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U.S. WOMEN'S AMATEUR CHAMPIONSHIPAugust 6, 2016Virginia Elena CartaSpringfield, Pennsylvania Q. You're in the Women's Amateur final. Has it sunk in at all? VIRGINIA ELENA CARTA: No, not at all. I mean, before, I knew it would have been tough today to get into the final. Yuka is young, talented, like she's an awesome player. She was hitting the ball farther than I was, and after like the first tee shot on No. 1, I was like, oh, my God. I was like, you either are like super sleepy and you need like 15 bottles of Coke, or she hits it like super long, and she actually like hit it super long. Like on the second hole she flew the bunker. She didn't even see it. I was like, okay. So I knew it would have been tough because all the girls I played against, I was giving them meters. On a course like this, it's kind of an advantage because you have shorter clubs into the greens. They are elevated, so I knew it would have been super, super tough to win. But I think I kept myself composed the entire time, and I was not sleepy at all today. I was really focused, even if I was really tired, because I didn't sleep that much. But on the second nine, I thought about yesterday, and I was like, okay, even if you are just one down, you are actually not like 15 down, but you need to approach them as yesterday, no matter what. I grabbed a Coke on No. 10, and my coach was like, no, you're fine. You're not going to need it. I was like, let's get it. And then I drank it like going on the 12th. The shot on 10 was crucial, and the shot on 11, again, was great. 12 was a bad hole. I would have never expected Yuka to play that beautiful shot from the bunker. That was a tough shot. That kept me -- I don't know, it was kind of unexpected, so I was shocked about that, and we didn't have a good green reading at all that putt. We were arguing about where to aim, and I was like, no, it's like right, and he was like, no, it's left. Instead of like paying attention on actually the pace and putting it close, we were more like debating about the line that was not that relevant. So those three-putts kind of impacted me. But at the same time, the things that I brought from nationals is to see bad things in a positive way, so I three-putted that hole and I lost that hole, and I was like, okay, this is going to be great, because now you have to be even more focused on the next shot, and to believe it even more than what you are actually doing. So that was great. Like three-putting that hole was great. Then, I don't know, like putting the ball in the bunker in the next hole was not like the worst spot where to go after yesterday, I think, but at the same time, it was really tough from the bunker, and we made the perfect decision to hit that shot on the left, and then making that putt was unbelievable. The hole after, the shot from that bunker, I don't know if it was really loud, but like I said, "wow," and I meant it because how I hit that ball, I was like so impressed. I didn't know I could actually do it. So that was like huge for my confidence. So both those pars were great. And then the par on 15, again, with two-putting that ball. The problem of 15 is that that slope gets the ball back, so we said, okay, if you get the slope good and it's going to be on the green, if not, it's better long than short. The problem is that it like stayed over the slope, so two-putting that hole was like a great two-putt, and then things kept going. Arriving on 17, I hit two great shots, and that was pretty cool. Q. How far did you have in with your 3-wood on 17? VIRGINIA ELENA CARTA: It was 195 meters, so it's plus 20. Q. How long was your eagle putt? I had you at 215 out. VIRGINIA ELENA CARTA: Yeah, and it's plus 20. Q. So you woke up this morning thinking -- what was going through your head? VIRGINIA ELENA CARTA: I had such a bad -- I had a nightmare that was super bad. Right now I don't remember it, but people I think were following me or something, and I had to sprint all over the city. That was like super bad. My cousins were in the nightmare, too. The problem of like waking up at 4:00 is like trying to replace the dream, the match was coming into my mind, and that was not helping because I couldn't fall asleep again. But at the same time I didn't want to continue my nightmare, so I really didn't know what to think. So I just like stayed up and then texted my coach, and I was like -- Q. Did you