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U.S. WOMEN'S AMATEUR CHAMPIONSHIP

August 7, 2016

Virginia Elena Carta

Springfield, Pennsylvania

Q. Congratulations on a terrific week. Just kind of sum up your week here, obviously coming up one hole short against Eun Jeong.
VIRGINIA ELENA CARTA: I get emotional.

Q. That's okay, take your time.
VIRGINIA ELENA CARTA: I mean, it has been just like great, a great week. Even if I didn't finish as I wanted, and I didn't expect to actually feel that bad on the course, and that was not great. I mean, it's not the way that you want to play a final match, especially on the second nine, when you are kind of close to each other. But I think we both played tremendous golf, and we were really close the entire 36 holes. She played great, and I played good, too. I mean, I couldn't be more excited -- I mean, of course like you play the final to win, but at the same time, I'm thankful I got into the final, and I couldn't be more happier than this, honestly, even if of course like right now it hits me because I've just finished.

I was actually like ready to make one more putt on 18 to get to play a playoff hole, but at the same time, she did a tremendous job, and clutching that putt was amazing, I think. It was great. All the support, all the support that I received from the golf course, like started from the golf course to my friends and former players, that was just great. I wouldn't have reached the final if it wasn't for them.

Q. When did you start feeling sick? When did the dizziness start?
VIRGINIA ELENA CARTA: I think -- actually now I remember it was on the 12th hole. Yes, on the 12th hole on the green, I felt dizzy, and I was holding my coach's arm, and right after, he was like, let's call medical, and I was like, no, I can do this, and I kept going, but it just got worse during the hole. And that's it.

Q. They said you had the towel draped over you on the 5th hole and they said on the 7th hole you felt a little dizzy when you went down to mark your ball?
VIRGINIA ELENA CARTA: Yeah, a little bit, a little bit, but at the same time it was super hot outside, and playing 36 holes as a final, it's always tough anyways after a long week like this, and if it was like windy and like cloudy it would have been better, but it was like super hot. The sun was like peaking, and it can happen, but at the same time like with the towel I was feeling way better.

And then on the second nine, I felt not that great.

Q. What does it say that you were able to -- for a while we didn't even know you were going to finish, yet you were able to take it to the 18th hole, and if she doesn't make the putt, you have a putt to tie. What does that say?
VIRGINIA ELENA CARTA: I mean, I knew you never know how golf is until the last putt, so I was still believing in it and talking to my coach, who was like, we either believe in it or you say that you are done right now. He said this on the 14th tee box right after I stood up. He was like, you have two choices, either we play or right now you say you're not going to play. Even if I was not feeling great, also like 4-iron was the perfect club to the green, and this morning I hit the green, today I didn't even like reach it.

But it happened to me before when I was really little that I passed out on the last hole of a tournament, and I still finished it, so it's not probably my character to, I don't know, don't give it a try, so I just tried my best.

Q. How old were you when that happened?
VIRGINIA ELENA CARTA: Oh, I was little. I think I was like 10, 11, something like that. I mean, I've always like -- even when I shot like 141 shots of my first tournament, I hit like every single one until the end with everyone telling me, just like stop playing. It's not worth it. I was like, no, I want to challenge myself. I think it's my personality. I don't want to give up no matter how it goes, and just like having a chance to actually get in a playoff hole on the last hole, that was great, and as I said, I don't think I actually lost the game, the match, the championship. Of course I did not win it, but at the same time it's not the same as saying I lost today.

Q. Seemed like you gained a lot of -- won a lot of hearts today by doing what you did. Do you feel that way even through the disappointment of not winning? Seemed like a lot of people here were in your corner.
VIRGINIA ELENA CARTA: Yeah, I mean, they have been like the entire week, I think, and it was just great having them, and the crowd on 17 when I made the putt, that was pretty impressive. I think just like having the support of everyone here was great. They were super fair because anyways they were clapping for both of us, if I made a putt or she made a putt, and no matter the situation, when she was walking into the green, they were clapping for her. I mean, it was fair. Like nothing to say.

Q. What impressed you the most about Seong?
VIRGINIA ELENA CARTA: I think she said in between the two rounds today that she had to make some more putts. I did not agree about that because she was making every single putt this morning. I had to make some putts. She just had to keep the ball on the fairway. I think this morning she struggled a little bit with her driver, but at the same time her short game, it's unbelievable. I think that's her strength for sure. Chipping and putting, like she can put it really close chipping, and then she can make really good putts.

In a situation like on the 18th hole after a player makes a putt to get into the 18th hole, making that putt to win, that was huge, I think, and it shows what a good putter she is.

