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U.S. WOMEN'S OPEN CHAMPIONSHIP

May 30, 2018

Danielle Kang

Shoal Creek, Alabama

THE MODERATOR: Welcome to the 2018 U.S. Women's Open Championship. We're here with 2 time USGA champion Danielle Kang.

You got 9 holes in on Monday. Just some reactions to the course.

DANIELLE KANG: Well, it was playing really difficult on Monday. It's playing really long and yeah, I mean I feel like that was centuries ago. I haven't gotten to see the whole golf course yet. Kind of got to see how it is.

THE MODERATOR: Talk a little bit about your experience in Women's Opens and what sets it apart.

DANIELLE KANG: What sets it a farther from everyone else's? The USGA does an incredible job of putting up this event. I'm getting a phone call. I can't answer this, can I? Hang on one second.

Yes. So you guys, USGA does an absolutely incredible event. It's a U.S. Open the event that everyone looks forward to every year and the golf course is just going to be, you know, tremendous shape and all that but I know it's a lot of rain and I know the conditions are not what the USGA wants it to be right now but I expect nothing less.

It is what it is. It's the toughest event of the year, one of the toughest events and comes with rain delays and comes with the difficulty of coming in and out of the golf course. It's all part of it, I guess.

THE MODERATOR: Any questions? We're going to open it up.

Q. Danielle, I was wondering what like the general mentality has been amongst players during all this off time. Are you guys apprehensive or nervous or just trying to chill?
DANIELLE KANG: I can't really speak for anybody else because I think there's a lot of different feeling going on. I don't know if some people are going to play 18 today. I'm sure some people are definitely stressed out. It's the U.S. Open. They can't practice.

Some people are going to hit some range balls. Speaking for myself, I don't know. I've been sleeping in really well. I slept really well. I went to watch the Star Wars Solo movie. I went to some restaurants. I went to this like museum.

I didn't come out yesterday. I went to watch a movie. Today I slept in until 10. I knew there was going to be a little delay so I woke up, I slept till 10, went for a brunch. I just rolled out.

Q. Have you played all 18 holes here?
DANIELLE KANG: No. I've only played 9.

Q. Do you want to?
DANIELLE KANG: I definitely do but, honestly, like my friend, Trey Mullinax, he's on the PGA TOUR from Alabama. He walked me through the whole golf course from 1 to 18 on the phone. I feel like I've played it, you know. I have the yardage book. My caddy is stressed out. He hasn't walked it. I'm really okay.

As long as there's a fairway and green there's nothing really I can do anything about, you know. So I had the afternoon tee time today so my practice round canceled so I'm going to try and see if I can be on standby and go tee off the front-9, 1 to 9 but if I don't, oh, well.

Q. Thank you.
THE MODERATOR: Other questions?

Q. When he talked you through 1 through 18, what were some of the highlights.
DANIELLE KANG: I played the back-9. He goes, "Oh, what do you think about this hole, what do you think about No. 12?" I go, "Hey, I think I'm going to miss it on left side on 12." He goes, "Oh, no, no, no. No, no." He's like, "Baby, don't hit it in that bunker." I go, "Why not? I could totally get my 5-wood out of it." He goes, "Yeah, it's Monday."

He's definitely helping me out on where to miss it, what pins to attack and what to be conservative on. I definitely feel like he's given me some local knowledge and that helps a lot.

THE MODERATOR: Any other questions?

Q. Curious, I think I read correctly you're a Vegas Knights fan.
DANIELLE KANG: Go Knights.

Q. Is that a pleasant distraction for you to be able to watch the Stanley Cup? You've been to some of the games. Talk on that a little bit.
DANIELLE KANG: I've been to every home game. I haven't been to any playoff games. I got tickets for Game 5 so I'm real excited. That game on Monday. How incredible was that Monday? All screaming in the hotel room. I'm sorry for whoever is next door.

I don't know if it's a distraction. Definitely exciting to have the Vegas Knights be in the Finals and playing for the Stanley Cup.

I'm definitely watching all the games but when the tournament is on I usually go to bed early. I miss a couple games when they play really, really late. We'll see. It's exciting though.

THE MODERATOR: Anything else?

Q. Danielle, when, if ever, did you last go into a Major Championship with so little preparation?
DANIELLE KANG: I definitely prepared a lot. I don't know what I can say about preparing for this golf course. However, this is going to sound weird, I've never been more prepared to play a Major than anything.

So, every week -- every week-in and out, every event I played in even on -- not Meijer, what am I saying, Volvik Championship. Even if I finished at 7:00 p.m. me and my caddy would go out on the range and do wedge work and putting and everything I needed to be tuned up for this week.

I did all the work I possibly could do. My game feels really great. I like where I'm at mentally and physically and where my golf game is at. I feel more prepared than ever. That's why I think I'm so kind of relaxed about it.

I can't say for sure that I know the golf course as well as I've known other golf courses but then it's the USGA. You guys set it up like everyday it's so different. You think you're prepared, you play it a hundred times and show up on Thursday and, "What the hell?" So, I'm pretty prepared.

Q. I know you had called your brother, too, at Olympia Fields to get some insight into playing that course.
Is that something you do a lot, to call different players to get advice on courses, something you do pretty frequently?

DANIELLE KANG: No, I don't think so. I call my brother a lot but no, Trey is from here, he wasn't playing The Memorial. He was going to be here and walk the golf course with me but he got in, that's amazing, I hope he plays well this week.

Dustin Johnson helped me out at Pinehurst. Whoever knows the golf course the best when they reach out, I'm open ears, "What should I do? What should I not do?" At the end of the day you could know the golf course really well, don't go left and you pull it. What are you going to do? You don't know.

THE MODERATOR: Any last questions? All right. Well, Danielle, thank you for being here and best of luck this week.

DANIELLE KANG: Thank you so much.

FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports

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