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OLYMPIC GAMES RIO 2016: GOLFAugust 20, 2016Maria VerchenovaRio De Janeiro, Brazil Q. When did you realise, I have a special round going today? MARIA VERCHENOVA: I think after the first nine or maybe after the hole‑in‑one, because it was amazing. Before the hole‑in‑one, I saved a par, it was a long putt. And then the hole‑in‑one, just going my way. Q. The last birdie, how important was it to you to try to finish with a birdie? MARIA VERCHENOVA: I didn't know the course record and I didn't even know if it's going to be a course record. I just realized it when I came back there, and they said, oh, do you want your card, because you have a course record. I was like, of course I want it. But you know, it's just one of those days when everything comes together. Q. Did you feel good before? Did you have any idea it was going to be this special? MARIA VERCHENOVA: I've felt good all four days, you know. Just all four days, I was in my meditations, I was practicing a lot, I was trying to eat good. But you just never know. It's just one of the days when I was holding putts. Q. Is this your lowest competitive round? MARIA VERCHENOVA: Yes. I think I had 6‑ or 7‑under before. Q. Was there a time when you were worried you would not get to compete in these games because of what was going on with your country with the blanket? MARIA VERCHENOVA: I couldn't say I was worried, because I was sitting in Houston and it was ten days before coming here and it still has not confirmed me. But it was testing me, as well, and I was like, it was getting serious, I didn't realise they took so many Russian athletes out. I was like, I'll just keep practicing, doing my stuff, and see how it comes over. Q. What will this mean back home, that you had this amazing score on the final round of a first Olympics? MARIA VERCHENOVA: Well, I think the whole thing is just me being here and playing here, it means a lot, because that's going to push Russian golf forward, and that's what we need, because Russian golf is kind of steady now it needs to be pushed forward. Q. Will your daughter be a golfer, do you think? MARIA VERCHENOVA: You know, every time I said, do you want to go play golf‑‑ she's only four. She says yes, thumbs up, so we go. If I'm at home, four, five days, I take her for half an hour, so yes. Q. What do you think this will do to raise the profile of you and women's golf in Russia, having golf back in the Olympic Games? MARIA VERCHENOVA: It means a lot, because the financial stuff, even speaking about this, they really support me, the Olympics support me for coming here for like a year and a half. They really helped me to grow my game. It's going to push the Russian golf forward and hopefully as much as it can. Maybe the kids see me on TV, and maybe they say, oh, I want to play golf, as well. Hopefully do the best. Q. Can you just tell us about your experience in the athlete village? MARIA VERCHENOVA: If you look from the other side, it's very simple. The athlete's village, it's very simple. The rooms are very simple. But the atmosphere about it is amazing. I never even thought about staying in a hotel. I always thought about staying in the village and being with the Russian team. Like the other day, I saw the Bolt, he's here, he's just walking with me. It's amazing. Q. How proud are you to represent Russia? MARIA VERCHENOVA: It's a tough question to answer because I was playing by myself for such a long time, and obviously it's the Olympic Games, and I've been playing in the majors by myself. So I go to Houston. Q. About the hole in one, you didn't see it go in the hole, and this was your second hole in one that you've had? MARIA VERCHENOVA: No, it was third. But the first competitive, like in a competition. Q. You hit 6‑iron? MARIA VERCHENOVA: A little 6, yeah. I didn't see it till the end. On the radio they said, oh, it got in. It's a little downhill into the hole and you don't see and people was clapping. If it's near, you can't understand. Q. And you said you loved the golf course from when you arrived here; why was that? MARIA VERCHENOVA: Yes, because it's one of the golf courses where you need to play positions, and I love position golf. It's an unusual golf course for Brazil I think, because I haven't expected to have such a beautiful golf course here. It's amazing. And it's very, very pure, the grass. They looked after it really well. The greens were pure, so it's amazing. Q. Are you aiming for Tokyo? MARIA VERCHENOVA: Oh, yeah. Q. Did you think at any point, like I could maybe get a medal here if I keep going so low; you moved up 28 places. MARIA VERCHENOVA: Well, I promised my coach, I'm with Kevin Kirk, that I'm going to stay present, and that's one of the words I put in my yardage book and I haven't thought even one second about future, so I stay in the present, yes. FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports |
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