Q. Brianna, great round today. How important was it to get started with three straight birdies to kind of set your mind towards this eventual great round?
BRIANNA DO: Yeah, I think that kind of calmed me down a little bit and kind of gave me a little more confidence, kind of getting feel for the wind.
Once you hit a few good shots with the wind you kind of gauge it from there, and it was just kind of rolling the rest of the round.
Q. Being this golf course has not been that easy for you in the last few years. Went to Q-Series; didn't make it through; you don't have status on this tour. How important obviously is a day like today leading into tomorrow to possibly change your career?
BRIANNA DO: Yeah, I mean, like I keep telling myself that good golf takes care of everything. I've been working to retool my swing a little bit to make it more reliable under pressure and kind of simplifying it and making more efficient.
It's kind of working.
I had a few good weeks on the Epson Tour, and the goal was to Monday this week. I made the Monday.
Then the goal was to make a check to get in the reshuffle, and I did that.
And so now it's trying to play my way into L.A. next week, just reevaluating goals as I go along.
Q. Every golfer faces obstacles. What is it that keeps you driving to work hard, knowing you have what it takes to perhaps raise a trophy on the LPGA Tour?
BRIANNA DO: Days like today. I mean, it was playing tough out there. It's windy. The course isn't very gettable on some holes; some holes are.
I can still hit the shots and I can still see and make the putts, so I feel like my game has always kind of been there. It's just kind of gone down the wrong route a little bit and being led down the wrong route of how to play the game.
I still feel like I have self-belief and I feel like I can still hang with the best of them, so I keep at it.
Q. That was a heck of a good round. Whole lot of birdies, and I would think a really important bogey save there on 16.
BRIANNA DO: Yes.
Q. Tell us about that one.
BRIANNA DO: You know, I thought I hit a good drive. It's just the wind pushed it a little more. I didn't see it because there were just some trees over there, but I'm guessing it got an unfortunate kick into that bunker on 12, I think.
We were just trying get it out into the fairway and then get it on the green and save par if we can; if not, bogey at max.
So, yeah, I mean, I wasn't too stressed. It looked stressful, but my caddie kept me calm and we talked through it and got away with a bogey.
So, yeah.
Q. It was overall a really solid day, a solid week for you coming in, Monday qualifying. Talk to us about starting out at that Monday qualifier playing your way in, and now to be just a couple strokes off the lead on Saturday, what are you feeling?
BRIANNA DO: Yeah, going into the Monday I felt good about my game. I played a few events on the Epson Tour recently and had a T4 finish I think in Tucson, Arizona.
So I knew my game was good. I had a friend on the bag on Sunday, which was great. I hadn't seen him in a while.
I think there is something about Hawaii that is good for me. I mean, last year I played well going into the weekend; didn't do too well on the weekend, but played well.
So there is something about Hawaii I like.
Q. I think there is something about Hawaii we all like.
BRIANNA DO: Yeah.
Q. You have done really well on the first three holes and you birdied No. 1 all three days. Just talk about those holes, and you really like those first three.
BRIANNA DO: I didn't know I birdied the first hole all three days; good to know.
It's kind of nice starting off with a par-5. You go driver, 3-wood, and then you have a wedge in hand. Yeah, starting with a birdie always helps. It calms the nerves and kind of gets you settled into the round.
Q. Could you compare this course to where we played last year at Kapolei?
BRIANNA DO: It's a little different. I feel like this course is a little trickier. I feel like you have to hit a few tee shots and kind of place yourself because there is a lot of bunkers.
I feel like Kapolei, it was more of a second-shot golf course and this one kind of demands a drive and a second shot. But the greens I feel like are kind of similar with just being a little slopey and grainy.
Yeah, mostly two sorts on this course compared to the other.
Q. And putting of course at both.
BRIANNA DO: Yeah.
Q. The sustained wind, how did that compare to the first two days?
BRIANNA DO: I felt like the first day I was I think second to last off in the afternoon, so like maybe my last five or six holes was a little calm.
Then today I just played in the wind constantly, and it was just staying patient and picking good numbers and yardages and clubs; just kind of making sure you have like a game plan with the wind and on your shots.
Q. Always nice to get a birdie on 18 to carry some momentum over to tomorrow hopefully. How big was the putt on 17 though after you left it kind of short on that first putt that holed out for par?
BRIANNA DO: Yeah, it was definitely big. I see my lines pretty well out here, which is kind of nice. I've made a lot of that range, kind of saving par the first two rounds.
I didn't have very many today, but just being confident over those I think helped me like put a good stroke, and if you put a good stroke and you see the lines, you have a pretty good chance of making them.
Q. Talk about being in the hunt.
BRIANNA DO: I actually haven't looked at the scoreboard. I know I'm pretty close up there.
Q. You are.
BRIANNA DO: But I haven't really -- I mean, I paid attention a little on the scoreboard. Not a whole lot. I was just kind of trying to stay in the moment. It's windy out there. It's playing tough.
As long as I like took care of what I had to do, the good golf will take care of everything else.
Q. Shot by shot then.
BRIANNA DO: Yeah, yeah.
Q. You mentioned to Kay out there you have been working on your game and really trying to get it back to a place you're happy with. How are you feeling with your game even heading into the week?
BRIANNA DO: Really good. I mean, it's funny. I used to say like -- like right now I feel like I'm very calm, my game is very calm.
In the past like it's always just been chaotic, always been waiting for something to happen. Right now I just feel like I'm in a good place with my swing physically, and like mentally I've always been pretty tough to kind of grind it out.
So I'm kind of in a good place, a good headspace. Yeah, I don't know, calm versus chaotic, it's kind of nice.
Q. We know you're buddies with Tad, but do you keep in touch with Stephanie Kono?
BRIANNA DO: Not so much since she moved to Florida and she's no longer playing. We went to school together and she lived in California for a while and that's where I lived for most of my career actually.
I haven't talked to her in a while. I know she's enjoying the Florida/Jupiter life down there, yeah.
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