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NCAA WOMEN'S GOLF CHAMPIONSHIP

May 22, 2017

Sugar Grove, Illinois

THE MODERATOR: We are joined here at the dais by the champion Monica Vaughn, senior from Arizona State University. Monica shoots a 1-over 217 for a 54-hole total. Also joined by head coach Missy Farr-Kaye. Give us just a quick opening statement about your thoughts on today's round, being the overall medalist and your thoughts.

MONICA VAUGHN: It was a really tough week for everyone, including myself. I came out a champion, but really tough conditions, great course, had some tough weather, but was able to put that aside and really keep my focus, and I think that's what did it for me this week.

THE MODERATOR: Coach, for you an opening statement; talk about Monica, her play today, maybe some of the things that you shared on the course to get her to this point.

MISSY FARR-KAYE: You know, I think that the goal was to stay in the present, stay relaxed. We tried to just enjoy ourselves out there, and we worked hard at not talking about this being her last day as a senior. I'm going to -- Arizona State and me are really going to miss this young lady, so we tried hard to -- like I can't get nostalgic, can't talk about that, can't talk about how hard it's going to be, and we just tried to have fun out there and enjoy it. Finally figured out that pars were really good on this golf course, and I think we did a much better job with that today, and our play reflected that.

Q. Monica, talk about being a senior and being able to close out your career on this kind of note. Share what that's like for you.
MONICA VAUGHN: Well, it actually didn't even hit me until this morning when we got out of the cars when we got to the golf course, Coach gave her great opening speech of each day, and then we kind of all started crying and I started crying and was like, oh, my gosh, it could be my last round ever as a Sun Devil.

I know, I pulled it together and said, I have one round to play, and we'll hopefully get into match play, but being a senior and to finish like this is an amazing feeling. I mean, I can't even describe how I'm feeling right now. But to be a Sun Devil, too, is one of the greatest things.

Q. Is there an element of surprise that you have the trophy?
MONICA VAUGHN: You know, a little bit. I had no idea. I didn't know on the golf course today. KK came up to me on the 8th hole and was like, I don't know, I don't know where the team stands, I don't know where you stand, and I said, that's good, I don't want to know, either. I think my team did a really great job of just staying in the present on the 18th green. I got no feeling from them that I might be the champion, and not even until we put the flag in at the end and I walked off the green did I know.

Q. What do you attribute being able to pull this out to? Is it growing up on a coastal Oregon climate, or is it the experiences you learned at your first NCAAs as a freshman? What has helped you pull this off?
MONICA VAUGHN: Well, I think it's everything kind of along the way. I learn from everywhere I'm at and every experience that I've been through, and I definitely think it's partly because I grew up on the Oregon coast, I'm used to this weather, but I do have experience in the National Championship, and I think it's a lot of things. I've learned every year as a Sun Devil what works for me, and I've learned and grown each year, and I think I really obviously figured out what works the best for me on the golf course. I was walking down, I think, maybe like the 10th or 11th fairway today, and I just thought to myself, all right, well, what are you grateful for today, and that honestly helped me. Like I was kind of having a rough time. I was 1- or 2-over at that point, I think, and I just thought, what are you grateful for. It just instantly turned me around, and I played a lot better after that.

Q. What was the point -- do you remember the point where Monica turned from being just another golfer on the team to being a leader and the great player she is now?
MISSY FARR-KAYE: You know, it's been quite a journey and quite a process from when she came in as a freshman, a very -- I'd say a ton of talent, probably a little bit raw. Her emotional management what I would call on the golf course has come a long way, and once we started getting her to be a little bit kinder to herself on the golf course, she started to make some great strides. She's basically been a senior for two years because we didn't have a senior last year, so even when she didn't want to be, I'd kind of give her that look like, okay, I need you to step up and lead this team a little bit, and I think it's been a great process for her, and I'm just really proud of the young lady that she's become.

That trophy is pretty amazing, but the kind of person she is inside to me is just as amazing. It's been a great process and a lot of fun, and she's really turned in to be the core of our team, and they all look to her, so there's going to be a big hole next year when we don't have her, but I think she's done a great job of teaching the rest of our team. I think our culture in our team is really strong, and I think that we'll continue to do that. I think we're kind of in that point where the next players, the rest of the team is going to step up as they become -- well, two seniors next year, and that's really what I'm trying to get to that point.

And Mo's really -- we've had a tough couple of years, and not getting to the championship two years in a row really hurt and really had to take some stock in how we -- at Arizona State there's a lot of tradition which comes a lot of expectations, and really working hard this year to get ourselves back on track where I felt we needed to be, and Mo has been a great part of that process for us and has really -- I told them all today that they have nothing -- that whatever happened today, they all have been great representatives of our University, and I mean that top to bottom, and that really to me is really exciting.

Q. Who told you that you'd actually won and what was your reaction?
MONICA VAUGHN: I think it was somebody on the team because KK and I both didn't know. I think it might have been Robby or Madison or -- I don't know, my whole team was just kind of like, you won, and there comes the water, and it's like 55 degrees outside. But it was definitely the team that just kind of like ran up to me and told me.

Q. How do you avoid a hangover?
MONICA VAUGHN: You know, I'm just going to go back and get something to eat and get a lot of sleep as quickly as I can, even though it's like almost nine and we've got to be up early. I slept 11 hours last night, so maybe that contributed. Get a lot of sleep, and this week is not over yet. We're not done. The Sun Devils are not done yet. We're going to go out and give it our best shot tomorrow and Wednesday.

Q. Coach was talking about you being better at controlling your emotions. Was there something in particular that helped you the past four years?
MONICA VAUGHN: I think it's just gotten to the point where I was really tired of shooting mid to high 70s, and I thought, well, okay, I think my emotions need to be better because I play really good golf when I don't get mad at myself, and even like today on my 14th hole, the par-3, 5, I missed a two- or three-footer for par, and took me about a minute and a half and I was really frustrated, and I just was like, okay, you've got birdie holes in front of you, and you don't have time to be upset.

I don't know if there's really one moment in particular that I can attribute that to, but I've just learned that over the years I do better when I'm nicer to myself and when I find things to be happy about or grateful for and try to focus on the positive rather than getting down on myself.

THE MODERATOR: Congratulations.

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