go back to sleep? VIRGINIA ELENA CARTA: No, like I was trying but I could not fall asleep. But it's okay. Q. So adrenaline got you through the day? VIRGINIA ELENA CARTA: Yeah. For sure. Q. Can you talk about the reaction with you and your caddie at the end there? Has anything like that ever happened before with you and him? VIRGINIA ELENA CARTA: I think I'm leaving a little bit the same emotions -- as I was saying yesterday, at the French International, he was there, too, my reaction crying yesterday was the same as in the round of 16 there, and the reaction that I had today was the same as in the -- actually in the semifinals there. I won on the 21st hole, making a really nice putt from like two yards or something like that, and it's just like really, really emotional. I don't know, like relief a little bit of the tension that I had, and a little bit of pressure, too, because I knew I couldn't lose my attention not even for like one second. Also on the last putt, I was like, no one really cares if you make the eagle putt, even if it's not even three feet. But at the same time, you have to be focused because the ball has to literally stop one inch from the hole, and that's it. So I knew also there I wasn't focused on like hitting it super hard to make eagle because like that was not my goal. Q. On 7 you caught a little bit of a lucky break with your second shot, bouncing across the hazard, and then your recovery after that was pretty good. VIRGINIA ELENA CARTA: Yeah. My recovery after that shot was pretty good. Also with like the iron to the green, it just like rolled forever over the green. I mean, with her on the green, I knew I just had to hit it close. But at the same time like it bounced perfectly and then like rolled back, but I couldn't do anything else. That was okay. The driver on the left was pretty bad because it didn't give me the opportunity to hit the second shot on the green, not even like a good lay-up because the lie of the ball was awful. Q. There were a lot of putts today that neither one of you conceded to each other. VIRGINIA ELENA CARTA: Yes. Q. What was going on there? VIRGINIA ELENA CARTA: I have -- Q. If you know. VIRGINIA ELENA CARTA: I have no idea. I just know that I've been putting like one-footers the entire day, but at the same time since she was not giving me one-footers, I couldn't give her two-footers, so we were both putting. But it was just crazy. Like crazy. But it's okay. Q. Have you been on the clock often? VIRGINIA ELENA CARTA: No. Q. Did that rattle you at all? VIRGINIA ELENA CARTA: A little bit. But at the same time, I just knew I just had to run and be the first one on the ball so that I had more time once on the ball to measure and to pick our strategy once on the ball. Q. When did you guys first get put on the clock? VIRGINIA ELENA CARTA: So at the end of 13, the referee told us that we were two minutes late but it was not a warning. The real warning was on 16. They told us you guys are on the clock from now, so you'd better move. So I ran the entire 16 and then ran to 17, and then thank God I finished the match because I could not run 18 because it's uphill. Q. So you said you just met Seong this morning at breakfast, but do you know much about her? VIRGINIA ELENA CARTA: Yeah, I mean, I know like she won the U.S. Girls. I know she's like a tough competitor. Because she's a friend of Andrea Lee and I know Andrea really, really well, we are really good friends, that means that she's really nice, too. But at the same time, I think like getting into the final, everything is going to be hard. We are both going to feel the pressure, and we are both happy to be here. You know, she will be the one winning U.S. Girls and U.S. Am in the same year, so I think that's amazing, and I'm really excited she has that opportunity, but I'm really excited to be in the final, too. Q. You both have cool stories. VIRGINIA ELENA CARTA: Yeah. Q. Who gave you the bracelet? VIRGINIA ELENA CARTA: I bought it. So the story is I had another one that she picked first, and it was saying carpe diem, but it broke before coming here, so now they are like fixing it. So meanwhile, I had to -- I went to the same place and I got this bracelet from the same stylist. Q. Artist? VIRGINIA ELENA CARTA: Artist, thank you. Q. The best is yet to come? VIRGINIA ELENA CARTA: Yep. Q. Good phrase; seems to fit. VIRGINIA ELENA CARTA: Yeah, because the other one was not a good phrase, so I'm like, not