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KPMG WOMEN'S PGA CHAMPIONSHIP

June 20, 2019

Hannah Green

Kildeer, Illinois

THE MODERATOR: We're here with Hannah Green, who is currently atop the leaderboard with a bogey-free 68. Hannah is in here second season on the LPGA Tour, playing in her second KPMG Women's PGA Championship. Did miss the cut last year.

Her best finish last year a tie for 7th at ISPS Handa Women's Australian Open and tied for 24th at the U.S. Women's Open. Great way to start.

Birdies starting on the back-9 at 11, 16, 3 and 7. I want to ask you about that one at 7, talk about that one.

HANNAH GREEN: So, I had about a hundred meters. So, 110 yards. And I had a wedge and I was in the rough and I knew I needed to hit it soft and a small wedge so I tugged it a little bit and it went into the bunker.

I short-sided myself but I knew -- actually had a really good lie which I think made a huge difference for me being able to -- yes, to hole it but even keep it near the pin.

And, yes, as soon as it landed on the green I knew there was a chance of it going in. I guess I just had a lot of luck today with putts going in and getting good bounces. That was one of them. Really nice to stay bogey-free and even just to hole it.

THE MODERATOR: To jump up on top of the leaderboard by yourself. I'd love to just walk-thru your birdies real quick starting on your 2nd hole at No. 11. Tell us about that.

HANNAH GREEN: That's when the rain just come in and also it was still a little bit breezy. Didn't really have like any near the yardage as what I had been hitting into in the practice round. I holed about a 20-foot putt. That's where I -- even on my 10th hole I holed like a 15 putt for par and 20-footer on the next hole. I really had the putter rolling.

It was really nice to have that. I guess I had 23 putts which is good. I putted but maybe not as well hitting greens and fairways. Yeah, that started I guess it was really good momentum for the rest of the round and made some solid putts for birdie. Holed a 6-footer on 16 and holed like a 12, 15-footer on 3 and then obviously holed out on 7.

THE MODERATOR: Tell us, if you don't mind, early in the round how you were you dealing with the weather because it was pretty nasty out there for a little while.

THE WITNESS: I didn't own a pair of rain pants. That was difficult. I only brought one jacket and I was freezing cold. My caddy and I both really weren't prepared for the rain. I thought it was going to come much later in the day after 9 holes.

Luckily there was a staff member from the course coming out with towels, otherwise I don't know if I would have been able to keep hold of the club. But yeah, it was really tough.

Like the first 6 holes were really difficult and all of us were taking a lot of time to obviously cleanup and clean the grips and stuff like that. It nearly took three hours to play 9 holes which is horrible. I didn't think we could have played any quicker than that. I'm really happy to be under jar and bogey-free.

THE MODERATOR: Questions.

Q. Why don't you own rain pants?
HANNAH GREEN: I don't know why I don't. I think I'm going to have to invest in some. Even if I own some I really don't like wearing them just because they really baggy and make a lot of noise. I prefer to just wear pants if it's raining but I thought it wasn't going to be as cold as it was today so I went in shorts.

Q. Do you like playing in the rain, generally?
HANNAH GREEN: I don't mind it. If I was better prepared I would have been a little bit more at ease. I've played a lot of golf in the rain so I have experience with it. You just have to stay patient and make sure you don't rush -- yes, you don't want to fall too far behind but don't want to rush into anything.

Q. Can I just ask you with a club you hit for your third into the 11th, which was kind of long --
HANNAH GREEN: Hit a 7-iron. When I was playing the practice rounds I had 80 yards less in, so for me to hit a 7-iron was a lot different.

I feel like the other holes I played in the practice rounds I never really had the same club in. Yeah, very different playing this type of kind wind and obviously with the wet conditions.

Q. Secondly, outside of 10, which apparently was very spectacular with a 15-footer, were there any other par saves that stood out to you?
HANNAH GREEN: Par save on 12, par save on 13. I mean I don't know how many greens I missed today.

Q. Nine.
HANNAH GREEN: Pretty much all -- I don't really think I ever had like a tap-in putt for my par putts when I missed the green. Nearly every hole was a 6-footer. I made all of them. Very happy with that, obviously.

Q. I'm just wondering like Karrie, has she told you over the years about playing in a Major, any advice?
HANNAH GREEN: I don't think she's ever really told me anything but I know it's different, obviously it's a bigger event, we play for more money.

I just feel like personally you can't -- yes, it's a longer week than tournaments, it's more draining with the courses that we play and there's more, I guess, shots that you have to play at a Major but I think you just have to be really patient.

I know that sounds silly and everyone says that every week but this is the week that you need to do it and I think I was really good out there. I didn't really rush into anything. I wasn't -- I was always comfortable with the club and the shot that I was seeing.

