Q. All right, here with Madelene Sagstrom after her first round here to the JM Eagle LA Championship presented by Plastpro.
We have to start, the first ace of the year on the LPGA Tour. Just take us through that hole.
MADELENE SAGSTROM: It was my first ace in a tournament ever. I was like I never actually get to write one on the scorecard. I said, you know, probably never happen, whatever.
120 yards. It got really cold our last three holes so I was -- I have the shot that I play. We call it a 2-2-2, and it's like a little lower wind shot.
I'm like, you know, I don't think I can reach with my pitching wedge right now. Let's hit a little 2-2-2-9. It was perfect. I hit it really well. It would've been good anyway, but I was like, nope, it went in, and I was like, oh, did that just happen?
Q. Yeah. Outside of that, what have you made of El Cab? Had a phenomenal round, bogey-free. What have you made of the course?
MADELENE SAGSTROM: Great golf course. I got here Monday night, played nine Tuesday, walked and played the pro-am yesterday.
It really demands the shots. I wasn't crazy accurate off the tee today, but I hit some really good iron shots. You have to be specific where you're trying to land the ball. It's a great golf course. I am still rolling my putter really well from the momentum from the last few weeks, so that helped me a lot.
But if you're not in the right spots here you can do some damage.
Q. What has come together for you in these recent weeks? What have you been able to keep going here today?
MADELENE SAGSTROM: Today, like I said, I wasn't as probably comfortable with my driver as I have been over the last few weeks, but I was hitting my iron shots really nice, and I just knew that if I can get anywhere normally on the green, I normally have a pretty good chance.
Then I got the driver going on the back nine. I kind of just -- like we talked about, like kind of just having bit more of that Match Play mentality, trying to let go of the past, not linger on a bad shot. Okay, that was a bad shot; doesn't mean the next one is going to be bad. Just trying to be very much in the present.
And playing with somebody like Nelly. She strikes it so nicely. And Hannah, too. Like I was like, this is so nice. And they're fast players. I was like, I kept walking when they were standing over the ball, and I was like, this is so much fun. We were having such good momentum in the group. They hit some really lovely shots and so did I.
It was just a nice day, and watching them inspires me to hit it even closer, like even a little better contact. Just a little bit more.
Q. Besides the hole-in-one, a bogey-free day for you. Can you take us through some of the other birdies and highlights you had today?
MADELENE SAGSTROM: Probably a good highlight was I hit a bad tee shot on -- well, 12. I think it's 12. I chipped out and then I made up and down -- hit a wedge up there and made up and down from the fairway.
I think that kind of helped my momentum. When you have to chip up and just trusting your wedge game is something that I probably haven't done too much in my career until the last few years.
So having that, knowing you can still make par from anywhere, that helps me a lot. I made a really good up and down from the bunker on 16 for birdie. Had some really nice pace on it.
Then I kind of just turned it around. Played 1 as I was thinking I'm laying it up short of the bunker because I can't reach in two and made a really nice birdie there.
I think just trying to keep momentum and not be too aggressive and too defensive; just play according to my game plan and not like I said linger on the past.
I think that the key for me. Like it's so easy to get frustrated out there anyway. I just, hey, let it go. Let it go. New shot, new opportunity, and just being so much in the present.
Q. How did you celebrate the ace? Did you do a back-flip or anything?
MADELENE SAGSTROM: I wish I was that athletic but I'm not. Well, I think I threw my hands up in the air and I was very excited. No, I don't know. It's weird because I actually got to see it. That's the best part. You get to see it go in.
Q. Just to have Nelly and Hannah be playing in that group then what was it like to have them cheering you on?
MADELENE SAGSTROM: Well, it was obviously very nice. Everyone has been so nice since I got here saying a lot of congratulations, and I've been very grateful. It's like -- I've been out here for a long time, and it's really nice for people to acknowledge and they have been very nice.
I mean, playing with such good players as them it's really nice. I saw the pairing and I was like, yes, let's go. It creates momentum. Good players and good play encourages everyone else to play good, too.
It's not very often you see a whole group play well, so it was a lot of fun.
Q. So it was cold to start the round today and then I heard you coming off 7 green saying to Nelly it felt like it got even colder. How did the cold weather affect you today and did you make any adjustments due to that cold weather change?
MADELENE SAGSTROM: No, I mean, going in here we knew probably today and tomorrow going to be our cooler days, and over the weekend looks like it's going to get a little nicer.
I was saying that I got some new clothes for the week and I was like, this is nice. I feel really good. I feel like any golf swing is kind of short and is tight anyway. I don't get very long, so wearing layers suits me really well.
It's just one of those things. You have to adjust a little bit. Last thing I played was in Florida where it was hot and in Vegas where the ball flies far, so it's like, the ball does not go as far; remember that. You can hit it. You don't have to be conservative and defensive.
It's more that and really commit to the lines and just commit that it's going to feel a little bit different. But it definitely switched when we were waiting for the last three holes. I was like, what just happened. I hope some of the girls brought some layers for the afternoon. I'm going to bring some for tomorrow.
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