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MANULIFE LPGA CLASSIC

June 10, 2017

Alena Sharp

Cambridge, Ontario, Canada

Q. After round No. 3, still in it. Just three back now. How did the round go? A little bit windy out there looked like.
ALENA SHARP: It was tough today. The greens are definitely firmer and we had a lot of downwind shot that it was just impossible to stop. You're kind of playing defensive a little bit, like hitting it hoping that it stops.

Had to hit a couple chips or long putts after hitting good shots. Just got to kind of just let it go and know you're going get some chances.

Not sure how that's going to be tomorrow, but it was good to get through this round. Didn't hit it as great as I would like to, but my putter saved me and I got a lot of up and downs.

Q. Talking about 14 and 15 for example, your putter saved you.
ALENA SHARP: Yeah.

Q. Those are things that save a round, I imagine.
ALENA SHARP: Definitely. I feel like yesterday calling the penalty on myself, like couple putts went in today. Maybe they wouldn't have gone in.

So karma is -- good karma going. I feel like I got good vibes. One more round tomorrow and we'll see how that goes.

Q. You had crowd following you kind of rivalled Brooke Henderson. Must've felt good to have the support of the Canadian crowd?
ALENA SHARP: Well I was expecting a bigger crowd because we're in the last group. People are here to watch Lexi also. It's nice to have them cheering for me, and I had a lot of great support in the crowd today for sure.

Q. Talk about the up and down on 12 after hitting it way right out of the fairway bunker to get up and down from the mulch basically.
ALENA SHARP: Yeah, I mean, I was in the fairway bunker and I thought to myself, I only have 215 to the hole. To try and lay it up and have a wedge in my hand it's going to be impossible to get it close.

I said, The worst I could be maybe was if I did hit it right. I didn't want to be that far right. I just stayed calm and hit a good shot out of that there. Just thought of it like a bunker shot and hit down on it and I got lucky and it just stopped 12 feet from the pin and made a good putt.

Q. Did you adjust your approach at all when you're co-leader after 36 holes like today?
ALENA SHARP: No. Maybe a little bit with this wind, but if there was no wind, no. I knew I would have to shoot like 6-under; Lexi shot 5-under today. She played really well. Neither of us had a bogey. She used her length to her advantage for sure. She hits it like 30 by me when I hit it good, so...

Having wedges into these greens when they're this firm is really a big advantage. Tomorrow just got to stay aggressive and keep it in the fairway and go after it.

Q. You've had multiple times where you have in contention now. As a veteran player, what are the principles you've learned about trying to approach a final round when you are right in the hunt?
ALENA SHARP: Well, I feel like if I can get out there and get hot early and post the round, you never know what happens. All the wins I've ever had when I was a kid I was always coming from behind. I like the position.

In Hawaii I was in the second to last group. Probably third or fourth last group tomorrow, so we'll see.

Q. We were talking to Brittany Marchand about the grind of developmental tour, the Symetra Tour. How hard is it on that tour?
ALENA SHARP: It's definitely expensive; $600 to play, and if you have a caddie you got to pay for that, pay for the caddie, and you're barely making money.

You got to try and have some good supporters behind you to give you some money and just try and play your best every week. You never know what can happen. It's so little money that $500 can make or break you getting your card.

Q. Right, right.
ALENA SHARP: But it's hard. You got to take weeks off, too, to be rested. You don't want to go out there and play tired and waste your opportunity.

But it is a grind and it's definitely way different than being out here. We're very fortunate out on the LPGA, very lucky.

Q. Yeah. When you look at the numbers it's shocking how little they're making down there.
ALENA SHARP: Yeah.

Q. For you, what was it like playing with Lexi out there today? Played with her much?
ALENA SHARP: Last year in Michigan, in Grand Rapids we were in the final group on Saturday, and I definitely handled it much better today than I did last year.

It was good. I stuck in there and my putter kept me in it and I have a chance tomorrow now. It was fun playing with her. She's one of the best players in the world. There is not really that much difference. That's what I'm learning and starting to believe.

Q. When it's still out here it's like a birdiefest; soon as soon as the wind gets up it's not anymore, right?
ALENA SHARP: Yeah, and then the greens are firm, and that makes it even more difficult, trying to stop on the ball on the green. Even with a wedge they're releasing ten, so it's difficult to play that. Then you got to play the cross-breeze.

It definitely was way more challenging today.

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