Q. What a day.
MADDI CALDWELL-YOUNG: Yeah, it was a good day.
Q. 6-under, bogey-free, just take us through your round out there.
MADDI CALDWELL-YOUNG: I really was just trying to chase as many birdies as I could. I didn't have a number in mind, and then it got a little windy on the back nine so I didn't make as many, but I was just trying to keep chasing birdies.
Q. Give us a little bit of background about yourself. Where did you come from? Where did you get interested in golf? Where did you play in college?
MADDI CALDWELL-YOUNG: Yeah, well, my dad got me and my brother interested in golf, and then I went out one day to like this country little course that's like a cow pasture and I just had fun with it, and I played at Western Carolina first and then Kennesaw State, and then I actually quit the team a semester early just to focus on getting myself ready to play professional golf, and then with COVID and I had a wrist injury, I haven't played a lot in the last two years, so I feel like I'm just starting to peak now.
Q. You were Maddi Caldwell before.
MADDI CALDWELL-YOUNG: Yeah, I got married.
Q. When was that?
MADDI CALDWELL-YOUNG: Last year. Our anniversary will actually be on Sunday.
Q. Oh, wow.
MADDI CALDWELL-YOUNG: Yeah, so it would be a good present for him, right? I didn't get anything for him.
Q. Your golf this week has been great so far. What have you found out here at stage 2? How do you feel so comfortable?
MADDI CALDWELL-YOUNG: Just preparation. Just making sure that I do the right things beforehand and then continue it while I'm out here. My recipe for success. Just follow it, never change.
Q. Do you have a brother?
MADDI CALDWELL-YOUNG: I do.
Q. Zach, right?
MADDI CALDWELL-YOUNG: Yes.
Q. Also in the professional ranks?
MADDI CALDWELL-YOUNG: Yes, he's at stage 2 right now. I'm not sure how he did, but he's there.
Q. What's that like to have a brother that's kind of going through the same exact thing that you're going through?
MADDI CALDWELL-YOUNG: It's awesome. Actually I've learned so much from him. He started like three or four years before I did, and we practice together pretty much as much as we can whenever we're both in town. It's a fun little rivalry that we have, so it's good. It's been a lot of fun practicing with him.
Q. What kind of stress does it put on your parents having to pick who goes where?
MADDI CALDWELL-YOUNG: I don't think it's ever been stressful honestly. I think they enjoy getting to go wherever it leads.
Q. Dad is on the bag this week?
MADDI CALDWELL-YOUNG: No, that is -- I met him two weeks ago or something at an LPGA Monday. My dad usually caddies for me. They left to go let our dogs out.
Q. New caddie, kind of a new relationship. How has that been going so far?
MADDI CALDWELL-YOUNG: Good. We both, I think, built our relationship a little bit on God and love that that's a part of our lives, so I think it's been really nice getting to know him.
Q. On a round like today, the hammer fell and you just kept pushing.
MADDI CALDWELL-YOUNG: Yes, I did.
Q. Is that your mindset typically or are you a try-to-birdie-every-hole kind of player?
MADDI CALDWELL-YOUNG: That's a good question. I feel like as much as I try and grow and develop my game, I'm just now finding out how good I can be, and I just want to be as good as I possibly can be. As much as I play conservative, I play aggressively conservative. I just want to go out and do what I can when I can.
Q. What has your year looked like heading into stage 2? Obviously you played in stage 1 and played well enough to be here, but what else have you had going on?
MADDI CALDWELL-YOUNG: I actually had COVID right before stage 1, so I didn't really practice much. I played just well enough to get through really. Well, I mean, I tied 60-something, so it wasn't terrible.
I haven't played a lot. I've just been playing -- I don't have a lot of money to play, so I've just been playing in what I can. I play in a few LPGA Mondays and a U.S. Open qualifier, just trying to stay local, too, but this is really it.
Q. Is the husband in town?
MADDI CALDWELL-YOUNG: He is in town.
Q. How hyped is he after a day like today?
MADDI CALDWELL-YOUNG: Oh, gosh, he has to put on podcasts just so he can stay calm and like listen to things other than golf. He's actually been a lot more calm this week than stage 1, so that's good.
Q. Mindset headed into the weekend; you obviously put yourself in a heck of a position today. You'll be a little bit behind, but you're chasing. How does that feel?
MADDI CALDWELL-YOUNG: It feels good. I'm just going to keep doing what I'm doing. I'm not going to focus on where I'm at, I'm just going to focus on every shot as it comes.
FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports