MEIJER LPGA CLASSIC

June 16, 2023

Ashleigh Buhai

Blythefield Country Club

Quick Quotes

Q. All right, we're here with Ashleigh, day two of the Meijer LPGA Classic for Simply Give. Talk us through your first couple rounds here.

ASHLEIGH BUHAI: Yeah, pretty happy with my spot. 4-under. Got off to a hot start today. Tee'd off from the back nine, three birdies in a row, and then birdied the 18th to go 5-under.

Unfortunately just hit literally my only bad shot of the day right on No. 1. Hit a really good recovery, got unlucky, came all the way back and unfortunately made double.

But I hit a lot of good putts on the back nine that just didn't fall, so pretty happy with my day today.

Q. On the back today, which was your front, the last six holes you birdied five of them. What was working for you there?

ASHLEIGH BUHAI: I hit good shots, but I've been putting really well, and obviously that's been the key this year to good play. I feel like if I get myself within that 20-foot range I have a chance of holing it at the moment, which is a really nice feeling.

Q. How much momentum have you brought to this event after obviously winning last week at ShopRite?

ASHLEIGH BUHAI: Yeah, huge amount of momentum obviously, but also a lot of fatigue. I took Monday and Tuesday off just to try and recover a little bit.

Yesterday I felt a little bit (indiscernible) where I hit some scrappy shots but had good saves to keep myself in it, and today I woke up feeling good.

Yeah, just trying to repeat things I've done well last week into this week. So far it's going good.

Q. What's the mindset coming into this round when you see you're paired with Jennifer, last year's champion? Any extra motivation to compete or just play your game?

ASHLEIGH BUHAI: No, I just play my game. I can't control what she does or whatever happens out there. We both played well and I think we played off each other.

Q. You've been playing at a high level for the last couple weeks now. What is it about this golf course - and I guess you could compare it to last week - but what is about this golf course that suits your eye so well? We mentioned the back nine with all those birdies, and it seems like there is a lot of them out there.

ASHLEIGH BUHAI: Yeah, I think this course generally is a low-scoring tournament. You have to make birdies to keep up here, which generally doesn't actually suit my game.

(Indiscernible) the frame of mind I've come into the tournament with, and I'll just try to continue the form, continue just doing the things that I'm focusing on in my swing and my putting and not trying to (indiscernible.)

Q. You've also had a journey through women's golf to the LPGA Tour. Just how nice is it to be in this kind of position?

ASHLEIGH BUHAI: It's fantastic. Shows that 16 years of being a professional has not gone to waste. It's been a long journey. Played in Europe, played all over the world. I feel like I've been persistent on tour.

Yeah, (indiscernible) the last six, seven years, but to finally really break through gives you a huge confidence boost.

Q. If you don't mind me asking, were there any times you thought about stepping away from the game, or was it just I'm just going to go out there and it's going to happen?

ASHLEIGH BUHAI: Never crossed me to step away. You know, I was still always hanging in there and playing good enough every year just finishing (indiscernible) on the CME, but, you know, it's just basically being -- my mind change basically and putting that together with a few things with my coach and putting it -- I started working with a putting coach and physio full time.

So putting all those things together just helps me stay out here.

Q. You said playing the week after a victory can be kind of a tricky thing. Are you pretty proud of how you handled it?

ASHLEIGH BUHAI: Very much so. I think it's so hard to play at high level for weeks in a row. I think that's something I'm most proud of (indiscernible) the first two days and to be in the mix again more than anything.

Just shows that what I'm doing -- I'm not trying to change anything, just sticking to the same frame of mind and trusting my swing.

Q. And you treat it as a new week, but do you naturally pull from last week and the success?

ASHLEIGH BUHAI: Of course you pull from that. You pull from the same feels, the same swing thoughts, and you try and repeat it this week. With golf it doesn't always happen, but so far it's working.

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