I think that was really what was the difference today compared to how I played last week and even how I've played even at the start of the year.

Q. What's your most outstanding memory of coming here as a Webb Scholarship winner?
HANNAH GREEN: I can't say I ever wore a Moxie or a tutu like the girls did this year. My first year at Lancaster, I think Karrie was maybe leading after the 1st Round and that was my first time going into the Media Center and seeing interviews and stuff liker that. That was a real eye opener for me and I guess it's pretty cool now to be doing that today.

THE MODERATOR: Speaking of that, is it a bit surreal for you a couple years ago you were on the Grace and Becky side. You guys all staying together this week?

HANNAH GREEN: Actually a house of 8 this week. So it's really cool. All except one is an Australian. Really nice.

We're really comfortable with each other but yeah, it is kind of crazy that I was there four, five years ago in that position and outside the ropes walking and watching and seeing all these players and especially -- yeah, it's really surreal, I guess.

THE MODERATOR: How many pieces is that puzzle you guys are working on? You haven't seen, they're working on a massive puzzle in the house on Instagram.

HANNAH GREEN: 2,000 this week. Sue Oh and I decided to do that this week. Kelly actually completed it. We've got an Aussie barbeque on Saturday. It's kind of a good thing we completed it.

THE MODERATOR: Anything further?

Q. Could you just take us through the round in terms of weather, what it was like when it started, what was the worse?
Will you have a pair of rain pants by tomorrow?

HANNAH GREEN: Maybe. When I was coming up it was really windy. I got to 10 tee, was still really windy, even playing -- just walking down the hill on 10 that's when it started to rain and then I guess I want to say probably 15 is when it started to settle down a little bit, which I was happy about, because obviously the tee shot on 16 can be pretty daunting so we had three or four holes there where it wasn't as bad and then from pretty much 1 onwards it wasn't really raining, on and off, probably the lightest it was all day.

The wind picked up towards the last four holes that I was playing. So, we had a little combination of everything. So it was pretty difficult to handle, I guess.

Q. Were you cold?
HANNAH GREEN: Very cold. Luckily my boyfriend was able to run home and get a jacket for me to put on, which definitely helped. I think we'll be investing in some rain pants.

Q. Kind of touched on this. You were the Karrie Scholarship winner four years ago?
HANNAH GREEN: Yes.

Q. Could you have imagined yourself then coming over to Lancaster, being in this position and have you had any chance with the two girls this week, can you see any of yourself in them?
HANNAH GREEN: For sure. All of us girls have had similar records with how we've played as an amateur. I know both of them are definitely going to turn pro and be successful players. I didn't really imagine for me to happen so quickly. I've kind of been more consistent this year, which is nice.

Obviously this is my best round I've had in a Major in the 1st Round so it's nice. It's really good for the girls to come and I guess have the opportunity.

I know it's definitely opened my eyes to golf over here. The U.S. Open was my first ever tournament that I was able to watch in-person.

I never went to the Australian Open or any of the smaller events in Australia to go watch. To see a U.S. Open straight out was really I guess a big step for me and definitely pushed me to want to be out here on Tour, and having Karrie still out here playing, playing practice round with her it's really cool. Very lucky to have a really good friend now.

Q. Why did you not go to the Open?
HANNAH GREEN: I live in Perth, all the tournaments were in Melbourne or Sydney. I never had the opportunity to go over and watch them. There was a couple of tournaments that came to Perth but that was before I even thought about making golf an option in my life.

THE MODERATOR: Anything further for Hannah?

Q. You grew up a long ways from sand belt courses. Do you feel at home though comfort, judging from your shot on 7 there in the sand?
HANNAH GREEN: Yeah. I actually -- I mean because I've had good lies in the bunkers I actually am pretty confident trying to hit high flop shots, I guess.

I feel like any course in Australia you have to have a pretty good short game. I think it's sometimes almost easier to have a bunker shot around the greens than sometimes being in the rough. Pretty nasty areas, thicker, especially with the rain today making it a little bit harder to know how it's going to react coming out of it.

THE MODERATOR: Anything else?

Before we close, a couple weeks ago there was another female Australian athlete at the top winning the French Open.

Any inspiration you take from that seeing one of your country women really succeeding?

HANNAH GREEN: It's awesome. Unfortunately I don't follow a lot of sport but when I was on Twitter it was everywhere. It's really cool to see her get to World No. 2 and Minjee. It's really motivating to see us girls from Australia doing really well and Karrie had a great career and lots of the other Aussies are doing well. We had a great week last week. I want to have my name up there, too.

THE MODERATOR: Congrats, and hope you keep it up.

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