THE MODERATOR: All right, welcome everyone here to the media center. I am very pleased to be joined by 2025 JM Eagle LA Championship presented by Plastpro champion, Ingrid Lindblad. Congratulations on the win.
INGRID LINDBLAD: Thank you.
Q. Yay. Just talk about some of the emotions of the day. You are a rookie on Tour and just are now a Rolex first-time winner. Tell me all you're feeling right now.
INGRID LINDBLAD: I mean, I feel like I was just out there trying to take one hole at a time. Looked at the leaderboard a couple times and saw I was three in front at some point. I was just telling myself, just keep hitting good golf shots.
Felt like I could have made a couple more birdies on the back nine but nothing really wanted to drop. I feel like I was just trying to like be where you can't see if you're 5-under par or 5-over par. Just staying in the moment and -- I mean, show no emotion, but sometimes it's hard to show no emotion.
Q. As you get done, I'm assuming you're aware where you stand. What was your thought process? Did you think you were going to a playoff?
INGRID LINDBLAD: When I came in, I came into the scoring and I was like I just is need to take a breather; so much going on.
But I kind of -- and then I really had to use the bathroom when I was done. If we're going to go to a playoff I was like, okay.
So went into the locker room. I think is her name is Sue, the rules official. She came with me. She's like, do you want to go out there? Because I didn't really know what was going on on 18.
So she was like, okay, she has a 10-foot putt for par. I said, as in Match Play, you expect your opponent to make the chip, make the putt. You can't be like oh, she's going to miss it and I'm going to win the hole.
It was a little bit the same there. She's going to make it and we're going to go to a playoff. I think that's a better approach to she's going to miss it and I'm going to win. Then when you get in a playoff you get disappointed.
And then I was like oh, we won. So obviously I was expecting her to make the putt because that's what I have to do. She played really well this week, too. I played with her the first two days and she played really well. I was expecting her to make it.
Q. First hole you hit three really good shots; make the putt for birdie. Seems like from then on you maintained your emotions pretty well. As you went to the back nine and you had the three-shot lead and like you said you're trying to hit good golf shots, was there any level of frustration when some of the putts weren't dropping on the back nine?
INGRID LINDBLAD: I mean, like on 12, that putt was about 30 feet, so wasn't like I was expecting to make it. I was just -- I saw when Ina hit her putt how quick it was. I was like, we don't have to go for anything. Just leave it to a tap-in and get out of there.
Maybe a little bit disappointed I didn't roll in any putts on 13, 14, 16.
Q. Yeah.
INGRID LINDBLAD: But, I mean, made a lot of putts earlier this week so levelled out a little bit.
Q. And you were giving yourself good chances.
INGRID LINDBLAD: Yeah.
Q. They just weren't falling.
INGRID LINDBLAD: Yeah.
Q. Did you and your caddie talk about let's not do anything stupid; let's make somebody come get us?
INGRID LINDBLAD: Not really. I feel like I played pretty aggressive all week. I think it would just hurt me if we were trying to get too defensive.
Felt like we stuck to the same game plan as we had the first three days, and turns out it worked out really well.
Q. Your thoughts about obviously we talked about Annika won here 21 years ago; now you win; get the champagne celebration from Madelene. Everything is coming up Swedes. Thoughts on the Swedish golf connections out here right now?
INGRID LINDBLAD: I think it's great. I think it's even better that we're up there and winning. Turns out -- shows that we've done something right in junior golf, and they're kind of following us through college golf and following us to pro golf as well, coaches and support staff and everything.
So I'm just very happy to have this huge golf scene behind me. They're coming -- we have two people coming to Utah, so try to come out every now and then and help us in the ways they can.
I'm just happy to have couple fellow Swedes out here who play good golf, too.
Q. What do you think about the rookie class here? Second rookie to already have won this year. Obviously Akie has finished second twice. Just overall thoughts on the rookies out here on Tour this year.
INGRID LINDBLAD: I think it's pretty good competition. It was really good competition out on Epson Tour last year, too. Just shows that the rookies, I mean, we're not here to mess around with, you know.
We come out here for a reason, and I think it shows that we're ready to be out here.
