THE ANNIKA DRIVEN BY GAINBRIDGE AT PELICAN

November 12, 2026

Lindy Duncan

Pelican Golf Club

Quick Quotes

Q. All right, we're here with Lindy Duncan after her first round at The ANNIKA driven by Gainbridge at Pelican. First 62. Talk about what today felt like. Obviously hole-in-one there to kick things off.

LINDY DUNCAN: Yeah, the start was incredible. I've never been 4-under through three, that's for sure. And a birdie on the second hole is always pretty nice because that's a tough hole.

So, I mean, to make that hole-in-one, it was just wild. I have so many family and friends out watching and they were going crazy. We had to actually try to get them to calm down a little because the holes are pretty close together out here. They were just cheering me on all day.

The whole day felt pretty amazing.

Q. Did you see the ball go in?

LINDY DUNCAN: Yeah, saw it go in. Looked like it took one bounce and then went in.

Q. Obviously this week is a big week for you with the Race to the CME Globe. How did today's round feel to kick things off?

LINDY DUNCAN: Yeah, I mean, felt like I had nothing to lose. I was coming off four weeks in Asia so a little bit tired, but I know I've been playing well, so just go out there and give it my all and see what happens.

I played this course many times so didn't have to do too much in the practice rounds to get ready, which was nice.

Q. Lastly, too, quite the crew you have, the t-shirts and all. What does it mean to have their support here, especially this week?

LINDY DUNCAN: Yeah, I mean, it's the best, especially coming off Asia where it's just me and my caddie pretty much.

So it was really great to have them out. I think it makes a huge difference honestly because they're always cheering and smiling and keeps my spirits up. You know, they were so positive. Even if I hit like a not-so-great shot they were like, come on, let's go. They were great.

Q. Talk about how you know them.

LINDY DUNCAN: A lot of them are my family. Mom, sister, Tyler, my sister-in-law. Jason Braatz and his crew were here. He's been my sponsor the last couple years and their support has just been amazing.

Q. Last time you started birdie, birdie, ace?

LINDY DUNCAN: Never. First time ever.

Q. Not even college, junior golf?

LINDY DUNCAN: No way. No way. (Smiling.)

Q. Did you have any sort of sense -- you know, the ace is out there by itself. Did you have any sense before the round that the birdies were going to just stack on each other today?

LINDY DUNCAN: No, not at all. Just a normal day. I've been playing a lot of golf, so I think when you play a lot of tournaments and there has been a lot of travel, I think there is a little bit less of caring honestly.

You always care, but it's like I've just been playing so much it starts to all blend together a little bit.

Q. Being that you're kind of on this CME bubble, you can approach it one of two ways, right? Either really fret about it or free up and say, what do I have to lose? I think I heard you say that. Does that require a conscious effort to try to separate yourself from all the stuff that hangs out there?

LINDY DUNCAN: Yeah. I mean, sure it doesn't. Like anything. You're practicing on your game, practicing on your mindset, and it all requires effort.

And I feel like I've had a good year; just haven't quite put four rounds together and had those top finishes.

So my game is in a good spot and I've been enjoying playing a lot. That's really all I can ask for. I always have to remember a couple years ago I would've been really excited to be in the position to be able to make CME when I didn't have my card.

So I try to remember that as much as possible, because that helps keep things in perspective.

Q. How many years have you played this event?

LINDY DUNCAN: I'm guessing five.

Q. Okay.

LINDY DUNCAN: Yeah.

Q. People talked about just the weather has made it softer this year. Did it play that much different today than in past years?

LINDY DUNCAN: I didn't notice it playing that much different, but the fairways definitely would roll out more in the past. They moved up 18 and they moved up eight, which are two of the longer par-4s, so that helped. But, no, I felt pretty similar.

Q. What was the club on three, and how many hole-in-ones is that for you now?

LINDY DUNCAN: Yeah, 6-iron, just like standard, I think 160 yards.

And I've had two hole-in-ones on the LPGA and then I've had two just by myself or just playing with friends.

So my count is four.

Q. You mentioned you're tired. Obviously it's late in the season. What's motivating you at this point in the year?

LINDY DUNCAN: Just trying to have a good finish. Like it would feel great to have a good finish to the season. It's always bittersweet coming to the end. Really looking forward to offseason and just hanging with family and friends, but also the competition is just at an all-time high so you're just trying to push your game all the time.

But really looking forward to trying to have a good, strong finish.

Q. Is getting into the field next week important to you?

LINDY DUNCAN: Of course. I mean, that's an amazing tournament. It makes up a huge part of the schedule, and you make that tournament and you know you've had a lot of good finishes. But sometimes you work hard and it doesn't happen for you, and you kind of have to accept either way and use it as motivation.

But it's one of the premier tournaments of the season.

Q. Coming off that many weeks in Asia, feeling fatigued, how does that impact your routine? What do you do to manage your energy over these last few weeks?

LINDY DUNCAN: Yeah, it's been like shorter, everything has been shorter. But the nice thing is that I've been playing so much so I can kind of rely on the reps that I've already done.

The biggest thing is just trying to sleep. The jet lag coming from Japan is just really hard. Takes me like five days. So hopefully tomorrow will be a little better.