Read a transcript of the post-Round 2 interview with Andrew Novak and Lauren Coughlin.
Read a transcript of the post-Round 2 interview with Andrew Novak and Lauren Coughlin.
Q. Joining us here today after the second round of the Grant Thornton Invitational is Lauren Coughlin and Andrew Novak. Another great round today. Can you talk about what went well and what your strategy was?
LAUREN COUGHLIN: Yeah, I think we hit a lot we just talked about we hit a lot of greens. I don’t think we really had to chip today, which is always nice in alternate shot. You have it pretty stress free, just hit some putts and try to make birdies.
Q. And then obviously a really nice eagle on 17. Can you talk about that, just tee to green hitting in?
ANDREW NOVAK: Yeah, she hit a great tee shot. I was in prime position and didn’t really do much out there. Kind of left the face open. I hit it fine, on the middle of the face. Face was open, left it right. Probably not the spot to miss, but didn’t matter, she picked me up nicely there.
Q. Another different format tomorrow. Have you given any thought into how you’re approaching that one?
ANDREW NOVAK: Yeah, we had a 30second talk about it and we’re good to go. Make birdies.
LAUREN COUGHLIN: Yeah.
ANDREW NOVAK: Make birdies.
LAUREN COUGHLIN: Make as many birdies as possible tomorrow.
Q. You all seem to complement each other pretty well demeanorwise, gamewise. How much fun has this week been so far for you two?
ANDREW NOVAK: I think that’s kind of the thing of it, it is fun. Like you’re going out, playing a team event, having fun, making as many birdies as you can and not taking it too seriously. Trying to hit the best shots you can. You’re going through your process. It is a little bit like a normal tournament in that you’re doing the best you can, but I think the team aspect just adds a little fun to it.
LAUREN COUGHLIN: Yeah, it’s nice to have a partner to fall back on.
Q. Obviously the back nine was a little bit of a rollercoaster for you guys. What did you tell yourselves after 14 to get it in the house the way you did?
LAUREN COUGHLIN: Said my bad. I wish I could have that shot back, but I was able to kind of hang in there and we made some really good shots coming in.
ANDREW NOVAK: I think we said let’s go get 15
LAUREN COUGHLIN: Yeah.
ANDREW NOVAK: while walking after 14 green.
LAUREN COUGHLIN: Yeah, let’s go get two more, let’s go get two more.
ANDREW NOVAK: We said two more, we got three more.
Q. How challenging is alternate shot? Can you just put that in perspective?
ANDREW NOVAK: It’s funny, I feel like the challenge of it mostly is mental because at the end of the day it’s really just a golf round. It’s one ball, you play it the way through. It’s a normal golf round. It’s just two players. As long as the vibes stay good, I don’t think it’s any different than a normal golf round, but definitely like the mental aspect and how you handle it.
LAUREN COUGHLIN: I’m really a big rhythm person so the starting and stopping is like the big challenge at least for me mentally, like he said, but actually just hitting the golf shots just isn’t
ANDREW NOVAK: You might go through stretches where you don’t hit a putt for five holes and then all of a sudden you have a 20footer and you’re like how hard do I hit this one.
LAUREN COUGHLIN: Yeah, or I’ve had, like the longest putt I’ve had is like a 10foot and now all of a sudden I have like a 35footer up over a ridge. So that’s kind of more of the challenge in it than like actually just playing regular golf.
Q. Obviously in the mix going into the final round. How hungry are you guys to take home that title tomorrow?
ANDREW NOVAK: Yeah, I want to win.
LAUREN COUGHLIN: Yeah, I want to win. He said he’s like the grand slam of team competitions tomorrow.
ANDREW NOVAK: Yeah, some are calling it the modern day grand slam. Zurich, Grant Thornton. Obviously thinking about my legacy a little bit tomorrow.
LAUREN COUGHLIN: Yes, exactly.
Q. Just two questions. Best moment out there as a team, worst moment out there as a team today? Maybe an aha, uhoh?
ANDREW NOVAK: We probably have different worst moments.
LAUREN COUGHLIN: Worst for me is my hybrid into the water on 14 by far. Yeah, that one.
Q. What about any long putts or probably the best
LAUREN COUGHLIN: I holed out from the bunker for eagle on 17.
ANDREW NOVAK: Yeah, that was my best moment. Nothing I did. I was glad to put that putter away.
LAUREN COUGHLIN: He hit a lot of really good putts that honestly just didn’t go in today that looked so good for so long. I had a lot of nice tapins for par today, which was nice.
Q. There’s only 16 teams, and is there high demand with the ladies and the men to get into this? How do you how do you sort of you don’t really qualify, but do you have your agent work on this? Is it high demand? I guess that’s the question.
ANDREW NOVAK: Yeah, there’s 32 players playing in this, 32 good golfers playing in this. Yeah, I would say so.
LAUREN COUGHLIN: I mean, it’s a super fun event and so I hope that everybody wants to play in this and everybody who gets asked as long as they can, they come.
Q. Well, do you have your agents or your team work and say, look, I’m available, I would like to play? A little bit of lobbying, does that go on?
LAUREN COUGHLIN: Yeah, for sure. I think, I don’t know, when I heard I was in, I was like awesome, can’t wait.
ANDREW NOVAK: Asked if you want to play Grant Thornton, I’m like yeah, I’ll play.
