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KPMG WOMEN'S PGA CHAMPIONSHIP

June 20, 2019

Maria Fassi

Kildeer, Illinois

MARIA FASSI: I think I hit drivers on almost every tee. Maybe on two holes I didn't hit driver. Of course, I love that it's a course that is playing long and it's windy and it demands good like ball-striking.

I'm excited to be out here. I think it's a course that fits me well and I mean today I think it was okay. Lot of pars but cost me a couple but, overall, I'm pretty happy with the way I played.

Q. Maria, you could not have hit two better shots on 10, drive and you almost holed the second shot. Then it felt like you were scrambling a lot after that.
Was the wind came up on you on 16? What was going on there?

MARIA FASSI: Yeah. I started off very well. Of course, I almost made that and, like you said, I missed a couple greens but was able to get up and down and I mean I was feeling good, hitting it good.

A couple shots were a yard or two from being perfect. I ended up having 20 feet or so. I was happy with pars and hit perfect drive on 16, I thought, and just caught like the first cut of the rough and caught a flyer that I wasn't really expecting and it just went to the water and wasn't able to get it up and down but I mean I hit good shot. I wasn't too bummed about it. It was a good shot. Just something outside of my control.

I tried to get that one back and 3-putted 1 and was able to find birdie on 3, 4 or 5. 3, yeah.

So, I mean overall, I like the way my game is and how I'm feeling and what I'm feeling great around the greens and I think that's important in a week like this one.

Q. You have quickly become a fan favorite, everybody out there is yelling for you, you're high-5'g between holes.
Is that surprising to you that you have gained the fan adoration this quickly and how are you kind of managing that?

MARIA FASSI: Well, I think playing at Augusta definitely helped me get into the eyes of people and then winning Nationals, of course, got my name out there and people enjoy watching me and I enjoy having people around and I enjoy high-5'g and I think it's fun.

I think it's -- it honestly keeps me outside of my head so I like interacting with the people and smiling and making jokes with the people outside the ropes.

I think it's nice that they're supporting me and they're walking with me.

Q. When Suzy played with you, afterwards she said, "I just played with our next superstar."
What's your reaction to that?

MARIA FASSI: We had a great time. I think -- I mean all of us played great and we were having fun, we were making jokes and it just means a lot that someone like her would say something like that.

I think she's someone -- I know I admire her and she's done amazing things and just hearing her say that about me means a lot.

At the same time, it's our responsibility and I'm willing to take that and work hard and hopefully I can become that.

Q. Was that one of your brothers following you today with the Adidas on with --
MARIA FASSI: That's my coach.

Q. How do you manage those expectations, people saying you're going to be the next superstar. That's a heavy burden.
MARIA FASSI: Yeah. I mean it's definitely not a light one but I'd rather have them say that than something else. I mean someone got to be the next superstar and why not me, right?

That's what I want to be, that's what I want to become and I know I just have to work hard and stay patient and one day that's going to be it.

Q. Did you have any expectation of this level of popularity or kind of taking you by surprise?
MARIA FASSI: I mean I wouldn't call it an expectation. It was just more -- I mean I knew people knew who I was and it's just been really nice to see, yeah, their reaction to my game and to my attitude, and just having their support has been key I feel like in this first couple of weeks and today it was tough out here and just having people out there cheering me on was very special.

Q. Who have you signed with since you turned pro?
MARIA FASSI: Rolex yesterday. Tuesday. Tuesday. That's the only contract I guess I have signed right now and I'm just -- I have a few options and sooner than later.

Q. Has Nike -- you're head to toe Nike -- an option?
MARIA FASSI: It is one of my options. I really like their gear but we're also looking at a couple other companies and I'll probably be deciding in the next few days who I go with.

Q. Will you go with an equipment person, equipment sponsor, too?
MARIA FASSI: I mean we are talking to a couple of them and I mean I have a little bit of everything in my bag, which is kind of tricky.

I think for now I'll stay with what I have. Even if we do end up going with someone, I think I'm not going to change in the meantime. But yeah, we're definitely looking to that as well.

Q. Do you look at someone like Brooks who has got the same deal going and think like maybe I can leave that money on the table for the comfort of not having to break in new you clubs at this level?
MARIA FASSI: Yeah. I mean especially I know like just from amateur to professional the clubs out here are different than the ones we're used to playing with.

I ordered a couple wedges and they were completely different to the ones I used to play with. Even that, that is the same club, supposedly, it's a completely different thing.

I mean in the meantime, I do want to stay with what I have because I know it works, I feel comfortable with it and I mean maybe in the off-season we'll try and see if I go with somebody else.

But I think yeah, I don't want to be messing around with my clubs because I feel very comfortable with what I have.

Q. One Day Closer on your wrist, what does that mean?
MARIA FASSI: It's just -- it's one day closer to like achieving my dream or to getting on to the next goal and it's just it's a reminder for me to stay present and I'm getting there.

