THE ANNIKA DRIVEN BY GAINBRIDGE AT PELICAN

November 15, 2025

Nataliya Guseva

Pelican Golf Club

Quick Quotes

Q. Okay, here with Nataliya after the third round at The ANNIKA driven by Gainbridge at Pelican. Bogey-free, 7-under 63 three. All seven birdies coming in those last ten holes. Talk about that closing stretch a little bit.

NATALIYA GUSEVA: Honestly probably got just into momentum, you know. At the first eight holes I couldn't make a birdie and I was kind of frustrated. You know, it was just talking to my caddie, to Jeff, like how many, you know, lip-outs I had for birdies.

The most important thing out here especially this golf course to be patient, and it's really hard in general like setup out here with the fast greens and with the really slopey greens, so being patient is the most important thing. I mean, I've been patient I feel like the whole season, so it's kind of nice to get some things rolling for you out here. So, yeah.

Q. We've heard some players talk about the greens: fast, slick. You only had eleven putts on that back nine. Are you starting to get the hang of the greens a little but now?

NATALIYA GUSEVA: I honestly didn't know I had 11 putts to be honest with you. No, I'm just trying to go out and play golf just like a normal person out here; trying to enjoy every moment because, you know, like probably one of the best golf courses out here in Florida and I'm just enjoying myself out here.

Q. Walk us through the last shot there. Hit it to about foot and a half, two feet. What was the number? What were you feeling? Were you confident over that ball?

NATALIYA GUSEVA: Honestly, it's kind of a hard hole in general to think about like the water and then hitting over the green, but I honestly didn't really hit it well. I kind of thinned my shot. But glad that it worked.

Sometimes you don't really need hit it well to score the best, so just use that.

Q. You talked a little bit about your partnership with Jeff. What does he do for your confidence and calm, cool, collectedness out there? We know he's a comedian and keeps you light. What does he do specifically that keeps things calm out there?

NATALIYA GUSEVA: Honestly, being a comedian before every shot to be honest. He's my good friend. You know, it's so nice to have a best friend on your bag who can just calm you down and who can kind of feel all type of your nerves out here.

So I feel like every best golfer out here, they all have great dynamic with their caddie and this is really one of the most important thing, yeah.

Q. At this point in the year a lot of backs are against a lot of different walls, but you've taken your fate into your own hands the last couple days. What has it meant to you to have this in the back of your mind but to play so well?

NATALIYA GUSEVA: Oh, it feels great. You know, like honestly I had few good weeks in Asia but sometimes we didn't really kind of had the good momentum. Sometimes, you know, like I would hit a great shot and be in a divot, which is kind of a stupid rule to have in golf, being all the time in a divot when you're in the middle of the fairway.

But things were just not drawing for me. Today was one of the days where it just kind of went. It's nice. Like it's a good feeling to have when everything is going the right way for you.

Q. We obviously know you're very familiar with Florida golf. Do you think that helps you at place that can be as tricky as Pelican?

NATALIYA GUSEVA: Definitely. I went to University of Miami and for me it's almost like a home advantage, like knowing the grain being bermudagrass. So, yeah.

Q. How do you keep the pedal down going into the next 18 holes?

NATALIYA GUSEVA: I mean, for tomorrow to be honest it's just trying to enjoy myself and just talk as much to Jeff as I could to be honest.

And, yeah, we'll see what's going to happen.