NW ARKANSAS CHAMPIONSHIP

September 19, 2025

Sarah Schmelzel

Pinnacle Country Club

Quick Quotes

Q. All right, here with Sarah after her first round at the Walmart NW Arkansas Championship Presented by P&G. Just talk a little bit about your round today. Tale of two different nines. Talk us through the front nine and the closing stretch there.

SARAH SCHMELZEL: Yeah, the front nine wasn't too bad. Obviously the back nine was great. I was pretty steady on the front nine. Hit a couple loose shots and didn't have I guess much momentum, but wasn't really doing anything too poorly.

Fortunately hit a couple close and made a few longer range putts and capped it off with a good shot into 18. Felt like it was a pretty steady day overall. The putter is feeling good, so that's always nice when out here when you know you need to make a bunch of birdies.

Q. The closing stretch there, four birdies and an eagle. I think five putts in stretch as well; looks like a chip-in. Can you go through that stretch a little bit more in detail, that chip in, what really went right out there?

SARAH SCHMELZEL: Yeah, I think on like -- when you get to 14, 15, 17, and 18, you should at least have looks on all those because you have pretty short clubs in. Like I had a wedge into two of them and 9-iron and then hitting that in two.

I mean, you're hoping you can finish that well. I told my caddie I think walking to the green on 14, I need to start making some birdies or else I'm going to get lapped out here today. It was just a few good wedge shots and then I made a longer one on I guess it was 17; then just hit it really close on 18, which was nice to end that way.

Q. With this being a 54-hole event, does that change your mentality knowing there are 18 holes less?

SARAH SCHMELZEL: Yeah, especially this always plays kind of like a birdiefest. You just got to make a bunch of birdies and stay super aggressive. And then with all the rain we got yesterday it's playing so soft, so within the first few holes you knew that girls were going to make tons of birdies just because you hit it and it stops right around the hole.

So, yeah, I guess it changes mentality just knowing that you got to go out there and get it. There is not much sitting back and waiting and seeing how the week is playing out. You have to try and make as many birdies as you can.