Q. I don't know if you've ever thought about what you would do with your first winner's check. A little over half a million. Is there something you want to buy?
INGRID LINDBLAD: I mean, I was joking yesterday. I said if I win I'm going to bump myself up to first class, but there are no seats left in first class tomorrow.
I mean, no, not really. I want to buy a new car but it's not like my car is falling apart, so I'll keep it for a couple more months.
Q. You had the tee shot goes off the tree; sand save. Were those the moments you were holding your breath today or were there other moments that felt like that?
INGRID LINDBLAD: I'm always nervous for the second shot on 16 having that pin back right -- back left. On that hole we said kind of everything that carries on the green is going to kick left and just hit it a little bit too far right and obviously did not get the left kick.
I don't know. I mean, I was like -- when I three-putted on No. 3 I was like oh, maybe this is the way it's going to be today.
But, I mean, not really. Like I was just -- I know my sand saves aren't the greatest percentage so far this year, so making that up and down on 2 from the bunker and 10 from the bunker, I was just happy to make a par out of there.
Q. With an event that had so many birdies, a lot of people at the top the standings. For you, is it hard to not try and play aggressive when you are in the leading position or how do you mentalize that?
INGRID LINDBLAD: I think as I said, just try to stick to the same plan. I know I kept hitting the ball good all day, so it wasn't really any point where I was like, oh, you know what, we're going to go very defensive into this pin.
I feel like sometimes I play better golf when you have to hit it to like a certain area. So I was in the rough left on 5 and I was like, well, the only place you can hit this is past the pin and let it come back. That's exactly what I did; made it easy. Like a two- or three-footer for birdie.
Just feel like I play better when I pick smaller targets.
Q. At the 15th hole, Walter and Shirley Wang were there and got to see you drive, tee off at that hole. Was there any pressure? You made actually an awesome shot, so was there any pressure you felt?
INGRID LINDBLAD: To be honest I didn't see them actually.
Q. Okay.
INGRID LINDBLAD: I didn't really pay attention to who was watching at times. But, you know, when you're out there you're just trying to hit good golf shots and if you hit a bad one, not act up too much about it.
I didn't think about it actually.
Q. That's probably best; kept your focus. So what assessment as far as your game coming from this tournament are you taking with you into the next tournaments and for the rest of the season?
INGRID LINDBLAD: I think from this week, I was trying to play pretty aggressive out there. I only hit drivers. I did not hit a single other club off the tee. Par-4s and 5s, drivers.
I was not always friends with my driver, but just felt like you could be aggressive, you could still get to most the pins from the rough.
So I do want to work on my driver because I feel like I want to be more confident with it, but I think especially my wedge game and my putting, as I said, like I picked up one thing in Phoenix. I tend to -- when it was a left-to-right putt I tend to get up from it, miss it low right.
This week I was just trying to stay more down on the putts. I think that really helped. And just I felt very confident on the greens, very confident reading the greens; with the pace on the greens, too. So I would say wedges and putting.
Q. Putting was a big challenge for many, except seems like you this week. As far as your putting, what would you credit to saying your putting was good this week?
INGRID LINDBLAD: I want to say just the speed on a lot of longer putts, and just that I stayed aggressive. So I didn't get many putts that were up and down slopes. We were saying like couple times it's almost like you can get an easier chip versus having to putt up or down a slope.
So just try to stay aggressive and get as many looks as possible.
Q. My last question: Saw your mom celebrating with you at the end.
INGRID LINDBLAD: Uh-huh.
Q. Anything she said or shared with you after you won that you would like to share with us?
INGRID LINDBLAD: She's standing right there. Not really. I mean, they're here to support me, so even if it's mom or dad, I think they mostly just try to stay away.
I don't know if you were watching all the holes or if you watched someone else out there.
You did? Yeah. I didn't see her at all so I don't know if she was nervous.
She said she's not nervous.
Q. Congratulations. I want to know, as confident as you are and as good as you have been in school, how do you do this so quickly on this Tour?
INGRID LINDBLAD: Well, I think the Epson Tour prepared me a little bit for it. Back in I think it was January of 2023, we had a camp in Phoenix and I talked to Anna Nordqvist about -- she was asking me -- I don't know if I started talking about it or she asked me, but was asking what my plan was.
