	products recent interviews FastScripts archive about ASAP Sports

Our Clients:

Browse by Sport

Find us on

Subscribe to RSS

Click to go to
Asaptext.com

View our
e-Brochure

U.S. GIRLS' JUNIOR CHAMPIONSHIP

July 21, 2018

Alexa Pano

Pebble Beach, California

Q. Long day today; you played 51 holes of golf. That's a lot of golf. I know you're young, but have you ever played 51 holes of championship-level golf in your life?
ALEXA PANO: I don't think so. I mean, I really wasn't thinking about how many holes I'd played, and I don't think Yealimi was, either. It was just kind of trying to play good on every single hole and taking it one by one.

Q. You got off to a good start against her and then she took advantage of the par-4 8th and then the two par-5s to seize control. Talk about that stretch.
ALEXA PANO: Yeah. I mean, she played really solid the whole day. I think in the beginning I was just making some birdies, and she had some advantages on the par-5s being able to be longer and to have easier shots into the greens. But I mean, overall she just killed it the whole week and played insanely well. I can't really complain with even par or 1-under and losing.

Q. You're going to get a lot of exemptions. You no longer have to qualify for this for another three years, so you'll be 16 years old by the time you have to qualify again, and you're in the Women's Amateur in a couple weeks. Talk about the whole week and what you accomplished this week.
ALEXA PANO: Yeah, honestly, the past few weeks, my game has finally started to come together and paid off this week, definitely. I mean, to be in my first USGA championship final feels really good, and it was a really good experience, and hopefully I'll be back in this position next year, probably in Yealimi's spot.

Q. What do you think you can take from this that will help you going forward? What do you think you learned about your game and match play that you'll take next time you get in this position?
ALEXA PANO: I don't really think that there's much that I need to change in my game. I think it's getting better at every aspect. Every part of my game probably needs some work, and I'll do that before U.S. Women's Am and hopefully come out and play match play the same.

Q. You've got another match play event next week so that probably will help you, give you some confidence?
ALEXA PANO: Definitely. I think my teammates will be pretty happy seeing my finish this week and knowing that I'm coming in with a little bit of match play.

Q. Toward the end of this match you kind of hung in there real hard and didn't make it easy for Yealimi to bring it home. What did you draw on because it's got to be tough coming down such a long stretch.
ALEXA PANO: Yeah, I mean, definitely it's just trying to stay alive, and it was really tough to not -- to try and keep going when you're dormie because you know that there's not a chance for you to win, there's only a chance for you to push a playoff, and you get more tired as the day goes on. I mean, it was really just digging deep and trying to keep up. I did miss some putts coming in but made them when I needed to.

Q. Obviously you guys probably talked about -- the USGA talked to you guys about trying to finish this today. Your thought process of doing this all in one day versus trying to come back and sleep and do this in the morning?
ALEXA PANO: Yeah, I mean, at the beginning I was kind of iffy on it. It was Yealimi's idea. And looking at it from the beginning of the round to now, it was definitely a really good decision. I mean, if I couldn't win today, I don't think coming back in the morning would have helped me in any way. I mean, it's just good to get it done. You never know when there could have been a fog delay until 1:00 p.m. tomorrow.

Q. You probably want to get on a flight to Massachusetts?
ALEXA PANO: Yeah, I wish I was there tonight.

Q. That starts on Monday?
ALEXA PANO: Opening ceremonies are Monday, yeah.

FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports

ASAP Sports, Inc. | T: 1.212 385 0297