Q. All right, here with Gaby Lopez after the final round at The ANNIKA driven by Gainbridge at Pelican. 5-under 65. Looks like it's going to be enough for a Top 3 finish this week. Talk about not only today, but this week overall and the experience.
GABY LOPEZ: Yeah, you know, just keep learning about myself. I think today and yesterday I felt myself much more comfortable coming down the stretch, much more comfortable on the back nine being in contention, and that's huge for me. When you feel like it's almost a Thursday on a Sunday those are really, really positive emotional and mental assets that you can have.
I'm just really proud of all the team that I have around. They have pushed me every single day to be a little bit better not to get in my comfort zone, so it's a huge round of applause for them.
Q. Talk about your closing stretch today. Pretty solid closing stretch yesterday; today, 4-under through your last eight holes. Is there something about the last five or six holes that you really enjoy?
GABY LOPEZ: To be honest, it's more like the mental side. I think that I'm locked. Those four birdies on the back nine, it was more of I was getting a little frustrated on the back nine because I made a bad swing on 8 and then I told myself like I'm just not going press as hard as I've pressed before. I'm going to stay patient, I am going to do my job, do one shot at a time. At the end of the day, I think that being calm pays off.
Q. And next week heading into CME, a good result, what confidence does that give you heading into the last event of the season?
GABY LOPEZ: Yeah, to me confidence is just being calm with who you are and accepting the result that comes your way. I don't know, I feel that taking one shot at a time is probably the most cliche but the most important thing in golf.
Q. I didn't understand the Thursday-Sunday thing. Can you explain that again? I'm sorry.
GABY LOPEZ: Yeah, I think the nerves kind of keep increasing towards the back nine of a Sunday when you're in contention, so when you feel that Sunday is not as stressful mentally and emotionally and it feels like a Thursday or Friday round, that to me that's a huge improvement.
Q. That's where you want to be?
GABY LOPEZ: Right. I feel like the more stable, the more calm, the more grounded, the less mentally stressed or hyped or angry, I think it's just a powerful tool for me.
So being able to seek that inner peace, I don't know, that's what I like about this game.
Q. How do you get there?
GABY LOPEZ: Man, ten years on Tour. I mean, just keep learning about myself honestly. You know, lots of mental work with my coach, lots of technique, being able to trust my swing, being able to kind of breathe out there.
So just a lot of things that my mental coach and team around me, caddie also, like all of them have done an amazing job.
Q. When can nervousness be good?
GABY LOPEZ: All the time.
Q. So you want to be nervous?
GABY LOPEZ: Yeah. Actually I was telling myself on the 10th hole, Gaby, nerves are your friend. That's where you want to be. This is what you want to feel. That gives me a little bit more sharpness, focus, a little more drive. So I don't know, I just try to turn it into positive.
FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports