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NCAA WOMEN'S GOLF CHAMPIONSHIPMay 22, 2019Ana BelacJaravee BoonchantDan BrooksVirginia Elena CarterGina KimMiranda WangFayetteville, Arkansas THE MODERATOR: Coach, turn it over to you for an opening statement. DAN BROOKS: You know, I couldn't feel more proud than I do right now. It's been a heck of a week. But we've had a tough team all year long, and so they were tough this week, but they have been tough all year long. We've had plenty of weather and all kinds of stuff this year, and it's required a lot of patience. College golf does that, and I've never been with a group that has just stayed positive and just ground it out, and they did it this week, just like they have been doing it all year. THE MODERATOR: Virginia, talk about the match, the ebbs and flows throughout the day. VIRGINIA ELENA CARTER: Yeah, today, we knew it was going to be a very long day because it was not just the semifinals. We were hoping obviously to get into the final, as well, so we talked a lot with the team about being patient and just doing our own thing and cheering each other on, and that's exactly what we did, and not only we won in the semifinals, but we sat at lunch and talked almost about forgetting the semifinals and having the mind ready to go for the next match, which was more important, I guess, and the last one, and just putting all we got into that. We were tired. I mean, a lot of golf played in a few days, but we did it. We stayed patient and we believe in each other. Q. Talking about how tough your team is, and also a very young team, how important was it to have the experience going forward and for what it can do down the road for the team? DAN BROOKS: Well, young and old is not a numerical thing when it comes to this team. Gina Kim hitting that shot on 18, that's, quote, unquote, an old shot. I mean, you do that, doesn't matter what age you are, you're the kind of person that can go in a bunker and hit that shot and I think our game is like that. You know, you see freshmen do incredible things. So we have a team of mature golfers, I guess if you want to call it that, where they can handle things that come their way on the golf course and from the air. You know, just in their lives; their lives are packed. I guess numerically, we have a young team, but we have a bunch of veterans on this team. Q. Following up, you looked a little choked up there on the 18th when you got the trophies, just take us through what was going through your mind when the final putt went in and you guys were able to win and where does that stack up with all of the championships you've won at Duke? DAN BROOKS: Somebody was going to ask me that, right. It stacks up right with -- and this is no offense to these people at this table, but they know -- they know how Duke University and how our program takes care and cares for each person, so all of those years that came before this one, we're not going to just disrespect them. We are going to tell them that this is really, really special, also. And all those other ones were really, really special. Yeah, I got a little choked up. You know, I've been doing this a long time, and plus, we're running on very low sleep. Ask Virginia, it's easy to get emotional when you're running on fumes. That being said, how can you not get emotional? This great place, tremendous people and they are passionate. Wow, that's awesome. It's great. Q. This is such a deep team. Can you talk about the balance of it, and then particularly, the play of the player in the 5-spot this week, what she was able to do, not only in stroke play, helped get you guys into match play on this final day and this final match. DAN BROOKS: Well, we've -- yeah, the cool thing about this team is, you know, we went into all of our tournaments with the idea that any one of them individually could win, win the individual trophy, and that's the kind of team that is a lot of fun. You're going to get contribution. It makes the pairing party a lot easier, because, you know, we really don't have to sweat much on who plays who. And that's what it felt like, all season. Q. And particularly her play, she was 2-down through 12 and I understand you walked with her the entire round? DAN BROOKS: Yeah, Miranda has made some great games on the mental side of the game. Everybody sees her swing; it's beautiful. She's made her gains on the mental side. So she and I have done a lot of talking about that and I felt like if I got out there with her, you know, you have these matches going on where it's really talented players playing against each other and you wonder, where you would have some sort of positive effect and you have to make your choice, and you may not have any positive effect at all but you have to make a choice and I thought she was 2-down and so I went out and just spent many time with her. Because we've sort of been chatting about some things and connecting on things. I think it helped. You'll have to ask her. MIRANDA WANG: So coming to this afternoon's match, I felt like I was mentally prepared to turn this match around. I didn't start well but on the back nine, I had a lot of chances. There are a lot of really tricky holes that you need to be patient with it and believe what you thought about and what you decided to do. This morning, I was 4-down after 13, but I was able to turn. I was able to win three holes in a row, almost turn it around, opponent had a good chip-in on 17, so that hold the match, but I knew that my game was there and my mental ability to turn this game around was there. Q. The way it turned out, how did it compare to what you were kind of hoping to do with the lineup today? DAN BROOKS: You talking about the switch match? Q. The final? DAN BROOKS: The final match. Well, yeah, we're pretty familiar with Wake Forest's players, and the first thing I wanted to do was get Virginia out there. I did that every match, put Virginia out first. If Virginia is able to take care of business, she's a great cheerleader, even though she's from Italy and they don't know what cheerleaders are. She's, you know, somebody you want to, and also, I had the idea in my mind that everyone is following Virginia. You know, like she's getting us started, and I don't know, I just felt like that was a good thing to do, get her out there. And then the other matchups, you know, it was a little -- you know, I'm thinking about, you know, I have a lot of confidence in jar have I. I saw what Gina did out of that bunker. You know, you've got to go with what you feel, and put people up against what you think they are capable of handling. You do it -- it's not what they did two weeks ago. It's right now, what can I do right now. Had tons of help from Coach Whithaus. I get frazzled and he's a cool cucumber. Q. For Virginia, you know how difficult it can be to win a national title. It's been sort of a long road back. You have a nice little bookend going here. How much do you think you appreciate this more because there was a little bit of a dry spell in the