Kristie Smith (Australia)
Kristie, you missed a short putt and perhaps that was what went wrong for you because you took off like a train after that.
Yeah, I missed a short one on my second hole. I was a little bit jumpy on the first couple of holes and I think I tried too hard on the first couple of putts.
I left the first one short and had a par and yipped a little one on the 11th hole. On the third hole I told myself not to try too hard over the putter and it clearly worked.
A 65 is a low number. Were you feeling in the mood for a low number today when you woke up?
Not really, no. I haven’t been hitting it well and my father has actually come in from Australia to support me.
Are both your parents here?
No, just my dad. My mum is joining us at the British for a couple of weeks.
Is your dad here just for the week?
Yes, he had to work last week in Ireland so he’s decided to stay over.
Do you work a bit harder when he’s here?
No, not really. It’s nice to have him here because I’ve been struggling a bit with my swing so it’s nice to get a check up.
Talking to your dad you’ve been working a lot with Ian Triggs. The short game has brought you to a new level hasn’t it?
Yes. I’ve been putting a whole lot better this year and that’s probably why I’ve been playing so well. My chipping has improved out of sight. I’ve been working really hard on that so definitely the short game has had a bit of improvement.
You’ve won in Australia and you’ve won in the States. How would you like to finish here?
A win here would be absolutely perfect.
Just one bogey on the card.
It just came out of nowhere, a three-putt really. I’d been putting pretty well apart from the three putt on that hole.
Do you get a bit ahead of yourself?
Not really. I just felt like I would try to keep it going.
Did the wind get a bit stronger?
It did, definitely. The back nine was a lot harder. It will be a test for the girls if it keeps up this afternoon. Good to get in and out.
What was the key to your round today?
I had 26 putts and that’s always nice to have on the statistics. I drove it pretty average but holed some putts which was where the 65 came from.
How did you feel out there on the golf course today?
I felt really comfortable, even after the yippy start I had on the 11th hole. I feel really comfortable on this golf course. It suits my eye and I’ve been here since Friday so I’ve had a really good warm up.
Georgina Simpson (England)
You may not have been feeling that good out there but you’re game was red hot. Talk to us about that 66.
I had a few birdies and two bogeys. My head is not straight at the moment because I’m full of cold but to have eight birdies and two bogeys for a six under is great.
A great shot on 11: you came so close to an ace.
It was unfortunate because another half a roll and it would have been in. No car there though so not too bad.
What about your ambitions at the moment. Clearly this is a perfect start for you but have you been happy with your form?
I’ve been working really hard with Graham Walker, my coach. I’ve been pestering him to death but we’re on the right track and I’m putting the work in. Hopefully if I can stay well and finish the next two days we might have a chance of being up there.
Vikki Laing (Scotland)
What was the key today?
I putted really well today. I had a lot of chances at birdie and I happened to make quite a lot of them, almost all of them, so that was pretty exciting. It’s kind of nice to get on a birdie run again. I’d forgotten how much fun it was.
How many putts?
30 total, 26 greens in reg putts so not too bad. I hit 16 greens so not too bad.
Where do you feel this form has come from?
I just really enjoyed making a couple of birdies and had a few on the spin. You get an opportunity at the next hole and you really want to make it. You keep having more opportunities and I guess the cycle continues. I drove it pretty decent today. I missed one fairway that I can think of that got me in a bit of trouble but other than that I hit a lot of fairways and it gave me a lot of chances at the green. Its pretty soft out there so that was nice.
What are your ambitions for the next two days?
I’m just going to try to do the same thing: hit fairways and greens; hit my targets and try and stay loose. Hopefully the putter will keep working just as well.
You must be hoping for more sunny weather.
If it stays dry I’ll be so happy. I’m enjoying it and I’ve got a local caddie, so that was quite exciting. He’s just carrying the bag but it’s nice to have someone doing that for you, especially if it rains.