I said I think I'm going to play qualifying in the fall and play -- hopefully get to Q-Series, and then I decided to just play Stage II and have my Epson status.
I think that was a really good step after college, to not go straight out here, trying to get your feet wet a little bit.
I think that was a good -- I mean, Epson is competitive. Like you have to shoot 15-under in three rounds to win out there. You know, 10- or 15-under, and sometimes that's not even enough.
I think that was a good test after college and a good little step on the staircase in between.
And then obviously come out here and I think one of the coaches for the Swedish team looked at some stats. He was like all right, people who have come out from Epson tend to do pretty well out here.
I think that was good preparation to come out here, yeah.
Q. So this is good preparation for a major immediately.
INGRID LINDBLAD: Yeah.
Q. Thoughts on going right to that and like, okay, your confidence has to be incredible now.
INGRID LINDBLAD: Yeah, I mean, as I said I just want to get my driver a little straightened out. Obviously feel good about my wedges and my putting going into next week.
I think obviously a major, I think it's going to play a little bit longer than out here. Looks like we're getting some rain, so course is probably going to play longer.
I haven't played Chevron before but I played AIG Women's Open and U.S. Women's Open and they're not short courses. They're going to test you.
So feels good to come off a win here and then go straight out to a major. I've never really done that before, went straight from one tournament to a major before, so we'll see.
Q. Assuming that doesn't go home with you, this one. Can you fit it under the seat on the plane?
INGRID LINDBLAD: Would not fit in my suitcase or in my golf bag, so that's a great question.
Q. A little one maybe?
INGRID LINDBLAD: Yeah, can we get a miniature?
Q. You had obviously great success as an amateur and won some big events like ANWA. How much did you lean on that maybe today in terms of controlling your emotions and knowing you've done that before?
INGRID LINDBLAD: I feel like amateur golf was such a long time ago for some reason. I think playing in a couple big amateur events like it sets you up. Like you have to do some media. You have to -- there are people out there watching. There are not too many people watching college events.
I think gradually increasing the pressure. Out there is probably the most pressure I felt on a golf course before, but as I said, just trying to take one hole at a time, and that's all I can do.
Q. How was last night? Did you think about it much last night? Were you able to kind of relax?
INGRID LINDBLAD: Yeah, it wasn't too bad. I'm actually -- I wore my WHOOP all day today so very curious about what my heart rate has been on the golf course, because I don't think it was very low.
Q. And just now that you've won so quickly, do you reassess the goals? Still the same as you said when you first started the year?
INGRID LINDBLAD: I mean, I said winning wasn't such a crazy goal. I said that two or three times maybe to media. Here we are, so I might need to put up some more goals.
THE MODERATOR: I will wrap up. No more U.S. Open qualifier. You said that yesterday.
INGRID LINDBLAD: I know.
Q. How excited are you to not have to go to the U.S. Open qualifier?
INGRID LINDBLAD: We went out for the trophy presentation, Scotty said, hey, we're not going to Minneapolis minute playing. It feels really nice. Now I feel like I have a little, you know, like a little more flexibility in my schedule.
Maybe I don't have to play exactly everything. If there is one event I don't have to play I probably don't have to worry too much about it. They kind of say during your rookie season you try to play everything. Just make sure you see all the courses. Now I probably don't feel as much pressure to do that anymore.
Q. Your win today, so the last time the LPGA was here Annika won two straight times. Technically Sweden has won at this club three times. How does that make you feel to come after Annika to win at El Cab?
INGRID LINDBLAD: What she's done and did out on Tour was pretty incredible; probably the least you could say. I didn't know until -- someone asked me that question Monday or Tuesday. I said -- well yesterday I got that question, did you know Annika won here? When did you find out about that?
I said Monday or Tuesday I saw her little banner out. I think it's close to the putting green or walk to the putting green.
I was like, I didn't know until Monday or Tuesday that she had won here. Following in her footsteps is pretty big.
THE MODERATOR: Thank you so much, Ingrid. Congratulations again.
INGRID LINDBLAD: Thank you.
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