THE ANNIKA DRIVEN BY GAINBRIDGE AT PELICAN

November 12, 2026

Julia Lopez Ramirez

Pelican Golf Club

Quick Quotes

Q. We are here with Julia Lopez Ramirez after the first round of The ANNIKA. 64 today. Awesome to see you climb the leaderboard. Eagle, couple birdies out there. What had you coming out swinging today?

JULIA LOPEZ RAMIREZ: Yeah, no, I think the game is in a really good place. Started front a little bit show, but it was great shot, just not holing the putts. Just try to be patient out there. I know there is a lot of opportunities out here, so kind of on my back nine, the front nine, kind of managed to like get some putts to drop in. Great save on six for par, so that was very good to like kind of get the round clean.

Q. And obviously important week for you. You said just you've been playing great golf, and it will all fall into place this week. How do you embrace that mentality?

JULIA LOPEZ RAMIREZ: Yeah, no, I think it's very important to not try to go too far ahead because obviously next week is ooh big week for everyone and everyone wants to go there. So everyone is going to be fighting for getting there, and I think the most important for me is try to get one round at a time and try to get my job done every day.

If do I that, then I can see myself playing next week and that's all my goal is this week. Try to take it one step at time, don't get too ahead, and let the golf take care of itself.

Q. And You've played great golf in these past couple weeks. What's been the key?

JULIA LOPEZ RAMIREZ: I think just being like confident in what you do and not trying to put the pressure and trying to get the game in all perfection. I feel like it's really hard for me as a long hitter to be perfect in absolutely every area, so it's been more calming to me to just be okay making a few mistakes and like knowing how to come back from them instead of trying to make one after the other.

Sudoku is still in play. Doing that between shots. It just helps me not being too much thinking about golf and trying to chat, playing with groups that I can chat as well kind of helps me as well.

Yeah, just trying to get to know myself better. It's been good to see that the things that I'm doing is working my way and I'm actually trying to find what is the best game plan for me.

Q. Are those things you learned this year or you think you've, I don't know, known them before?

JULIA LOPEZ RAMIREZ: I feel like the things that you do before you don't realize you done before, and it's just things that you do before because it was easier and because it's natural to you. Sometimes when you get into like under pressure in big tournaments that you kind of forget what you have to do.

I think Solheim was a good reminder for me on that sense. I feel like that teaches you it's not just about hitting it great, it's about getting it done and kind of being a team as well.

So I think that was part of it as well, trying to like put all the dots together and be -- actually I done that before but I didn't realize I was doing it, and just kind of going back to the things that are more comfortable to me.

Q. And after Solheim, what's it been like to see some players on the team with you after that?

JULIA LOPEZ RAMIREZ: Honestly, it's been great. I feel like the team is still like quite alive. I feel like we see each other every tournament and we're like, hey, let's go grab dinner, he's let's go this. It's nice. I feel like that also give me a lot more friendships out here on the Tour because you just been a team for that week, and I felt you became best friends in that week. Everything you done you done it together, and now you going every week together.

So it's very cool to -- I was a rookie so I was always looking up to them. For me, I'm really grateful that I have them look up to and someone that I can always reach out and being like my friend now. I can call them like that.

Q. That's awesome. And one last question, too. As a big hitter, how does this golf course play differently for you? Is there a couple holes that you have to rethink things a little differently still?

JULIA LOPEZ RAMIREZ: Yeah, no, it's definitely a course that like helps me to like bomb it out there. The fairways are like very generous and like big. I think I cover most of the trouble with bunkers so I think that helps it.

I feel like probably holes that are hole very noticeable is hole two. I think that's a hole that I hit wedge and some people can hit hybrids lades to, so it does make a huge difference to that small green.

Maybe on the back nine to 14 -- no, 13. 13 is quite a long par-4 as well with like a tricky green. So I feel like things that you can actually bomb it and get it down. The fairways are quite soft so it's all about the carry right now, so I think I that takes a lot of distance and advantage to me in that sense.