going to pick that. Q. You're exempt into the U.S. Women's Open next year now -- VIRGINIA ELENA CARTA: Oh, really? Actually? Q. Actually. VIRGINIA ELENA CARTA: Oh, my God, that is so cool. Q. You didn't even know that, so now you know. Obviously you're excited about that. VIRGINIA ELENA CARTA: Oh, my God, actually. Q. Win or lose tomorrow, you're in the U.S. Women's Open next year. VIRGINIA ELENA CARTA: U.S. Open, not Amateur Open? Q. U.S. Open. Clearly excited about it. VIRGINIA ELENA CARTA: That is super cool. Thanks for the good news. Q. Have you been to your Italian restaurant every night? VIRGINIA ELENA CARTA: Yes. We switched to another Italian one because one of the members said it was better. Q. But it wasn't? VIRGINIA ELENA CARTA: It's like -- it has the same owner or something like that, but no, the other one is better. My fish is perfect. Q. I've got nine quick questions for the website, silly, quick things. What's your favorite club in your bag? VIRGINIA ELENA CARTA: Driver. Q. Who makes up your dream foursome? VIRGINIA ELENA CARTA: Foursome would be me, Lorena Ochoa, Amanda Blumenherst, and Stefania Croce. Q. What's your most memorable golf experience? VIRGINIA ELENA CARTA: Winning nationals and being in the finals now. Q. Do you have any superstitions on the golf course? VIRGINIA ELENA CARTA: Yeah, a lot. Q. What's one, primary one? VIRGINIA ELENA CARTA: The ball marker, it's the duke ball marker. I'm really, really kind of superstitious with that, so I know that if I'm missing a lot of putts I have to turn it the opposite side. But this week I'm like not turning it at all because I'm like, okay, just like try not to be superstitious because if I miss putts on both ways of the marker, I have to change -- I think I have like 15 markers in my bag. Q. What's the best piece of golf advice you've ever received? VIRGINIA ELENA CARTA: I've received a lot of good ones. I think Dan Brooks, my coach at duke, at nationals on the first tee, he said -- actually on the first day on the first tee, so I was far away from winning it, he said to me, just be yourself. You're going to miss shots and you're going to hit good shots. Don't be upset if you miss them because you're going to do it, and that kept me in a positive way on the course because even if I was missing a shot, I was like, that's normal, like of course. Q. What's the longest shot you've ever holed out? VIRGINIA ELENA CARTA: No idea. I was so close today on my first hole-in-one ever, but it didn't go in. I was super sad. Q. So you have no hole-in-ones? VIRGINIA ELENA CARTA: No. Q. On 3? VIRGINIA ELENA CARTA: On 3. That was so close. That would have been my first one. Q. Who is your golf idol? VIRGINIA ELENA CARTA: I think -- I mean, growing up I had like a lot of golf idols. I think as professional players, I would say Lorena Ochoa. I met her when she won the British Open, and she was like the nicest person out there. Q. You were at the Old Course for that? VIRGINIA ELENA CARTA: Yeah, I was on vacation, so I followed her the third round. It was just inspiring. She dedicated -- she just inspired me because she was super composed on the course, but then she spent so much time with all the kids, so that was great. Not a lot of people do that, so that was great. And then of course like Amanda is one of them, too, and Stefania Croce and et cetera. Q. What's your favorite sport other than golf? VIRGINIA ELENA CARTA: I played -- like growing up I played thousands of sports, like every sport, like fencing, sailing, blah blah blah, but at the same time, I've been playing for a long time basketball. But playing basketball, I broke my right ankle ligament in 2009, and that made me switch from basketball to golf. This past year during conference, I was playing basketball, and I had a stress fracture in my leg, in my fibula, so I think I'm done playing basketball. Q. You go to duke now obviously, so basketball is fairly decent. Do you go to a lot of games? VIRGINIA ELENA CARTA: Some of the games but not the entire time. I need to study a little bit. Q. What was the most fun thing you did this week off the golf course? VIRGINIA ELENA CARTA: Not sure. I don't know. I didn't do much. I was too tired. I think the dinner that we had with me, my coach here and Coach Brooks, it was hilarious. We had a lot of fun. So that was great. FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports   |
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