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U.S. WOMEN'S OPEN CHAMPIONSHIP

July 10, 2016

Anna Nordqvist

San Martin, California

MODERATOR: It's my pleasure to welcome the 2016 U.S. Women's Open runner-up, Anna Nordqvist. Rounds of 68, 74, 73 and 67 for a 6-under par, 282 total. Anna, congratulations on a great round today, a bogey-free round that included three birdies and an eagle.

When you started six back, what were your expectations coming in and what was your game plan to try and chip away at Lydia's lead?

ANNA NORDQVIST: Well, I didn't have the best finish yesterday. I finished with two bogeys the last four holes. So I was a little bit disappointed. But I just wanted to go out and play my own game.

I've been striking really well all week, just haven't really made any putts. Just got really windy out there today. And the course management was really good. I set myself up for some good birdie putts.

And then I hit a great 6-iron in on 15, to have a 10, 12-footer for eagle. So it was really exciting to make a run at it and then have a chance at the playoff.

MODERATOR: 18 greens in regulations on Thursday and then 17 today and really just a couple feet off on the other one. It really seemed like your ball-striking was on today.

ANNA NORDQVIST: Yeah, I worked pretty hard with my coach Jorje Parada last week and this week on my ball-striking. I went back for my brother's wedding two weeks ago, so I didn't touch a club for eight days going into Portland, so I was a little rusty last week. But this week I felt like I was hitting it great, just didn't seem to make a lot of putts this week. But then today, it was fun. It was fun out there.

MODERATOR: You handled the rules situation very gracefully when you found out on the 18th hole. Talk about some of the emotions that you had when you found out that you would be assessed a two-stroke penalty.

ANNA NORDQVIST: Well, I was in the fairway bunker there on 17. It was blowing 35, 40, and I had a 5-iron, downhill lie. Just focusing on hitting my shots, and apparently I touched the sand. It wasn't on purpose. And just one of those things. I have to deal with the consequences. Unfortunately it happened, but it's not the end of the world.

I wish USGA would have told me a little bit earlier than -- they approached me after I already hit my third shot into 18, then kind of ran up to Brittany to tell her that I got penalized. I don't know if it would have changed the outcome, but it certainly would have changed my aggressiveness into the 18th pin.

Q. Can you reach 18 in two? Have you tried that at any point this week, even in the practice rounds?
ANNA NORDQVIST: No, I had a good number in on the practice rounds, so I wasn't going to go for it today. I certainly wasn't going to go for it in a playoff. So that didn't really change a whole lot. But it's a tough pin there on 18, so if you can be aggressive, you can make a birdie. That's obviously what I needed to do, that's why I gave the last putt a run for it.

Brittany played well all week, and I can only focus on the things I can control. And, hey, I still finished second in the U.S. Open, I don't think anyone should feel sorry for me. It's just golf. It happens. It was really windy out there. It's been a long week.

I guess I just misjudged a little bit on 17 there, but I hit a great shot and a good chip shot. I guess it wasn't meant to be for me this week, but I'm sure there will be plenty of opportunities.

Q. What was your yardage after your drive on 18?
ANNA NORDQVIST: I just hit a 3-wood there, and I was in the rough. So I don't even know, because I was focusing on where I was going to lay it up.

Q. Have you seen the replay, first of all?
ANNA NORDQVIST: I have not seen the replay. It's probably -- I probably will, eventually. But it's tough out there. It's been blowing so hard all week, and the ball was sitting down a little bit, so maybe I just misjudged it a little bit. It happens. Unfortunately, it happened in this situation.

But like I said, I don't think anyone should feel sorry for me and feel bad. It's just one of those things that happens. I'll move on. I'm still going to wake up tomorrow.

Q. What do you think beyond this situation? There's been a lot of contention in the Rules of Golf the last few weeks, with what happened with Dustin Johnson at the Open. How do you feel about the role of replay in these situations? A lot of casual fans wonder about the penalty at all. And then beyond that, how you were told, how should that be handled going forward?
ANNA NORDQVIST: It happens on 17, so obviously people could see it on TV when it happened. And it was quite a long time in between. I hit my second shot on 17 until I hit my third shot on 18. With all the cameras and all the tension, you would figure that they would have told me like even just when it happened or when we were walking up 17. And certainly not after I hit my third shot in, and before she hit her third shot. Because it certainly changed her game plan. But, you know, hopefully we can all learn from it and hopefully we can all get better.

Q. Did you ask a USGA official afterward why they did not tell you sooner? Did you ask them? If so, what did they tell you?
ANNA NORDQVIST: No, I mean, they came up to me after I hit my shot and said, hey, we've been reviewing the shot and you ground your club in the bunker on 17, and that's two shots penalty. There was nothing I could do. Seemed kind of unreal that it happened, but it does. It wasn't any reason to question it. But I'm certainly disappointed of the timing of it.

Q. Have you ever received this type of penalty before in your career?
ANNA NORDQVIST: I think I've taken a bad drop sometime, but it's just such small margins. And I think it's easy to sit on the couch watching TV at home than being there playing. It's been really windy all week. It was a long shot. It happens. Unfortunately it happened today. But we live and we learn.

Q. Forgive me for not knowing, were you watching the U.S. Open with Dustin Johnson or were you at a wedding or on a golf course during that time?
ANNA NORDQVIST: I remember I was watching it. I enjoy watching it and I knew -- I thought it was pretty unfair what they were dealing with. And hopefully these kind of are situations it's nothing that no one will ever have to deal with again. But it's golf and there's just so many rules. But they're there for a reason. But I certainly enjoyed watching Dustin Johnson win. And I was certainly cheering for him at the end.

Q. You mentioned you might have played the hole a little more aggressively. What do you think you might have done if you had known earlier?
ANNA NORDQVIST: Well, it's a tucked pin there. It's only five paces on. And if you hit a little short you can put some spin on it and it can come back there if in the water. I didn't really go for the pin fully. I was going to hit it past it. I hit a great shot in there. But I certainly would have been a lot more aggressive to the pin knowing that I would at least have to make birdie to have a chance.

MODERATOR: Anna Nordqvist, congratulations on a great week.

ANNA NORDQVIST: Thank you.

FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports

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