PORTLAND CLASSIC

August 14, 2025

Ashleigh Buhai

Columbia Edgewater Country Club

Quick Quotes

Q. All right, we're here with Ash Buhai after her first round at The Standard Portland Classic. 66 today; bogey-free. Just what felt good for you?

ASHLEIGH BUHAI: Everything. Felt great out there. Was really in control of my ball flight and the shots I wanted to hit, and, you know, when I could be a little aggressive, I was. When I wasn't, I just played to the right spaces and then holed some really nice putts.

I just felt everything was really solid today.

Q. And how much can you be aggressive out here on a golf course like this?

ASHLEIGH BUHAI: Yeah, I think there are moments. We've got quite a few short irons, but the pins were still tucked today for first-round pins.

Even when I was going through it this morning I said to my caddie, oh, there are some good pins out there today.

So it's just about being smart. The greens are so good that if you give yourself a putt within 20 feet they're rolling so well you have a chance at birdie.

Q. And when you're standing on some of these tee boxes it seems pretty narrow I've heard. How do you approach that mentally?

ASHLEIGH BUHAI: I prefer it. Like I said again, in the practice rounds, I love this golf course; always have. For me having almost tunnel vision helps me focus more. I just got up and could trust my fade and it could stand up the left side of the fairway or any shot I wanted to hit, and that's what I tried to do.

Q. Do you think it suits the fade out here a little bit more than the draw?

ASHLEIGH BUHAI: Maybe a little bit, yeah. Some holes where it does suit a draw. I think overall if you hit a fade, pretty straight shot, you're in pretty good shape.

Q. First event back in the States after Europe. Anything you kind of carried over from that swing into this week?

ASHLEIGH BUHAI: Yeah. I felt I played solid at the British. Started to gain some momentum. I went back to South Africa before the British, saw my coach. We did some good work. I had some bad habits that had creeped in after my knee injury. So the work we've done.

And then had my sports psychologist out at the British and I feel like it's all just starting to come together. That's what happened today. When I put them together I can shoot a good round.

Q. Anything else you're looking forward to for the next couple days to carry the momentum?

ASHLEIGH BUHAI: Just, yeah, I'm just excited that I have my go-to shot back again. It's been a little while. I was fighting the left shot so I think standing on the tee and feeling comfortable in my insides is just good to have that back.

I switched putters. Switched to the claw the week of the British. That's a bit of a change to. It's given me a bit of confidence and that's what I was looking for.

Q. Why did you make the switch? What is it about the claw that...

ASHLEIGH BUHAI: Seems the putter is just been a lot more stable (indiscernible) strike, which is what you want. Yeah, just the way the putter is moving. Took a lot for me to change, but, yeah.