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BUICK LPGA SHANGHAI

October 20, 2019

Danielle Kang

Shanghai, China

THE MODERATOR: Congratulations on your brilliant performance. Again, happy birthday. So it could be even better to have such a day, such a victory on your particular day, a birthday. What a gift.

Share some assessment about today. Before you ended today, the competition particularly, you probably had a lot to think about. How did you go through the whole thing?

DANIELLE KANG: Well, I definitely came back wanting to win, but definitely wasn't easy out there. Assessment of today basically? Is that what you're asking?

THE MODERATOR: Yes.

DANIELLE KANG: Well, I tried to keep my game plan and worry about myself, but definitely wasn't easy to do with Jessica in my group. We definitely struggled out there today. I made some great up and downs and she missed some birdie putts, but I tried to stay in the zone and keep hitting the shots I been hitting.

Made some great putts, good up and downs, and up until the last hole I definitely didn't have a breather. I like the fact I have a little more time this year than last year. We were rushing out. So I kind of want to enjoy my win a little bit more than I did last year with dinner with my mom and enjoy my birthday.

THE MODERATOR: We'll open up the floor.

Q. (Through translation.) Any particular critical moments you can share with us? For example, hole 11 with a par, and also hole 15, birdie. Were they really what you thought?
DANIELLE KANG: There was a stretch in the middle of the round which was very, very critical, because on No. 8 I hit it in the bunker. It was a very tough shot out of that fairway bunker. It was a superb two-putt and that was a pretty critical moment.

Same thing with 9. I got a little bit greedy because I'd only made one birdie all day and I kind of wanted to take the lead. I attacked the pin and ended up short-siding myself again. Made a great up and down. I actually learned that chip shot from my brother last week. Thank you, Alex.

On 10, hit it in the bunker again. Had to make a great up and down; super below the hole.

No. 11, in the bunker again. Short-sided again. It was a little bit tough. I was getting frustrated with myself, but I trusted my short game. I worked on it really well.

So I just kept on chipping away and hitting it close as possible and staying focused, and I think that was really critical to keep myself going for that five-hole stretch.

Q. (Through translation.) Did you feel you will win? If you felt, which hole you felt you will win? (Indiscernible.)
DANIELLE KANG: I didn't get the second question.

THE MODERATOR: Me either.

DANIELLE KANG: The first question I heard was is there any time in the moment that I felt I was going to win. To be honest with you, not really. I never felt safe all day. I definitely had some work to do out there, even with the birdie on 15. It did give me a little bit of a leverage, but I knew there was tough par-3 coming up and par-5 that was reachable. And also No. 18.

So I knew that I still had to play good golf and hit good shots coming in.

THE MODERATOR: I guess we didn't get to the second question. Perhaps you can try to explain.

Q. If you know you will win, it's which hole you felt you will win?
DANIELLE KANG: I can't catch that last word.

THE MODERATOR: Sorry.

Q. Which hole did you feel you will win?
DANIELLE KANG: Like I said previously, there wasn't a single hole that I thought I won until the last putt dropped. I definitely left a (indiscernible) a few short, so until it was done it wasn't done.

Q. (Through translation.) You mentioned in the award ceremony you had the same outfit with Jessica. How did that make you feel when you first saw that? Was that something arranged by sponsors or something that just accidentally happened?
DANIELLE KANG: Accidentally happened, but it happens quite a bit with her and I. We have our sponsor, adidas golf. We have a beautiful collection. We like to wear long sleeves and actually we wore matching outfits I think twice this year. Today was the second time. It doesn't happen often.

At the same time, it's pretty cool, because we do like the clothes. We love adidas golf and the clothes that we wear. It's cute and performance durable obviously. Yeah, it was matching and pretty cute. (Laughter.)

Q. (Through translation.) You gave your boyfriend some suggestion for his PGA Tour performance. Were these advices you apply to yourself for your competition?
DANIELLE KANG: Yes, definitely. We both work on a lot of similar things, but we keep each other positive. We want each other to be better and perform the best we can.

He definitely -- there was a time when I was really -- I wasn't feeling like myself yesterday before my tee time and I was talking to him all on FaceTime up until tee off. Things like that. Calming each other down and talking through what you're feeling, whether it's shots and some of shots that I hit today. It's just to tell somebody that understands what you're going through on the golf course and off.

So, yeah, we both work on stuff to be positive especially to be on the golf course.

Q. (Through translation.) Well, obviously you successfully defended your title here. Is that because of that actually that the course is suitable to you, or technically it's just good for you or you view that today or this past week you really have been enjoying your time?
DANIELLE KANG: I really like this golf course a lot. I love the shape that it's in. There is definitely difficulties around the greens. The grass is a bit different so you have to utilize a lot of different types of chip shots depending on if you're two feet off the green versus five yards off the green.

I like how undulated the greens are. It's a ball-striker's golf course. I call that pocket golf. You have to be able to hit it in certain pockets in order to be able to attack certain pins, hit good drives off the tee.

I do really, really enjoy this golf course a lot. I think it shows the forte of my game, which is ball striking. Today my short game showed up, so...

(Laughter.)

THE MODERATOR: Again, congratulations. Thank you.

DANIELLE KANG: Thank you so much. (Applause.)

FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports

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