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CANADIAN PACIFIC WOMEN'S OPEN

August 23, 2017

Katherine Kirk

Calgary, Alberta, Canada

THE MODERATOR: We're here with Katherine Kirk who won the 2008 CP Women's Open right here at Ottawa Hunt & Golf Club for your first LPGA victory. Welcome back. It's got to be a great feeling to be back here at this spot.

KATHERINE KIRK: It is. Although it was nine years ago, so I don't remember everything about it. It seems like quite a while since we were here. But, yeah, certainly some good memories, so, yeah, hopefully I can build on those this week.

Q. You said nine years ago, but your breakthrough LPGA victory, your very first one. So I would say on a couple levels, maybe the time, but it had to be a surreal moment for you to try to come back with those memories?
KATHERINE KIRK: Yeah, I remember actually chatting with Betsy King earlier that summer asking her how did you feel when you won your first event? Did you know it was happening or going to happen? How did you prepare differently? Because it took her, I think, maybe six or seven years to win on Tour. I'd been on Tour for I think four going on five. Just wondering if it was ever going to happen. I remember her telling me just keep working hard because hard work pays off.

I'd switched coaches in 2007, and the progress was kind of slow, and I guess I was being a bit impatient. Yeah, it all kind of trended in the right direction when I got here. Certainly, yeah, very proud to win in Canada, and it's always been one of my favorite events. So nice to make it my first.

Q. Great to make it your first. And you recently had number three where you took your win at Thornberry Creek earlier this summer. How do you feel your game is coming into play? You're coming on of a couple weeks off now coming into here to Ottawa?
KATHERINE KIRK: Yeah, it's always interesting having two weeks off, because you're working hard in your off weeks, but you're out of that competition mode, and certainly after coming off such a long stretch, we had 12 straight, I think I skipped one of those. It was nice to have the break, but at the same time, you're in that kind of groove of competing all the time, so to take two weeks off is a little unusual, but nothing we haven't done before or can't handle.

So, yeah, I feel good about my game, and certainly the win the other week gave me some confidence, so just got to keep it going.

Q. Alena told us the other day she actually put her clubs away for seven days and she just need the time off. How do you spend those two weeks? What is the balance for you to find your downtime but also time to get ready because you are still coming back out to work?
KATHERINE KIRK: Yeah, every off week for me is different. My husband and I actually stayed in Scotland after the British Open and played three rounds in two days.

Q. Where did you play?
KATHERINE KIRK: So that wasn't exactly a break. We played the (Indiscernible), and the Old Course on the Monday after the British, and we played Kingsbarns again on Tuesday. I love golf, and when I get a chance to play with my husband, it's always fun. He's about a 7 handicap right now, and he just loves to get out when he can too. So it's nice. We were there. We celebrated our fifth wedding anniversary over there as well, so it was a little bonus on the end of the trip to play. The back to work when I got to the states.

I went out to California to work with my coach a couple days, and then this past week we actually went out to Colorado and played some golf with friends. Probably a bit more social golf in there than serious golf, but I enjoy that. I think it's good for my game too. Tournament golf is very serious and I love it, but you kind of need to appreciate the game too, and I think I have a good balance of that.

Q. I like that. Golf can be work but it can be fun too?
KATHERINE KIRK: Absolutely, yeah.

Q. Obviously, the golf course has changed a lot in the nine years and very recently it's changed. What do you think about the changes and what were some of your first impressions when you got back to this golf course earlier this week?
KATHERINE KIRK: I only got to see three holes yesterday, so I'm not probably the best one to ask about the changes. But the first three holes look awesome. So from what I have seen, it's great, and I know the members are really happy about it, so if they're happy, then usually that's a good sign.

Q. You did play here nine years ago, but there's been really an explosion in the popularity of women's golf in Canada because of Brooke Henderson, and there is a field of 14 Canadians playing in this tournament. What do you expect the crowd are going to be like this week?
KATHERINE KIRK: I expect the crowd to be great. Like I said before to Kristina, this is one of our best events and one of my favorite events. I really think obviously the hometown or the home country is going to be definitely behind Brooke. She's a great player and very deserving of her victories.

I think it's neat for Canadian golf. Obviously your season is kind of short, so when you get a chance to play or spectate, you soak it up, which is awesome.

I mean, Dawn Coe-Jones, Lori Kane, Gail Graham, they're all pioneers. But I think Brooke and Alena and Samantha Richdale. It's not just starting with Brooke, which is nice, but she's certainly flying the flag really well. Yeah, it's nice to see Canadian golf.

Q. Yesterday reminded me to a certain degree of nine years ago in this tournament because of the weather conditions. Do you have -- to use a bad pun -- flashbacks to that week when you run into conditions like that?
KATHERINE KIRK: I cannot remember the poor conditions that we had here, so nothing but good memories.

Q. On Friday there was a big delay on Friday?
KATHERINE KIRK: I may have, yeah. I remember a little bit of Thursdays round and a little of Sundays round, but Friday, Saturday, not so much. If you asked me what I shot, I don't think I could tell you actually I'd have to look it up.

Q. Not the course itself, but just the environment around here. What memories or remembrances have you had since you got back on Monday evening?
KATHERINE KIRK: I've had a few volunteers come up to me and say, hey, we met you at the volunteer tent back in '08 and you signed a hat for us. Or people would come up to me, hey, hopefully you can repeat from '08. So obviously there are a lot of folks that have come back or either volunteered or they're going to come out and watch the tournament this week.

Yeah, I mean, the set-up, it looks kind of similar, I guess. But CP and Golf Canada have always done a great job of hosting and kind of setting up events. I mean, it's a big deal playing in your national open. It feels almost like a major. So they should be proud of that. I know obviously the strength of the field is really good, so that's a testament to what they're doing right.

Q. You mentioned Betsy King earlier and CP. This is an event that is so proud of its charitable giving back with CHEO this week, and I think I read yesterday that for the past three years they've given $4.5 million to children's heart health. With Betsy and your work with Golf for Africa, what does it mean to play an event like this that does so much for giving back?
KATHERINE KIRK: Yeah, it's nice. Every tournament we play has at least one charity, sometimes it's multiple charities. So I think it's an added bonus for players to know that there's money being donated to such great causes. I think people who come out and support the event appreciate that aspect of it too.

In golf we're kind of fortunate that we can do a lot of fundraising through it, and I think there is certainly that aspect of it. We know that we can raise the profile not only of golf, but also of local charities and just bring awareness to different courses and obviously children's health. Heart health is a big one, so it's nice to be involved with that.

FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports

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