Q. All right, here with Ingrid Lindblad, one of our co-leaders heading into the final round. Tell me, yesterday you shot an amazing 9-under, what was it like trying to follow that today?
INGRID LINDBLAD: You know, obviously it felt like I got off to a little slower start. Yesterday I just made so many birdies the first couple holes, but kind of just didn't make as many putts as yesterday, but obviously still played well.
I thought I hit it in the water on 9; managed to make bogey.
Then I hit a great drive on 10, so kind of got some momentum going into the back nine doing that.
Q. As a Tour rookie, what would it mean to you if you were able to put things together and win in your rookie season?
INGRID LINDBLAD: I mean, what I have in mind right now is I'm scheduled to play a U.S. Open qualifier after the tournament up in New York. If I would win I don't have to go there.
Q. There you go.
INGRID LINDBLAD: Obviously that wouldn't be the only thing. Short-term, that's like one of the things I'm thinking about.
Obviously it would mean a lot. And, you know, kind of whatever I've done the last couple years has paid off, so just going to try to keep doing what I've been doing.
Q. You mentioned the putt on 9.
INGRID LINDBLAD: Uh-huh.
Q. First off, how far a putt was that?
INGRID LINDBLAD: It was about 17 feet.
Q. Second, how big a putt was that? It looked like you gained a ton of confidence after making that.
INGRID LINDBLAD: Yeah, I had a couple of those yesterday about that distance that were about as quick. I think it was on 5 and 12.
I kind of saw -- when I walked around that hole I saw how quick it was and I was very happy that putt hit the hole. That was a tough pin I would say.
But obviously like it was one of those same as yesterday. I walked up and saw right away what the putt would do. I was like, if I just start this online with good speed it's going to go in.
Q. Safe to say maybe the biggest shot you made during the round was that putt to keep the momentum going?
INGRID LINDBLAD: Yeah, exactly. I had decent looks on 8 and 10, but both were very breaking putts so obviously a little bit harder to make, so I was very happy to get that putt rolling in on 10. Then hit -- now, wait, yeah, on 9.
And then hit a good shot in on 10 but the wind was very weird when we were on 10. Off the tee it was the best drive I hit today but it went way, way, way further than I've hit the other days so I was kind of shocked.
The wind swirled a little bit on 10 and 11 which shocked me a little bit. I think my drive on 11 was 280 yards or something. Usually that hole has been playing into. I was a little confused but happy.
Q. They said that on the broadcast, that wind shifted and was behind.
INGRID LINDBLAD: Yeah and it must've been right when I hit my drive on 10, because I hit it really well but was shocked how far it went.
Q. Great round today.
INGRID LINDBLAD: Thank you.
Q. Did the weather impact the greens, make them easier to read?
INGRID LINDBLAD: I think probably pretty similar to yesterday. Obviously couple of them today maybe released a little bit more. I was still shocked on 9 -- not 9, 18. We'd been playing at that green, it's almost the firmest green on the golf course, and when I hit mine today I thought basically my ball would carry where it ended up and stayed way short of it.
I would say maybe a little bit, but probably not as much as I thought.
Q. So you're an LSU graduate.
INGRID LINDBLAD: Uh-huh.
Q. Recent. Talk about your program preparing you for going pro, being you just recently went pro.
INGRID LINDBLAD: Yeah, ever since -- I think everyone were kind of shocked that I stayed five years at LSU. People were expecting me to leave after three, four. I don't think they expected me to leave after five.
So basically my last two years I was just trying to get like a little bit better and better. It was always if my coaches didn't have the answer to a question, they had someone else they could reach out to if it was like Visa (phonetic) or whatever about the pro life out here.
It was kind of nice. They've seen a couple come out on Tour so knew a little bit. Obviously changes a little bit from year this year what you have to do and the process to get out here, but I'm very happy to have a lot of good people out there at LSU.
I still practice at LSU so I still see all of my old teammates and coaches and everything.
Q. Any of the other athletics? You know LSU has a great football, basketball. Do you ever interact with them?
INGRID LINDBLAD: Not really actually. I love watching other sports. Like I watched LSU gymnastics last night. Unfortunately didn't make it to the final, but no matter they do they're so amazing.
But I think I was on campus with -- there is a lot of big names. Joe Burrow, Ja'Marr Chase. I saw a lot of good football players. I saw them in the dining hall but never really interacted or anything.
Q. Going into tomorrow, been playing pretty consistent. What is your goal or what is your expectation for tomorrow?
INGRID LINDBLAD: I think just need to like stay my own bubble a little bit, don't get too far ahead of myself. Obviously the goal is to win, but we can't win to tonight or on the first tee box tomorrow.
So kind of just stay in the present and try to keep playing well.
Q. What is it like to see your name up there on the leaderboard?
INGRID LINDBLAD: You know, on the front nine I was looking at it and I'm like oh, we're not leading anymore.
Sometimes I feel like it's better to chase a little bit versus being the one who is being chased. So when I saw -- I think there was a leaderboard on number -- on the sixth green, the par-3. I kind of saw I was -- I don't know where I was. I just made a birdie on 5 there so must have been 14-under and I saw they were leading at 17.