middle of your career? VIRGINIA ELENA CARTER: Yeah, it has been a dream of mine since freshman year to win it as a team, and obviously to do it my senior year, to close out my college career, it's something very special to me. Definitely, it's a big win after a dry period, yes. But it couldn't get anymore special than a win with the whole team, and knowing that we really had each other's back until the very end, and we got -- Gina mentioned that we got -- and Miranda mentioned, that we got inspired by each other and I believe that's the truth. I watched the shots on the course and I was impressed and that kept me going and never lost hope. It's a special team, and cheering this big thing with the team has been so much fun. We'll remember forever and the memories will never go away? Q. Ana, you got the first point early. You were essentially a cheerleader with the matches going to extra holes. Talk about that and cheering for the final four matches. ANA BELAC: Yeah, definitely it was nerve-wracking. I was really happy I could secure the first point, just to maybe get some more comfortable space to my teammates knowing that we had one point secured, and obviously it was a lot of fun cheering on the men, supporting them, as we always do, and just watching them give their all and fight for their team was really impressive. Q. Obviously all National Championship Finals are great, and you've won six and now you have seven. How much does it mean to get one in this format, because obviously the other six were in stroke play. Was this something that you really wanted to check off your list and win one in this format? Have you thought about that a lot? DAN BROOKS: Actually, no. I mean, I get the question and everything, but I just really never said, okay, can we do this in match play. Just thinking more about, just, try to make everything good for this team to get them president paired so they can come here and have a great time and do what they do so well. It didn't really matter if it was stroke or match. Q. Obviously they are all fun to win. Was this a little different, intense? Obviously match play is a lot different. Your thoughts on the difference in winning the other six from what you all experienced the last two days? DAN BROOKS: I don't remember running around during stroke play. It's definitely more intense out there. There's no question. You just can't see enough and you're pulling so hard for everybody, and I mean, I remember when it was close in some stroke play ones, and it's pretty exciting. But there's something about match play that just is intense, is the best word for it. Q. These three matches, you arguably had the toughest opponents from the quarterfinals on through the finals. This afternoon, you got Jennifer Kupcho. She won at Augusta and she's done all these great things, past NCAA individual champion. What was your mind-set going into that match and how does it feel to knock her off? JARAVEE BOONCHANT: I mean, yeah, I knew that it was going to be a really tough match because she's a really good player. As you know, it's match play and anything could happen. It's just based on hole-by-hole. So I just coming to the match, is just like, want to trust my game, just like how coach trust my game. I just want to believe that like I could do it, too. I knew that my teammate always have my back, and I just want to like everyone said, I got inspired by how Virginia and Gina and Ana played in the morning and yesterday, and I really feel like I really need to wring up my game, even though I didn't play good in the morning, but I know that in the afternoon, it's going to be a new match, and I trust the work that we have put on all year. Q. Talk about Jaravee, not to overlook the other players, but she's fourth ranked player in the country. Do you think she's a little bit underappreciated under or rated outside of the dike program? DAN BROOKS: Well, she's not underappreciated on this team, I can tell you that. We all love Jaravee and she's -- John and I decided to put her up against some really good players, because we knew how good she is. She truly is cool under pressure. It's great to watch her play short game shots when it matters a lot. I think we'd all agree that we'd put money on her. So she's really something. Q. Talking about national titles at Duke, obviously you're going to get some care responds and Coach K's name is going to come up. Curious what the interaction is there and if there's anything you learned from him or conversations with him? DAN BROOKS: Honestly, we know each other and we say hi here and there and we chatted a little bit but it's never been like a mentorship thing. But I'm inspired my him, just like all of us are because of what he's accomplished and what he stands for. So I'm kind of the same as everybody else. Every time we go -- you know, we're driven, and I'm sure it's back there inside of us, because he's been there a long time doing great things, and it's part of our fiber, I guess. VIRGINIA ELENA CARTER: And we have two more national championships than he does. Q. You described Virginia as the glue of the team. Can you explain a little bit of how she's the glue, what that means? DAN BROOKS: No, not of the team, she's just kind of like glue -- I'm only kidding. Q. Sticky? DAN BROOKS: You know, she's an icebreaker. You know, sometimes you need somebody to just say something and kind of get a little humor going. She has a caring way about her. So that helps a lot. She's not going to let anybody hide. You're going to have to, people on the team are going to know who you are because Virginia is going to nudge things along; so now we have personalities that interact and nobody is off hiding in a corner. That kind of -- that's sort of a day by day interaction by interaction leadership. It's not like she gets up in front of the team and gives a speech or anything like that. It's just the little interactions and that's the glue that keeps it fun. There's perspective that goes on there, when you have somebody like Virginia that she's, you know, you can't let it get too serious but you've got to keep it serious. So somebody that can help you -- I'm talking about help you as a student athlete, sort of keep it in perspective. You've got a lot on your plate and, you know, with all the stuff that we do including workouts and practice and, it just so much stuff, and then the academic load, where you need somebody, a leader, so sort of make sure everybody's okay. Q. Does Leona send you any messages? DAN BROOKS: I didn't look at my phone since we won but I got a message from her during the tournament. ANA BELAC: I always get a message. We keep in touch, she's one of my closest friends. Before every round, she makes sure to shoot a text. Q. What does she say? ANA BELAC: Just go get it. There's not really much you can tell before the final. Q. Any memorable ones? ANA BELAC: I don't remember, but there were some. FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports   |
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