THE MODERATOR: All right, welcome everyone here to the media center. I am very happy to welcome Bailey Tardy and Lindy Duncan with me at the Mexico Riviera Maya Open at Mayakoba.
Unfortunately Ryann O'Toole was delayed and cannot join us this morning.
These two lovely ladies are amazing. I have question for each of you. Obviously first time playing in Mexico in a while on Tour. How excited are you to be teeing it up this week?
LINDY DUNCAN: Yeah, definitely excited to be here. I've never played golf in Mexico ever, so this is a first for me. I've gotten to play all the holes and the course is awesome.
It's windy. It's going to be a great challenge.
Q. What's your favorite hole?
LINDY DUNCAN: I like 18, downwind par-5.
BAILEY TARDY: Yeah, super excited to be here in Mexico. Just the views out here are beautiful with the beach. I don't know what hole it is off the back, but the par-3 you have the ocean right there. It's absolutely stunning.
Like Lindy said, it's super windy and super hot. I just think staying patient and hydrated out here this week is kind of the key and, yeah, just having fun, enjoying we're in Mexico at beautiful resort.
Q. Lindy, you have had a great stretch of golf the last few events. How are you looking to take that into this event and what parts of your game will suit this course?
LINDY DUNCAN: Yeah, I think this course is going to be a lot about hitting fairways and greens. A lot of the greens are quite small. I've been feeling good with my driver and I feel like if I can get myself into good positions off the tee I should have some chances.
And there is two I think pretty reachable par-5s which is always fun. So, yeah, just hoping to bring my game to a really tough course in some different conditions.
Q. Bailey, what it's like teeing it up at a new event? What sort of different preparation is there going into a first-time event that you've never played before?
BAILEY TARDY: Just trying to get to know the golf course. I told my caddie today, I don't think I've played out of green bermuda rough in a very long time. I'm from the south thing is still dormant there. Just trying to figure out the rough around the greens especially; it's quite thick.
Like Lindy said, I think the fairways are tight, greens are small. Putting yourself in the right positions off the tee and giving yourself the opportunity to reach the green, hit the green, is kind of what I've been focusing on this week.
Q. No. 7 has the cave bunker. Is that visible? How visible is that from the tee? How intimidating is that?
BAILEY TARDY: I haven't played the front nine.
Q. You said you played the whole course.
LINDY DUNCAN: I played the course yesterday. You can see the cave from the tee. I'm not sure to hit driver or 3-wood there. I went back and played it again today and I just hit a couple drives and my caddie went down there to see kind of where the driver ended up.
We were questioning whether it night get too close to the cave downwind, and I'm not sure where it actually went because he went to go get the ball and I came here. I'm going to talk to him about it, but it's either a driver over 3-wood.
Q. So in range?
LINDY DUNCAN: Potentially. It's like 300 to it but downwind, and if it lands in the fairway it could roll maybe 290 and maybe it's a little too close.
Q. I noticed the greens are pretty small, too. How does that change your approach? For both of you.
BAILEY TARDY: I personally find the greens more challenging with the firmness of them. They are a little smaller than what we've played, but I just think the firmness, they're not very receptive, so you have to play to the front of the greens, if not short of the green, so it doesn't hit a run-off and roll off the green.
I personally like smaller greens. I think it's easier to hit your targets on a smaller green.
But it doesn't really change my preparation at all.
LINDY DUNCAN: Yeah, with the smaller greens -- there are some bigger greens, but the small ones I think you just have to really pick your landing number and pay attention to if it lands too deep into the green, there is not much room, it could roll over, and are you okay with that depending on where the pin is located.
There is a couple generous greens where you can be aggressive.
Q. Did you get a local caddie again? What's your setup this week?
LINDY DUNCAN: I don't. I don't have a local this week. Mercer is my caddie this year. He's been out for 30 years plus, so very experienced.
Q. Mexico has a rich culture of golf and we (indiscernible) to have you here. What are some things you love most about competing in Latin America, and especially Mexico?
LINDY DUNCAN: The food.
BAILEY TARDY: Yeah, the food is really good. This is my first time competing in Mexico, and just from my experience here at Mayakoba just the staff has been unbelievably nice. Everybody is so welcoming and super happy to have us here and wishing us the best of luck.
Just the warm welcome we felt. And it kind of feels like we're in America almost, but better.
LINDY DUNCAN: Yeah, for sure. The food has been amazing. The people are great here. Very welcoming like Bailey said. Everyone around is just you can feel the excitement and we're excited, and it's an honor to be here.
Q. What do you think about the growth of golf in Latin America, especially in Mexico? We have a lot of Mexican players.
LINDY DUNCAN: Yeah, definitely so many great players from South America and Mexico. I saw Gaby this morning and she's been grinding and playing so well for a long time. I love getting to play with her. She's just very feisty on the course. I love that.
There is so many up and coming players as well, so it's really fun to come play in their home country. They feel excited to be here as well.
BAILEY TARDY: Yeah, played college golf with Maria Torres and Maria Fassi, so just seeing them here this week and just all of the other really good talented players from Mexico, it's just fun. It's going to be a really great week with a lot of tough competition.
Q. Actually that was my question. Now you know each other from college, so how do you feel about being in their home country where we're rooting for them? Not to be offended to you. What do you think about this? Like in a good way.
LINDY DUNCAN: We play against competition from all over the world every week and it's really exciting that we get to travel to a lot of players' home countries. They want to embrace us and taste the food and see the sights. They really welcome us, so it's really cool to be here.
As far as the Mexican players, they're so competitive and that's so much fun to play with. I love being here in their home country.
BAILEY TARDY: They play in America where the Americans are cheering on the Americans, so it's only fair for us to get a taste of their world here. (Laughter.)
Q. Welcome to Mexico. We are a local press and we play golf here in the area. We know the weather plays a lot in this golf course. How it's going to be your mindset to prepare for the heat, the humidity, the ball flight? Everything is different in this place, you know, as the course is located just next to the ocean, the beach. The wind is a huge factor in the game.
BAILEY TARDY: Yeah, a couple holes you're kind of sheltered from the wind by the trees so you just really have to trust that the wind is up there. I mean, from the nine holes I played doesn't seem like it's swirling that much. Just coming from one direction.
So just flighting your ball, hitting it a little bit lower, and just trusting that the wind is going to be doing what the weather says or what the grass you throw up says.
Humidity-wise, I think we played a lot in this kind of humidity and heat. Just really try to stay hydrated. You have to fuel yourself on the golf course. When you feel dehydrated it's almost as if it's too late. You got to stay ahead, drink a lot of water and electrolytes, and eat.
I have a really big issue with eating on the golf course, so I just have to remind myself that I have to fuel myself. It is hot. I think the heat index is over 100 every day and you're just sweating. You just really have to fuel your body.
LINDY DUNCAN: Yeah, find it hard to eat when it's hot as well. Even though I grew up in Florida and am really used to this type of temperature and humidity. It's overwhelming. You're sweating out there the whole time.
You're totally right. It's important to eat a little bit and keep your energy up.
But the wind is going to be I think a big challenge for sure for everybody. Like Bailey said, controlling your ball flight and trying to pick a very specific finish line and being okay seeing the ball curve towards that, it's going to be a lot of fun.
Q. I was just going to ask because we were talking a little bit about it. Bailey, I give you kudos for doing stuff off the golf course when you're in some really fun places. Talk about what you thought about doing this week and why you do that when you're at these really cool places, try and go see different place? And Lindy, if you have in any thoughts on it too.
BAILEY TARDY: Yeah, this is my dream job, so I'm traveling the entire world playing a sport that I love. Why not take advantage of going to do cool things in each of the towns we go in or cities we go to?
So there is really cool cenotes around here, and I've always wanted to see some or go to one or swim in one, I don't know. So I've just been researching some to do maybe -- probably in afternoon, because I'm done practicing.
It's so hot that that's kind of my relax and get away from golf is just going to explore the towns I'm in it. Maybe be a little bit cautious around here with Ubers and whatnot.
I think I just love going to see super cool things. I think I'm going to ride a dolphin next week, something I don't get to do in Atlanta. Just super fun things and explore the town. Super cool.
LINDY DUNCAN: I want to do the dolphin thing.
Q. She's done sky diving.
BAILEY TARDY: Ridden an elephant. Yeah, I've done a lot. Went four wheeling, ATV, zip lining.
LINDY DUNCAN: I love the zip line.
Q. As alumni of the Girls Golf program, for each of you, can you reflect on what dreams you had growing up and what it's like getting to live your dream out now?
LINDY DUNCAN: Yeah, definitely I think the dream was to be out here. Started playing golf when I was about ten. I got to play with so many of my friends growing up and a lot of the players I played with are still playing out here. It's really cool to make those lifelong friends.
Being introduced to the competition at that early of an age really got me hooked, so it's really cool to reminisce and think back on all the memories and how far we've all come. It's a really cool program, and I'm honored that I got to play in it this when I was young, and I'm just really blessed for this whole journey.
BAILEY TARDY: Yeah, I think Girls Golf kind of shaped all of the relationships that I have formed throughout junior golf. Now a lot of those girls are also out here today, so just being part of Girls Golf and just having that family on the road is really cool. Just seeing what they do with juniors and how they make it fun, I think that's the main thing with junior golf, is making it fun and not such a guy's sport.
Girls can play golf and girls can have fun and make these relationships that last a lifetime. And so just being able to be involved in that I think was super special. Yeah, just seeing where that goes down the road.
Q. Just going to ask, the women's game is growing at a really fast pace. Why would you encourage girls to play? What is so specific about golf that you think really is great for young girls?
LINDY DUNCAN: That's a great question.
BAILEY TARDY: I've always said to my friends from college that were my roommates in college -- obviously they're not going pro playing golf -- but it's so important to have the skills that you need with golf, integrity, honesty, just the confidence to go out and play golf.
But if you have all of these, it helps you in the workplace. If you have the simple basics about golf, if you're in the corporate world you get to go on a golf function, fundraiser, something, a day off work, network with people.
If you know the smallest little bit of golf, you may not want to play pro, but it's such a fun way to incorporate your corporate lifestyle and sports as well.
LINDY DUNCAN: Absolutely.
Q. NCAAs are still going on right now. Both of you being past college players, what's it like to see some of the news of that and how you reflect back on college time?
LINDY DUNCAN: Yeah, those were the days. I miss those days.
BAILEY TARDY: I don't. (Laughter.) It's super cool to see NCAAs going on right now. I know the girls have put in a ton of work to get to the National Championships. I think I only went my freshman year, so I'm envious of some of the girls that have been there all four years and this is their last one.
The girls who are seniors are giving it their all and they just want to play their best. Has it started? Just went to match play? Cool, I never made it to Match Play. Yeah, I think it's super cool. Match Play is super fun to watch, so it'll be cool to watch.
LINDY DUNCAN: Yeah, I'll definitely be watching. I never played when it was Match Play. It was just stroke play. I think that brings in a whole new dynamic, and it's really competitive and the girls coming out of college and then are playing Epson or straight to the LPGA, they're so good.
It's really cool to see the younger generation, how good they are, how far they're hitting. I hope that they have a great tournament and they either continue on in their college career or turn pro or whatever it is they want to do.
But the transition from college golf to professional golf was a big jump I felt like. At every stage you kind of go through you just keep learning. Yeah, just really supportive of all those girls that are playing.
BAILEY TARDY: I'm sure they'll be out here in like a month, so we'll see them soon.
THE MODERATOR: Thank you so much, ladies. I appreciate it.
LINDY DUNCAN: Thank you.
BAILEY TARDY: Thanks for having us.
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