THE MODERATOR: Here with Sarah and Albane after the second round of the Dow Championship. Take us through the round today.
SARAH SCHMELZEL: Albane played really, really good golf from start to finish. She hit driver well, she's an amazing iron player, and converted a ton of birdie putts.
I tried to free her up by making lots of pars today, but she really held us together and made a bunch of birdies for us. It was really fun to watch.
ALBANE VALENZUELA: It was a great round, and I feel like I definitely feed off Sarah's energy. She makes it really easy for me on the course.
On and off the course, we're just really supportive of each other, and I think she really helps me get a little bit of my confidence back.
It's been a lot of fun. We've really liked being with our caddies out there. Just a lot of laughs. Yeah, excited for the weekend.
Q. Speaking of off the course, kind of talk about how this partnership came to be. What's the team name, and how did we come up with it?
SARAH SCHMELZEL: We were in Japan two years ago in the fall, and we just honestly, like a pretty organic friendship just formed. We've known each other for a long time, but we went out to a lot of dinners and everything.
We kind of from then planned on, hey, next year let's go play Dow together. We both set a lot of really big goals for ourselves for last season, and it was really cool to accomplish them together. So we've just had a ton of fun being able to team up.
ALBANE VALENZUELA: Do I go with the team name now?
SARAH SCHMELZEL: Go for it.
ALBANE VALENZUELA: It was really hard to come up with a team name. I will say that the ones we came up with will stay within our little bubble, but we love our caddies, Shota and Doni, so we thought we'd honor them and call it Sho me the Doni. This is it.
SARAH SCHMELZEL: We're nothing without them.
Q. What are some of the things you're able to take advantage of out there, and what are some of the things you're still trying to navigate?
SARAH SCHMELZEL: It's been a lot windier than years past, so I think there's a premium on that really steady golf that maybe more in years past it's an absolute birdie fest no matter which format it is.
I think just navigating that, staying really patient. The greens are really undulating. Adding the wind into it makes it another factor that's hard to read putts. I think patience is just a huge key here and trying to feed off your partner.
ALBANE VALENZUELA: I'll just echo that.
Q. You guys kind of mentioned it a little bit, but how do you complement each other's games?
SARAH SCHMELZEL: She's the best iron player.
ALBANE VALENZUELA: She's the straightest driver player and makes putts. So it was very clear, even in the foursome, that we have our strategy in play, like she'd go with the evens and I'd play odds. It just makes sense with how we were playing.
It gives me such confidence to watch her driver. Yesterday I was hitting it all over the map, and just watching her for 18, I was like I'll just need to repeat this for tomorrow.
It's been great. We know our games are fairly similar, but she also has her own strength and I have mine. This format worked really well for us. Yeah, we just love it.
Q. This round is your foursome was just scoring everywhere. What's it like for you two being part of a shootout like that throughout the course of 18?
SARAH SCHMELZEL: It's always good because you get a front row seat to who you need to keep up with really. Obviously I think we're one back or two back of the lead right now. It's always good to know that someone else is making birdies so you'd better make some too. They were a good pace car for the day and glad we kept up.
Q. On hole 18, both of you guys getting birdies on that one. Talk about what you saw on that shot and, what was your mindset for getting both in?
ALBANE VALENZUELA: I feel like we had that number, 8-under, in mind. We just had a little internal tally competition of birdies, so Sarah was really trying to get that one. I think she was a little pissed I got that putt. She was going to make it regardless. It was just fun.
SARAH SCHMELZEL: It was a good number for both of us. I think we both hit 9-iron, and it was right in the middle of the green.
Coming off 16 where we had to scramble for par, we said next hole is easy.
18 is a really easy pin. It's always nice when you can actually take advantage of it.
Q. You guys are right up there in the mix on the leaderboard. As you go back into alternate shot tomorrow, what's kind of the goal for you now with what's kind of being up there in the lead?
SARAH SCHMELZEL: I think we've got a really good strategy. If I put her in the fairway, she hits irons really close. I think we're really, really good in that format of just staying super steady and knowing -- hitting it straight, hitting it on the green, in the fairway. We can make a couple putts here and there.
But just not beating ourselves. I think we kind of thrive in that format a little bit.
ALBANE VALENZUELA: I agree.
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