I was like, all right, we got a couple more holes to go. We can still make some birdies to get up there. It's pretty cool. Been watching LPGA for a lot of years and then suddenly your name is up there.
Q. You seem like you play and walk with a lot of confidence. Mentioned that on the broadcast about your gait and the confidence you walk with. Being a rookie out here, where does that come from?
INGRID LINDBLAD: The confidence? That's a good question. I don't know actually. I feel like I walk maybe a little bit different when I'm playing well and feeling well versus when I'm not playing as well.
Obviously if you watch someone you don't want to be able to tell if they're 4-under or 4-over. But as I said it's just trying to take one hole at a time and make some birdies and it gives me a little bit more confidence out there.
Q. Lastly, they Iwai twins are part of the rookie class with you. Wondering if you've interacted with them much and what it's like to -- especially like Akie -- to see how well she's playing?
INGRID LINDBLAD: Yeah, I played with her yesterday, the first two days. I feel like we -- you know, at times I don't think she understood everything I said because she's still learning some English, but I feel like I was impressed about how she played the first two days. Are we paired together tomorrow?
No? Okay.
THE MODERATOR: No. I don't know. I don't know.
INGRID LINDBLAD: Yeah, I saw the twins played together today. I think Akie was ranked 25 in the world or something, so I mean, it was very cool to play with her yesterday. I thought she played well the first two days. She hit one or two hiccups yesterday. It was very fun playing with her yesterday.
Q. (No microphone.) How will you draw on the past tomorrow?
INGRID LINDBLAD: I think I was very proud of myself for handling the pressure today. Obviously it's going to be I assume more pressure tomorrow, so kind of just build on this confidence. And knowing that, you know, I didn't have the hottest start today, kind of just couple pars, but know that I can play well under pressure, and I think that's really good to know for the rest of the year, to at least have been in contention during a week. So I think...
Q. (Regarding pressure you've felt.) (No microphone.)
INGRID LINDBLAD: Maybe Augusta National Women's Am in 2021. I was tied for the lead going into the last round with Rose Zhang. We played in the last group out at Augusta National and it took me a while to figure out those greens, but I think I finished tied for third that year.
Now when I watch that tournament I understand how big and huge it is that the girls are playing at Augusta National. When I was there I don't think I realized how big it was. Looking back I'm like, this is a very big thing. I feel like it was a lot of pressure that day. I think I shot 3-over or something that last day.
Q. (Regarding something you learned from it.)
INGRID LINDBLAD: Oh, yeah, yeah, for sure. Feel like that -- well, especially during that tournament that helped me the next couple years that I played it for sure.
Q. I just had a few sent to me.
INGRID LINDBLAD: Yeah.
Q. Heading into the final round, what does tonight look like for you?
INGRID LINDBLAD: As I said yesterday I think I'm going to try to get some sleep. I think it might be a long day tomorrow.
Yesterday we kind of just ordered (indiscernible) from the other side of the street by the hotel.
Q. Didn't want to walk across?
INGRID LINDBLAD: It was so nice. I just ordered in the shuttle and brought it back to my room. Probably do something similar to that. Just to go anywhere really.
Q. Seeing a young player like Ludvig on the men's side have you drawn any inspiration from the impact he's made on that tour over there?
INGRID LINDBLAD: Oh, yeah, for sure. We played -- I didn't play with him, but we played Arnold Palmer Cup on the same team in 2020. Obviously what he's done his first two years out there has been really cool to watch. Obviously he was really good in college.
I think he's ranked Top 5 in the world, so I think it's -- I mean, I'm amazed whenever I watch him. Just looks so easy. Probably a lot of people say it looks easy when I play golf, too.
Just looks so easy he makes it. He's a fun player to watch, too. Very good guy.
Q. And then the last question: Last winner on the LPGA at this course was Annika. What sort of inspiration do you draw going into the final round knowing you would be following in her footsteps?
INGRID LINDBLAD: You know, I think the first -- like based on The ANNIKA, her whole like program or tournament she runs, so I did the first thing back in -- I think I played in the -- they call it Am-Am. It's not pro-am since it's an amateur tournament. But back in 2014 I played in the AM-Am of Annika Invitational Europe.
In '15 I played The ANNIKA Cup, which 13 to 15 year olds get invited and she does a little clinic and play a match together.
And the '16, '17, '18 I played her event back in Sweden.
Then I played her event in the U.S. and played a college event. Then I won The ANNIKA Award.
So I feel like Annika has done so much for us, and just I feel like I've just done every step of her tournament and her little journey that we can take as both Swedish issue and international players.
I think it's cool to see that also I've made it out here and might be able to play her tournament in the fall, so...
Q. When did you know that Annika had won here on this golf course?
INGRID LINDBLAD: I think Monday or Tuesday when I saw a banner out there that said like Annika, and was it 2003?
THE MODERATOR: Yes, and 2004.
INGRID LINDBLAD: Yeah. I think I saw the banner from 2003, so I would say Monday or Tuesday.
Q. Did you see the little video for the media day and she was welcoming people to the tournament. Hannah Green was there at the media day. She had this little message for Hannah that just remember that I'm the defending champion at El Cab. So you have a nice streak to try to...
INGRID LINDBLAD: Exactly. Big foot steps to follow in.
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