Q. All right, here with Emily Pedersen after the first round of the FM Championship. Can you just talk a little bit about today's round for you, 5-under 67.
EMILY KRISTINE PEDERSEN: Yeah, I think it was pretty solid tee-to-green. I had some whoopsies out there. I've been struggling a little bit off the tee, but I was putting a lot better than I have been lately.
Obviously that kept some momentum going and some birdies rolling in. I hit the two par-5s in two on the front nine which I could two putt for a birdie which gave a little bit of momentum.
Q. And can you talk a little bit more about the driver? What is it? Is it a tendency that pops up or something?
EMILY KRISTINE PEDERSEN: I think when you're trying to hit it as hard as you can sometimes it's hard to control the club face. So I was speaking to my coach and we were talking about maybe just taking bit of a step back, so I'm probably swinging to two to five miles an hour slower to get more consistency and can obviously build from there.
Yeah, last week was pretty bad and the start of this week, so it's good that we're finding some way that I can focus on my technique and do what I need to do to hit it straight.
Q. Is that how you grew up playing golf, kind of swing a hard as you can?
EMILY KRISTINE PEDERSEN: Yeah, we were told swing as hard as you can to get speed. It's always easier to take speed off than having to add speed when you get older.
Q. About the putting, just coming into this week was there something about the greens when you were adjusting that really clicked or something you've been working on stroke-wise?
EMILY KRISTINE PEDERSEN: I saw Gareth last week. On the weekend we got to spend some time Saturday, Sunday as I didn't play last weekend. Just knowing we have a plan, what to do with the putting and separating what I'm working on off the course and getting into a good routine on the course helped me today.
Q. Obviously one of the longer hitters out here. Do you feel like it's a handicap to not have your best club in your bag in your hands a lot?
EMILY KRISTINE PEDERSEN: It is. I mean, I think the harder you hit it, when you're off, it goes obviously further to the sides. But I think I did good today. I think I managed. Luckily I can club down and hit a 3-wood sometimes.
I think I'm okay still with taking five miles an hour off. I still get quite far out there. Sometimes it's more important to be in play, and, yeah, I'll just build from this.
Q. For you, I this golf course, tee balls are really critical to success out here. How many 3-woods did you hit today? You hit irons on off some of the tee boxes on some of the shorter par-4s trying to give yourself a yardage to get into the greens?
EMILY KRISTINE PEDERSEN: No, I didn't hit irons. I think 3-wood, but not because I hit my driver bad, but I kind of run out a few places. Last week I had a two-way miss and now I've narrowed it down to only missing to the right now which is a little bit easier to work with having only one side.
Hopefully go hit some balls and work on my swing, and hopefully I can get closer and closer to normal.
Q. And already contending after Thursday; I know no golf tournament is won on Thursday, but to be in position this early, how do you build on this going through the next 54 holes?
EMILY KRISTINE PEDERSEN: I just think I'm trying not to think about it at all. I was really good at staying in my process today, really good at just keep working on the things I'm working on. If I can take just a little bit of a step every day towards playing really good golf then am happy.
I know probably sometimes you have to hit a little bit better than I feel like I am at the moment to contend, but I'm going to keep plodding away and then hopefully something clicks.
If it doesn't now, I think that just putting in good work, putting in a lot of patience, and then trying to keep really good attitude out there, then at some point it's going to click.
Q. I know off the golf course this tournament is a favorite for a lot of players for a lot of different reasons. Have you got to do anything off the golf course that's been fun in the Boston or Providence area?
EMILY KRISTINE PEDERSEN: I actually went to the Titleist ball plant yesterday to see how the golf ball was made, which was really cool. Sometimes I think we take for granted how much work that goes behind the scenes, how much work there is in people building or equipment and the golf ball. I was shocked to see just how hard people work, how many steps there are to make the best golf ball in the world.
It was really cool and I felt really like a lot of gratitude towards them for being so hard and building a golf ball that's so good.
Q. What was the most surprising thing maybe you saw?
EMILY KRISTINE PEDERSEN: Well, I can't reveal any secrets.
Q. Don't make Titleist mad.
EMILY KRISTINE PEDERSEN: I was just surprised. I mean, they x-ray every golf ball at the end, which I thought was crazy. So every single golf ball I've ever hit came out of that plant and I just -- the massive amount of checks there are along the way to make sure everything is perfect is just unbelievable.
Q. I was going to ask about keeping positive. How much has your caddie helped with that?
EMILY KRISTINE PEDERSEN: He's great. He's the happiest man out here I think; sometimes too happy. No, but no, he's great. He always has a smile on his face and it doesn't matter how down I am, he keeps talking to me, plotting away. It makes it easier for me to keep my head high.
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