PORTLAND CLASSIC

August 13, 2026

Mariel Galdiano

Columbia Edgewater Country Club

Quick Quotes

Q. All right, joining us after the first round of the Standard Portland Classic is Mariel Galdiano. 65 today. You hit every single one of your fairways, which we heard was really important with a tree-lined courses like this. Is your ball striking something that you've been really working on or did some things feel like they just worked today?

MARIEL GALDIANO: I would say I'm a pretty good ball-striker in general, so today I was just hitting the shots that I needed to. I played on the Epson Tour last week, so it wasn't that great for me, so I just wanted to focus on hitting good shots again and solid putts as well.

I love coming up to the Pacific Northwest. Like great weather, good food, it's kind of close to Hawai'i for me, so I feel pretty relaxed out here.

Q. Definitely. You have only made a few starts on the LPGA Tour this year. How does it feel to come out and have a first round like this?

MARIEL GALDIANO: It feels really good. I mean, it's a tough grind. Last year was my rookie year and I didn't play as well as I wanted to, but I'm feeling a lot more confident in myself and in my game. So I know I can play out here. It's just a matter of when, not if.

Q. A round like this where you have nine birdies, how do you continue to manage emotions and excitement as you just keep sinking the putts?

MARIEL GALDIANO: Yeah, I do a really good job staying in the moment, staying in the present. I was talking to one of my friends about it yesterday because she was struggling with it. Just kind of reminded me of like taking one shot at a time really. Like we say that a lot but it's really hard to do.

I focus on where I want to go, where I want to hit it, and that's just all I really do. I don't look at the scoreboards, leaderboards, even my scorecard. I write my score and put it away.

I just try and enjoy myself. It's always a nice day out on the golf course.

Q. Last one: Heading into tomorrow, obviously like said, you put your scorecard away and don't think about it. What's your routine going to look like for tonight?

MARIEL GALDIANO: A lot of rest and recovery. Obviously get some good food while I'm out here. Maybe dial up a few things I feel like I could still always work on a little bit better. But, yeah, just try to be relax and enjoy myself. Every start on the LPGA means a lot to me, so just enjoy the moment really.