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U.S. WOMEN'S OPEN CHAMPIONSHIP 2017

July 16, 2017

Shanshan Feng

Bedminster, New Jersey

THE MODERATOR: Good afternoon. I am very happy to welcome to the 2017 U.S. Women's Open Shanshan Feng who today finished tied for 5th. Shanshan, I know not the day you wanted but can you talk a little bit about the entire experience and a little bit today.

SHANSHAN FENG: Well, I mean I think overall, before the last hole I did pretty well. I mean I did a good job hanging in right there because my putting was not really that great so I didn't make any birdie chances unless -- well, I played the Plan B on the 10th hole. I hit it close enough so I made a birdie.

Then, I mean finishing up with a triple bogey on the last, of course, it's not very -- not very necessary but I don't know how I hit it that far on the 3rd shot and then I just lost myself after that and overall, I think I had a great week this week. My second best finish at the U.S. Open. Still a very good experience.

THE MODERATOR: Excellent. We'll open it to questions in just a minute. But I do want to ask you, you know, now with this sort of finish, what does that do for you for the rest of the season as you leave here?

SHANSHAN FENG: Well, actually I think, you know, now I look back I should be happy, actually, about my result because coming into this week I had no expectation at all. My last three U.S. Opens, I think I missed two cuts and last year I just made the cut so actually this year is such an improvement.

So, I think it's been great.

THE MODERATOR: We'll open it to questions very quickly. Do we have any questions?

SHANSHAN FENG: I don't think so.

Q. Just wanted to ask about having the lead today if it added any pressure coming into this round?
SHANSHAN FENG: I couldn't hear.

THE MODERATOR: Any pressure today having the lead.

SHANSHAN FENG: Not really. I mean I didn't really look at the leaderboard, even though I knew I was leading but I knew there were -- the scores were pretty tight so I didn't think about I was leading.

All I tried to do all four days was actually trying to enjoy the process and then focus on every shot and give my hundred percent on every shot. Didn't really matter.

Q. Can you tell us a little bit about the champion, what you like about her game and what she's like away from the golf course?
SHANSHAN FENG: Well, she's a rookie this year, super rookie and I mean before she got on the Tour she already played a few years back in Korea and was the money queen and she played all our Majors last year and I played with her all four days at the Evian where she finished tied for 2nd.

She's young and long so she hits the ball very long and very straight, very accurate and has very good short game, also. I don't see any weak part in her game.

And, you know, I'm not surprised that she won this week because I was just talking to my friends, I said, "As good as she is, she's going to win anytime." So, yeah, I'm happy about her, for her.

Q. Was there ever any point today when you started to realize, okay, maybe this is slipping away from me because you weren't making any putts; did you say to yourself, okay you knew you were going to have to make a couple today to stay, you know, in the lead; did you start to say, okay, maybe this is a little slipping away from me a little bit?
SHANSHAN FENG: No. I don't know what the others were doing the whole time. I only knew what my playing partner was doing and she was doing well. Our scores were pretty tight and I was just trying to focus on my game.

But I knew that, you know, on the last hole I mean when made the putt and people went like crazy. Oh, she must be winning. I said to my caddy, "Oh, maybe we try to hit it in" because I didn't know how many I was behind but I was like try to make it. Instead of making it, I didn't hit a very good shot.

Q. The words you just used to describe the winner, "young and long", can that now be described for the future of the LPGA? It seems like young and long is a trend.
SHANSHAN FENG: I would say when I was younger I was longer, too. It's just this is my 10th year on the Tour and I'm turning 28 soon and I mean my body just can't spin as quickly as I could when I was young.

When I was young I was really long, too. I was out driving like all the older LPGA players. Now I feel the other way, we actually swapped, I'm older one and they are out driving me.

But I mean I still got my experiences and also I do hit the ball very straight so I mean I don't see, you know, that as no way for us to beat them but I would say, of course, the young players are really good now.

Q. You played with a young player today who bombed it pretty far. Can you talk about the amateur you played with and what you saw in her game?
SHANSHAN FENG: She's very good player. I didn't see her as an amateur. I thought she was just a great playing partner and great player. She was very long, for sure, and then she was very -- I didn't see anything was bothering her. Like mentally she was so ready.

Understand, though, this is the U.S. Open and she is an amateur, she wanted to win I could tell and then she was going for it every time, didn't seem like she had pressure at all and I mean she had a very good finish, too. So I'm happy for her. When -- is she 17?

THE MODERATOR: 17.

SHANSHAN FENG: When I was 17 I didn't play my first U.S. Open but I missed the cut like I don't know how many. Yeah, she's good.

THE MODERATOR: Shanshan, it has been a pleasure watching you play, it has been a pleasure having you in here with us. I think I speak for many, you've made a lot of new friends and fans this week. We'll look forward to having you back with us next year.

SHANSHAN FENG: Thank you.

FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports

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