Like it doesn't matter -- I mean it was turning professional but now that's here but then I have so many other goals that they're one day closer each day at a time.

Q. What's a good score today?
MARIA FASSI: In the morning I think somewhere around par was very good. I saw a couple scores under par and that was fantastic.

And now with the wind how it's playing right now it's going to be tough in the afternoon but I mean a couple under is a solid start.

Q. What was your main take away from the U.S. Open, two Majors in quick succession?
MARIA FASSI: Joking with my caddy I couldn't really get anything to go in today. Hey, pars are my friends here and especially Majors and in championship golf courses like Charleston and now here, I mean pars are great and sometimes they don't feel great but they are. They're not going to hurt me.

So I think the U.S. Open definitely made me see that but the pars are good. I shot 1-under the last day and moved up so many spots and I mean I didn't think it was going to go that way but it is, it's hard, and the courses out here are demanding.

I think I have to be okay with pars and try to take advantage of the birdie opportunities when I have them.

Q. You played a lot much sports growing up.
What tipped it over toward golf in the end?

MARIA FASSI: For me it was, it's like a self-competition. I think that's what got me. I think that no matter how good you are, you play, you can always get better and I don't know, I felt something that I hadn't felt before with any other sport.

I competed in soccer, basketball, I swam, volleyball. I did so many other things. I ran track and it was fun, I loved it, but nothing really got me going like golf did and I think it was the right decision.

Q. What did you do in track?
MARIA FASSI: It was 110 hurdles.

Q. If you had stuck with soccer, would you have played for the National Team, do you think?
MARIA FASSI: Yeah. I mean I played for the State Team for longest time and kind of when I was probably going to jump to the National Team I hurt my knee and couldn't play a golf tournament because of that so I was like okay, I got to decide if I want to play soccer or stay with golf and it was just then that was like okay, I think golf is it.

I think I was good enough to where I could have competed at a high level as well.

Q. Are you watching the Women's World Cup?
MARIA FASSI: Yeah.

Q. The courses are different, do you know find a test between the Open and this to be different?
MARIA FASSI: Yeah, they're completely different golf courses. I mean --

Q. But --
MARIA FASSI: The set-up, I think this is playing maybe a little bit harder. It's playing longer and the fairways are firm. Greens, they were a bit softer than I was expecting probably but, overall, I think it's an amazing golf course.

The fact that we have rough out here definitely makes it that much harder and you got to hit it well and then when you get to the green you've got to putt well to be able to make some putts. It's in amazing shape and I think it's a very fair challenge.

Q. Do you like rough you?
MARIA FASSI: I do, yeah. I think it makes you -- I don't know, it helps me focus more off the tee and have a tighter target, then I think that helps me hit better drivers.

I think for me, yeah, the rough you maybe -- it is hard and when you get into it it's not so fun but for me I like it because it helps me just focus on what I want to do and not what -- and what I want to avoid.

Q. What did you focus at Augusta?
MARIA FASSI: You need to have some tight lies. There's so many slopes, if you hit it three yards to the right of the slope you're gone. It's different, different kind of focusing.

At Charleston it was wide open, harder to find something to really focus on. But overall, I think each course has its own little thing and just very happy to be here.

Q. When you saw a forward tee on 16 during practice, did you think you would -- did you play from there?
MARIA FASSI: We hit hybrid to the front of the green. I was in that little ditch just short left and it was perfect. Hopefully we get that tee in one of the tournament rounds. I think it will be an exciting thing to see.

Q. How much advantage do you think it will be?
MARIA FASSI: Getting our round in was nice. We don't really have to worry about coming in and coming out and worrying about the rain, mainly.

So, I mean, luckily I got the draw that we had there and hopefully they can get their round in because I mean it sucks to have to come back and finish the round in the morning and then it just backs everything up.

Hopefully the rain holds off and it was definitely nice to get out of the way.

Q. I missed the early part but is this a brute as far as length? Is it one of the longest course that's you played?
MARIA FASSI: Yeah. I've only played three tournaments but this has definitely been the longest one and I like that. My caddy walked it on Sunday. He's like, "You're going to love it." He was right. I love the course.

I think my length is good. Gives me a lot of options. But I still have to hit it straight and make putts.

Q. If people thought it will favor longer hitters but Hyo Joo Kim is not a longer hitter. Does the short game come into play more because you miss more greens when it's long?
MARIA FASSI: Even if you don't miss greens, shot game has to be sharp at a Major. Get it up and down.

But then you also have to be able to make a birdie on a par-5 or stuff like that. Yeah, having short game sharp this week is key and I mean yeah, it favors longer hitters but as longer hitters we also have bigger misses and get in different kinds of trouble. Got to wait it out. I think at the end it evens out.

As longer hitter you have more options and I think that's where our advantage comes in, not necessarily in the fact that we hit it far. It's just that if you don't see driver you can hit hybrid or 3-wood or whatever and still have a very nice play in.

I think that's mainly where our advantage comes from.

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