LOTTE CHAMPIONSHIP PRESENTED BY HOAKALEI

October 1, 2025

Mariel Galdiano

Hoakalei Country Club

Quick Quotes

Q. All right, joining me today after the first round of the LOTTE Championship is Mariel. Can you kind of talk us through your round today and how it is being back in Hawai'i?

MARIEL GALDIANO: Yeah, so my first round I would say started a little slow. I had one bogey, but remained pretty steady with a lot of pars. Then kind kicked into second gear with three birdies an the back nine.

I had a lot of family and friends who could come out to support me, so that kind of lifted my spirits and kept me going to the end. It's been a long day, so I thank them so much for coming out and supporting me throughout the whole 18 holes.

Q. Getting that birdie on 18, how did it feel to close out day one that way?

MARIEL GALDIANO: Felt really good. I mean, I walked up there and all day I've been just grazing the hole and not just -- no putts really dropping in for me except for a few.

So I kind of just trusted my process, saw my line, and went in without hesitation. I kind of knew -- I hit it, it was really good, so I knew it was going to go in.

Q. What does it mean to, one, be back at the LOTTE, and, two, play at the LOTTE along with a former teammate at Punahou?

MARIEL GALDIANO: It's great. This year is my rookie year on the LPGA, so it means a lot more to me coming back and not having to qualify or get a sponsor's exemption. I got here through knew hard work over the years and earning my Tour card.

It's great playing in the field with a bunch of other locals like Allisen and Alexa Takai. It's great to see everyone and have like local fans out here supporting me. It feels kind of funny to be playing at home for LPGA, but it's really nice.

Q. I believe three of the five Hawai'i girls shot under par today.

MARIEL GALDIANO: Uh-huh.

Q. Yeah, I don't know, any home state knowledge or anything along those lines for you guys today?

MARIEL GALDIANO: Yeah, definitely I think the grass is a little different out here compared to the mainland. We play a lot of bent and bermuda out there; here it's paspalum, so a little more grabby.

It can get pretty windy here, so a lot of us know how to play into the wind. I think just the vibes here are really good. I think a lot of us are relaxed and able to play solid rounds.

Q. You talked a little bit about being a Tour rookie. This is kind of going into the Asia swing, the back portion of the schedule. How you have felt about this first season overall with still some more time to accomplish things?

MARIEL GALDIANO: I feel like I've definitely learned so much about myself and the LPGA in general. I've played many tours for several years now, and being on the big stage is different in many ways. It pushes me to work really hard and stay out here because I know I have the game. It's just about trusting myself and executing those shots.