Q. Was there ever a point where you thought you might not be able to finish when you were laying under that tree?
VIRGINIA ELENA CARTA: Yes. I asked, in fact, if that was the only time I could have taken 10 minutes or 10, 15 minutes with the medical staff because I didn't know how I would have stayed like for the next couple of holes. I mean, I was not feeling good at all. Like during the practice swings, also in my putting, I was like shaking, and that was not a good feeling.

But at the same time, as I said, because of my personality, like I knew if I wanted I could have arrived until the end, like maybe losing 3 & 2 but still playing every single shot and giving my best every single shot.

Q. Did the medical staff tell you anything? Did they give you or say drink some fluids?
VIRGINIA ELENA CARTA: Yeah, like drink. They asked me if I was nauseous but I was not, and they asked me what I ate the entire week basically.

Q. Was the Coke not a good idea?
VIRGINIA ELENA CARTA: No, I mean, it was just like sugar, so it was not like -- neither like good or --

Q. They were making a big deal on TV that maybe the Coke wasn't a good thing.
VIRGINIA ELENA CARTA: No, no, that was not like the point. They said that probably I was dehydrated, and that's like unbelievable because I drank so much water, and they said like the sun was hitting a lot. Probably the situation, plus the sun got me kind of bad, because the problem -- like the main problem is that I was not able to breathe properly because I was breathing really like -- I don't know, heavily. The heart rate was super high. That was the main thing. So once I was able to settle it down a little bit, it was better, but also like walking on 17 up the hill, and like not a fast pace but at the same time like trying to keep going, I felt like my heart rate going up again, and I was like super worried because I was like, okay, you still have two holes left and you are dormie, like try to survive on the course.

But on 18, going down again, because the pace was kind of fast, and in fact the rules official was walking with me and she was like holding me, but I felt kind of better as soon as my heart rate went down.

Q. Did they tell you what your heart rate was?
VIRGINIA ELENA CARTA: No.

Q. Did they ever take it?
VIRGINIA ELENA CARTA: I think so, but it was crazy insane high. Like the first thing that they checked was that, and he was like, oh, my God, just sit down and breathe.

Q. Did they tell you you couldn't take another break, that you could only do the one?
VIRGINIA ELENA CARTA: Yeah, like the rules is just one break. I remembered because of Beau Hossler at nationals, and I remember that he had just one, so I was pretty sure that it was just one, but I checked and it was just one, so I knew I had to get my best on that one.

Q. Did Seong say anything to you at any point?
VIRGINIA ELENA CARTA: No. No. We did not talk about my situation. The fact that I had to putt on 15, I was like, oh, my God, why. But it makes sense. Like you are on a final at the U.S. Amateur. It's not that you are like on a friendly match on a Sunday at your home golf course. So it makes sense, but at the same time, it was like mentally tough to approach that putt because I was like, I'm really feeling bad.

But we did not talk about that.

Q. You're going to play in the Women's Open next year. I know you were surprised yesterday when they told you that. Your thoughts about what's ahead for next year?
VIRGINIA ELENA CARTA: I mean, of course like the dream was winning and getting to play every major, but at the same time just getting the chance to play the Women's Open, I think it's unbelievable. I was super excited after winning nationals because I got the opportunity to play in Ohio at the Marathon Classic, and that was great for me. I learned so much from all the players there, and also the players that I played with like Alison Lee, Cheyenne Woods. I think having the opportunity, especially to play in the U.S. Open, that's going to be exciting.

I actually like can't wait to play. I can't wait to know what is going to be the pairing like and who am I going to play with. I mean, it's really exciting. I'm going to have Roberto on my bag again, and we'll see. I have a good feeling for that.

Q. You're going to play in MÃ©xico in the fall, too, right?
VIRGINIA ELENA CARTA: Yeah.

Q. Do you think the anxiety of the day had anything to do with it or do you think it was just not drinking properly or the sun?
VIRGINIA ELENA CARTA: No, I drank regularly. I checked my eating and drinking. I was talking to my coach this morning, and we're like, you don't have to eat like an entire table of stuff, but you need to eat constantly, so I was eating every single hole like something during the hole, so I was eating like bites of bananas or like bars or almonds and stuff, almonds and nuts.

Q. Granola?
VIRGINIA ELENA CARTA: Yes, kind of thing. So I kept myself I think like on a perfect way on the course. This is why I was really surprised when that happened. Better than that, we were remarking the fact that I needed to drink and I needed to stay on top of things, and we were doing it because we were like continuously drinking and eating and drinking and eating, and I mean, it's something that probably can happen on a day like this hot, especially after 10 days of playing golf and in a 36-hole match.

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