Q. How did it feel, 68, second place right now on your own?
ADITI ASHOK: I think it was good. I think I didn't really have my best, especially on the long holes with the long approaches I wasn't as consistent. So, yeah, definitely it was a good day and not making as many bogeys as I, as it could have been. My putting wasn't as good today as the first two days, so makes those couple par putts that were like the one on 12 and the one on 18, those helped because I knew my putting wasn't that good today compared to the first two.
Q. You mentioned the other day that in India they pay more attention to the Olympics than they do the Tour. But for you you're trying to make a living on the Tour and if you win a major a LPGA major that is a life-changing event for you. Why do you think, why do you think back home it's not the same?
ADITI ASHOK: I think nobody really follows golf as much. It's not that they know about it and don't follow it, it's just they don't know much about the sport to know that a major is more prestigious than the Olympics. And whenever the Olympics comes around it's always because we had a lot of sports where we were actually really good, like hockey, where we had, we used to win gold medals all the time. I think we won like six or eight straight gold back in the '70, '60s, '70, '80s. So, yeah, whenever the Olympics was around a lot of people followed sport more and the rest of the year not as much. That might be the main reason, but I think with the golf being in the second time I think people are a lot more educated and trying to follow it a lot more.
Q. Does that carry extra pressure knowing that like literally the interest in this sport in my country might be predicated on how I do at this tournament? That's a weird thing for a 23-year-old person to kind of carry around?
ADITI ASHOK: For sure but I'm not thinking about it that much. I think no matter how do I this week people have heard about golf and they continue to tune in if they have extended the golf coverage in India because I'm in the top 3 or whatever. I think that's good itself. People seeing golf instead of the other sports, it's, it always is good to get more people aware of the game.
Q. Did you pay a little bit more attention to the leaderboard today given the situation?
ADITI ASHOK: Not as much, actually. I think that I saw the leaderboards on the front nine a bit and then on the back when I made a couple bogeys I just stayed away from it, just trying to get back in position myself and not have too many extra thoughts. But, yeah, I saw the leaderboard on 18 and I saw it was like I think two clear of third place, so, yeah, but following, I mean if it's there I watch it, otherwise -- I watch it more on Sunday than the other days.
Q. Given this could be a Sunday though?
ADITI ASHOK: Well, yes, I didn't think about it. I still feel like we'll get the fourth round in. The weather seems too good to be so bad tomorrow, so I still feel like we have a fourth day.
Q. How is your mom doing on the bag?
ADITI ASHOK: She's doing great. It's funny, I played, this is the best I've played all year, so she is kind of.
Q. Is your dad out of a job now?
ADITI ASHOK: No, my dad's good, he's enjoying watching me on TV and he enjoys listening to Bones commentate on my game. It's funny because yeah he never gets to see me play on TV, he's always caddieing. So that's been cool. My mom has obviously done a great job this week.
Q. You mentioned that maybe it's your sort of maybe in a little more in charge of yourself with your dad not there. Has that actually played out like that?
ADITI ASHOK: Yeah, kind of, it's not that my dad tells me what to do but it's just even if I know what I'm doing because I know he's there I tend to rely on him and ask him and double check everything. I think this week now that I know my mom probably won't be able to help as much with the decision making I just know I have to commit to whatever I'm doing. And maybe I have gotten a couple of them wrong, but I think it's better to be decisive than to be correct while playing golf, as long as you believe in your club or in your decision you hit a good shot and that's kind of what I've done this week.
Q. Somebody said, hey, she's 59th in driving this week, and she's second on the leaderboard. This is the way it's always been, right? I mean, it's not like you're not trying to hit the ball further it's just sort of like --
ADITI ASHOK: Yes and no, actually. I had COVID in May and June.
Q. Is that why you didn't play?
ADITI ASHOK: Yes. Actually I went back for a couple reasons. One was to get a couple visas done and my passport was stuck in the consulate. So that's why I missed Lake Merced, but not initially I wanted to come back out for Pure Silk and I tested positive, so I was stuck for a couple weeks. And then I tested negative and it was all good. But I do think it took a little bit of strength out of me. I was never this short. I was always short but not like 50 behind Nelly and 50 behind Nanna. That was not much, but, yeah, I think apart from the distance this year has been kind of the best I've had with my short game, my putting, the rest of my game has been fantastic, except for length this year, I think it's been one of the best years.
Q. Seemed like and you had a good tournament not the one, the two out, right? Like not the last one but the one before. Did you feel like you were sort of building -- this is obviously a really good result so far -- did you feel you were building toward a weekend where you really put it together?
ADITI ASHOK: In Dallas I finished 40th or 50th or something but I had like 15 birdies in four rounds. So I knew after Dallas because that was the first time I played good after the two months off, I knew that the game was there I just needed to put it together. I mean a major is always hard because it's tough to score when you hit it so short in a major, but the other events, yeah, especially at Dow, because we had the four-ball where I was kind of playing my own game and the alternate shot was easy because I did have her drives, but I knew that I was playing good because in the four-ball I was contributing birdies as well. So it was definitely trending in the right direction and sort of became really good this week.
Q. We wrote a story in Rio you talked about it's sort of -- you were younger then -- but the importance, has, have you noticed an interest in golf in India in the last five years sort of building or was it sort of like, Oh, that girl did good, made it to the Olympics, that's great. And now it's like, Oh, wait we had that girl, she's in the Olympics again, right?
ADITI ASHOK: I think in terms of general population it's probably more like the second one where they're like, Oh, girl did well and that's that. But I think within the golfing population it definitely stirred up some interest because a lot more girls are trying to pick it up and either go to college golf or try and play Q-Schools, whether LET or LPGA. But I think within the golf community it has boosted it a little bit because they know that if somebody can make it there and then make it on Tour the next five years then, yeah, it's something all other Indian girls, young girls can do. So within the golfing community yes, but in general population I would still say golf wasn't as popular as it could be.
Q. How much shorter are you now than you normally would be?
ADITI ASHOK: At least like 15 with the driver. With the irons and stuff five. But with the driver it's about 15 carry at least 15 carry.
Q. But you're able to do those, the math in your head there and was there a shot today where you were like, did you feel you under clubbed at any point today or was it sort of like were you sort of like, Oh, I know where I'm at right now?
ADITI ASHOK: Yeah, I think I kind of know where I'm at. I think a couple of times I was in between, but I was always like take the extra one because you know you don't have it. Like what you see in your mind your body is not really able to put into the ball. So like for sure I was in between, but I was always erred on the side of caution.
Q. With all the support you received from back home is there anyone that tweeted a message of support or anything?
ADITI ASHOK: Yeah, for sure, not just golfers but generally like social media, a lot of people trying to figure out golf and top 3 and tied second and they're trying to figure out what would win a medal. And that's all really cool and I think it's really cool that golf is in the Olympics and we have that chance, because otherwise so many people would never pay attention to golf, let alone men's and women's separately.
Q. Is it too premature to start thinking about a medal now and what it can do for Indian golf?
ADITI ASHOK: Yeah, I think one more day of golf and a lot happens on the final day. Sometimes the final day, although it's just one round, it feels long mentally, so definitely staying patient and hoping we have good weather and hope I play good tomorrow.
FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports