unless you get a lucky lie.
So definitely way better than yesterday off the tee, and just stayed very calm and patient out there. I knew I had a lot of golf to play today, and just happy to see that I was able to put in a good round today.
Q. You birdied 2, 3, 4. I walked the front nine today. Those were not easy pin locations. How did you do on those three specifically?
MARIA FASSI: Yeah, on 2 I had maybe like 15 feet just short of it so it was probably as easy of a putt as you can get on that one. Just a little right to left.
And on 2 I hit it a good shot. That's a tough pin position. I was a little bit past it on the left side.
Q. On 3?
MARIA FASSI: On 3, yes. Sorry. I had like another 12-footer, 15-footer maybe, and that one was pretty quick and breaking a lot, so that was a good putt.
And on 4, the pin, there is like three ridges in between the pin and where I was, and we just read it good and hit a good putt to where I was looking0 and found the hole.
Q. Nice.
MARIA FASSI: Don't know a better way to explain that one.
Q. Yeah, that pin was, especially if you weren't in that little valley on the back side of it --
MARIA FASSI: Yeah.
Q. -- just taking it for a ride.
MARIA FASSI: Uh-huh.
Q. How special of a day was it to throw this number up after maybe just the last two weeks, just kind of looking at what you've done to work on your game?
MARIA FASSI: I been saying it for a while but I think my game is trending in a very good direction. I think the opportunity that I had to play with Stacy last week was huge, and I think I learned and grew so much, even from those five, six days that we were together.
Honestly, I'm just trying to have fun, to enjoy playing golf again, and not give a damn about the score or what each shot means rather than just enjoy the opportunity to do what I love every day.
To do it in a place like this, I can think of a lot of people that would rather be here today. So I think I've just been a lot more patient as of late and trusting that my work and what I been doing sooner rather than later is all going to pay off.
Q. You beat me to it. Is it easier to enjoy it at a place like this?
MARIA FASSI: I mean, definitely. Any time that you hit a bad shot or you think about getting mad you just look left or right and either you see beautiful mountains or the lake. I mean, the golf course is pretty itself with different sceneries.
So, I mean, I think it does help, but at the end of the day, like I said before, I'm doing what I love for a living and not many people get to say that.
So I think just the fact that I get to play golf every day should be a blessing in itself.
Q. Two more for you. 14, par-3 Aon Risk Reward hole this week. It's the only par-3 as the Aon Risk Reward Challenge on the LPGA or the PGA this year. What was your game plan for a birdie today?
MARIA FASSI: I mean, just hitting a good shot. I think it's not an easy hole. The green's pretty funky. It's covered by bunkers on the right, and left is no better than that.
So I had a good number and I just trusted my line. Hit a good shot and actually hit it to like 10 feet and stayed below the hole. It was easy putt right up the hill to be able to convert that one for birdie.
So pretty excited about that shot.
Q. Then were you able to watch Gaby?
MARIA FASSI: I watched a little bit, yes. I did. I mean, I followed along on her Instagram and the Mexican Olympic Committee and the Olympics itself. It's been pretty cool to see.
I mean, it gives me chills even now telling you about it, that's it's actually here now and that she represented us the way she did and that I'm going to be able to join her and all the others in a few days.
Probably live the experience of a lifetime.
FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports