Q. Patty, a Friday 67. Just overall how comfortable are you feeling after a very interesting day here at Carlton Woods?
PATTY TAVATANAKIT: Yeah, pretty good, a lot of good shots, executed well with my irons. Left a couple tee shots out there, but that's golf. It's pretty funny because you've just got to figure it out.
Q. What was the mentality like today knowing that the weather was incoming and that of course this course was going to be a little bit different than the way you played yesterday?
PATTY TAVATANAKIT: I knew it was going to be wet, but on the greens, if anything, it would be a little softer, so I could go after it a little bit more.
Especially the first couple holes, I hit some good shots, and just seeing how it reacts just walking on it, it really felt it was softer. We got adjusted pretty well and executed accordingly.
Q. That front nine for you to be able to turn in 31, for yourself did you feel like you could be more aggressive when you finally felt more comfortable out there?
PATTY TAVATANAKIT: I didn't really think about what I was shooting. I was just kind of -- like it was really in the zone and just taking it shot by shot. A lot of putts went in, so that helped.
Other than that, it was just a solid front nine, just probably two more putts dropped than average.
Q. You finished in the top 5 at Rancho Mirage, now you're in contention here. Are there any similarities between the two courses for you in your game?
PATTY TAVATANAKIT: I think it's a good thing that we're here this week. It doesn't feel like the comfort and the scarring tissue on that last course, so it just feels like it's a new major, it's a new course, so I treat it a little differently, I think.
Everything is just fresh. It feels more like we're not playing The Chevron Championship just because it's like the grass and everything is so East Coast. So it's just a little different.
Q. You talked at the DIO Implant Open about Patty 2.0. Could you explain the process to come to that realization and who Patty 2.0 is?
PATTY TAVATANAKIT: I'm sure all of us go through ups and downs in life, and you've got to just figure out what version that you want to come out of it, so you can't really be the same from two years, five years ago because you're such a different stage in your life.
I think sticking to your core values, and with the experiences you've had, just kind of blending those in together and just becoming this new version.
Q. What were some of the low moments you had to bounce back from?
PATTY TAVATANAKIT: Just like mentally on the course, off-the-course bleed-in, just stuff like that. But I've learned and I've grown so much over the past I'd say two years, which is good. I'd say I'm so much stronger than what I was a year ago, too.
Q. What are those core values you're holding on to?
PATTY TAVATANAKIT: Just being the best version of myself every single day, don't let golf dictate my self-esteem. I think that's probably one of the most challenging parts for us girls out here just because we really feel like that's our identity. Golf is one of my identities, not all.
But other than that, it was just a grind, too. Be kind more to myself, too, as well.
Q. What are your big goals now? How do you look at the big picture of your career since you're kind of coming from a valley and rising back essentially?
PATTY TAVATANAKIT: Nothing really in mind yet. I just want to keep playing solid golf, good golf, just to build up that confidence, which I have done pretty good over the season so far.
Q. Is that Pia and Lynn helping you build your confidence back?
PATTY TAVATANAKIT: Yeah. Pia and Lynn is a huge part of it, and I work with Chris Mason. He is a big part of it, too. Just the whole team right now is probably right time and right people and right place. Just really good right now.
Q. I remember you had a great text message from Pia and Lynn going into the final round of the ANA several years ago. Is there any kind of mantra or anything that you're really honing in on?
PATTY TAVATANAKIT: I can't say that I would take it the same as before because obviously we're at a different course. Basically I'm the same but different person. Just got to figure out what's in front of you. Can't really look back and say like that works, it should work again. So just got to look at what's in front of you.
Q. Is there anything that has helped your mindset coming into this tournament?
PATTY TAVATANAKIT: Probably the struggles I've been through, I feel like that made me so much stronger that I don't panic over a bad shot, and just kind of accepting and just move on and play the next shot.
FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports