Q. All right, Yu, what an impressive start to being back in Shanghai. How are you feeling after the first 18 holes?
YU LIU: I feel really good, to be honest. Honestly coming into the week definitely some anxiety, butterflies out there, but I feel like I handled the nerves pretty well.
Didn't have a good start, because bogey the first hole and didn't make birdie until the sixth. I feel like I warmed up throughout the round, which it was a good to mental transformation for me today.
Q. The first time back in Shanghai since 2019. What's it like for you to prepare for this event coming back to China? How much does this mean to you?
YU LIU: It's amazing. This has always been my favorite tournament of the year. Definitely having good memories, like having played well here before, I feel like it's a very -- this place has a very special place in my heart throughout my career.
And Buick being my main sponsor for the last five years, just a lot of emotions coming out here just knowing, oh, wow, four years has passed. And then I just like -- a lot of emotions going, on but I feel like I handled all these pretty well today.
Q. As a Buick ambassador, being a country favorite this week, what is it like handling all of those responsibilities while also keeping that competitive mindset still in front?
YU LIU: Yeah, I just feel like coming back after four years, I feel like I've matured quite a bit mentally. I know my score hasn't been -- like world ranking-wise or whatever, it hasn't been the same. Like I've been having a pretty tough couple years the last two years on my career.
But I really see some positives this year, and I hope I can take this as an opportunity, a momentum change.
Q. How much does it mean to get off to the start you did at this event after talking about the nerves and getting the emotions of being back here in China?
YU LIU: It means a lot. It just means -- because I feel like I've been working really hard on my game. All around, both technique, mental, anything. I just haven't been able to see any -- definitely I'm having a better year this year, but hasn't really live up to my expectations.
I would just like to be able to start off the way I did and to make a turnaround, and I feel like I definitely matured a lot than how -- what I was four years back.
Q. What about just your game have you been like really focusing in on?
YU LIU: I feel like I started making swing changes two years ago, and it's a pretty major change, if anything. Just feel like I haven't been able to feel comfortable at all on the course.
This year just slowly getting back into things. Again, except for that finish in Hawai'i I haven't been able to be in contention as often as I would've liked or anything. It's pretty frustrating. It's a frustrating game.
At the same time, I feel like I'm very fortunate to be able to do this as a living and be able to play on the LPGA and have all these amazing sponsors supporting us and appreciate our values.
FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports