COGNIZANT FOUNDERS CUP

May 13, 2022

Carlota Ciganda

Upper Montclair Country Club

Quick Quotes

Q. Al right, take me through this day two for you at thing Cognizant Founders Cup. I know you got off yesterday to the very interesting start. What was it like to bounce back today?

CARLOTA CIGANDA: Yeah, it was really early, 7:15 this morning. A little colder than yesterday. It was a little foggy so the ball wasn't flying as much, but I think we did a good job judging how the course was playing.

Hit a lot of greens. Couple birdies from the par-5s on 12 and 14 to start, and then I made a three-putt on 15 from like five feet, so that was my double.

And then I just kept playing very solid, hitting lots of greens. Birdied 17 and 18, good two-putt from five feet and maybe 12 feet on 18.

Then the front I played really good. Good birdie on 2, which I hit driver 7-iron. Good par on 3. Was playing tough that hole with the back pin.

Then I had some chances coming in. Birdied 7, which was a great birdie. Then bogey the last. Tried to hit it to the green. I had a good yardage and I made a 6, so I mean, think to win and be up there you have to be aggressive, and that's what I did.

Bogeyed the last, but very happy with my two rounds overall.

Q. You said to win you have to be aggressive and you said yesterday that this course is very similar to a major like course, like a U.S. Open. How do you think you fare in those type of conditions at a place like this? Even though it's not a major, the course is acting like it.

CARLOTA CIGANDA: Yeah, I really like the course because it's narrow and the fairways are very defined. The holes you can see with the trees. You have to pick very small target because it's quite narrow compared to the last few courses we played.

I like that. I think my focus is better. Reminds me of home. I really enjoy the course. I think it's a good test.

We'll see what happens on the weekend.

Q. Reminds you of home. I like that.

CARLOTA CIGANDA: Yeah.

Q. 13 birdies in 36 holes. You've birdied almost half the holes you played. Are you a player that gets on those birdie stretches quite a bit, or are you more of a grinder and just trying to make a couple when you can?

CARLOTA CIGANDA: Yeah, I think with my game, and I am a long hitter, so I think I can take advantage of that, and especially this week on the par-5s. Yesterday I was on two on ever par-5, so it was a big advantage. Today I was in two of them. I made three birdies and a bogey, so I think I have like 7-under on the par-5s.

So, yeah, I think take advantage of the distance and then play smart in the holes that they are a bit more difficult.

Still, I have shorter clubs than the other people, so I think it's going to be easier.

Q. Looks like you got a landing strip kind of off the tee. Do you still feel like you can pull driver out and bomb it?

CARLOTA CIGANDA: Yeah, I mean, there are some holes that I feel more comfortable; others I don't. So I think I have a good game plan with my caddie, and I just tell him where I am comfortable, where I am not.

I mean, mostly if I can hit driver it's going to be an advantage. I try to hit driver's much as I can.

Q. 16 of 18 greens today; 33 putts, four more than yesterday. Struggled with your putting. Was it hard to adjust to the difference in greens?

CARLOTA CIGANDA: Yeah, I don't think the putting was that bad. The thing is that two of the birdies, they were with two-putt, and then I hit some good putts. Yeah, I mean, three-putted from five feet; that was hard.

I think pretty comfortable, and I think I'm just playing really good, so I think the better you play the more putts you're going to make. So I think just keep doing the same the next two days and see what happens.

Q. Have you changed anything in your ball striking? 16 of 18 greens is pretty dang good.

CARLOTA CIGANDA: No. I mean, just working with my coach. Every week he's here and we're lucky to have him. The game is feeling pretty good, so I'm comfortable.

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