	products recent interviews FastScripts archive about ASAP Sports

Our Clients:

Browse by Sport

Find us on

Subscribe to RSS

Click to go to
Asaptext.com

View our
e-Brochure

U.S. SENIOR WOMEN'S AMATEUR

September 30, 2015

Pam Kuong

Nashville, Tenn.

An interview with:

PAM KUONG

Q. Got to be a good feeling moving into the semis.
PAM KUONG: Yeah, I've never been this far.

Q. Really?
PAM KUONG: I was just happy to get in the quarters because that got me exempt for next year so I don't have to qualify. And it's literally where I live. It's in the same town. I don't really know the course that well, but I will be learning it pretty quickly.

Yeah, so semis. I guess anything can happen, right?

Q. Uh-huh. Tell me about your match with Julie. You had a 3-up lead.
PAM KUONG: Yeah. Oh, my God. I think the pin placements were so challenging that I 3-putted three of the first five greens, some not very far away. Just the pin.

So I thought, Oh, my God, I should have done a lot better. Then I think both of us, obviously neither one of us played like really sharp with our game. I think we both were fatigued from the long day yesterday.

Just kind of grinded out and we were trading holes fortunately. Fortunately at the end my putting did come through. You know, I think at the end of the day that was the key.

Q. Walk me through the last couple holes. You had a 3-up lead. She was able to chip away and get it down to 1.
PAM KUONG: Yeah, so I came up short on the par-3 and just missed the -- tried to get up and down so I just missed the putt. She made a great 2-putt from the back of the green to the front. It was really solid.

Then the next hole I just came off my club so I had to chip on. I just missed that putt.

But she was on the green, 2-putted.

The next hole I hit it really, really solid. Pin high on 16. Made a really good 2-putt.

Then on 17, you know, I just knew that I had to get it on the green, so I went a little bit longer just to be safe because the pin was up so close, up front.

Then I fortunately lagged it to a foot or so. Like I said, I think the putting saved me a lot today.

I remember one of the players told me that they thought the person who putted the best was going to do well. Definitely has come true.

Q. I've been hearing that a lot from almost every player I talk to. These greens, these greens.
PAM KUONG: Yeah.

Q. What is it about them?
PAM KUONG: Well, first, because of the grain, because we're not used to this type of grass, I think it's sometimes hard to figure out, well, downgrain is how fast? There are various speeds of downgrain. Sometimes downgrain is fast and sometimes it's not.

Then when you're into the grain, one time you might not hit it hard enough so you think, All right, well the next time I'm into the green I got to hit it, and then it flies past the hole. And the pin placements this afternoon were tucked on every single hole. The pins were really tough.

So I think that compounded the 3-putts. I'm sure it's not going to get any easier tomorrow. Just got to get out here and practice my putting and hit some balls and see what happens.

Q. You'll have Tama Caldabaugh tomorrow. Familiar with her game at all?
PAM KUONG: I don't know her at all, no. Is she new?

Q. No. She's played in this championship before. I think she had some health issues over the past couple years and might be her first time back in in a while?
PAM KUONG: Good for her. She's obviously playing very well, right, to make it this far. It will be a fun match then. Look forward to it.

Q. One last question for you: What would you say the strengths of your game are?
PAM KUONG: It's definitely my short game, my putting. Usually my driver's pretty straight.

But it's definitely my short game. I think that's why this course is set up well for me.

Q. And that came in to help you today.
PAM KUONG: Yeah, without a doubt.

FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports

ASAP Sports, Inc. | T: 1.212 385 0297