ANA INSPIRATION

April 4, 2021

Danielle Kang

Mission Hills Country Club

Quick Quotes

Q. Danielle, 7-under 65 to tie the round of the 2021 ANA Inspiration. What went into it today?

DANIELLE KANG: I just haven't really been myself lately. I haven't felt like myself for a while.

So I had a good talking to from my mom. My best friend Hillary is here with her fiancée and I had a nice chat with Butch last night I think for about a half hour about trying to -- hold on -- sorry -- about trying to just kind of play the way I normally play and just kind of finding myself on the golf course again.

Q. Was there anything from today's round that maybe you can a month, next week, two months from now look back on and say that could be a turning point?

DANIELLE KANG: You know, right now I'm very proud of today. Not just because of the score. I made quite a bit of mistakes out there, to be honest, but it was more so being able to snap back into the moment. That's something that I haven't been able to do lately. I been just trying to, quote, be patient, and I actually said F patience today. I'm going to go for everything and anything.

I wasn't scared to putt. I wasn't scared to do anything. I didn't want to be timid. Our whole goal today was to find myself. And it wasn't just today. Yesterday too.

I failed until today. I actually just feel really good about how I feel and how I felt over certain things. I'm very emotional right now on the golf course, so if I'm mad I get really mad. If I'm happy I get really happy. It's all over the place.

But, yeah, I feel more like myself today.

Q. That's the way to do it though, leave it all out there.

DANIELLE KANG: Yeah.

Q. What kind of pride comes with it when you can have those conversations and you can turn in a performance and also feel the way do you? What kind of pride comes with that?

DANIELLE KANG: It comes with a lot. It's not just pride. It's confidence. It's being true to who I am. I felt like I lost myself for a little while, you know, and having people around me that could remind me, Hey, like this isn't how you walk, this isn't how you talk, this isn't who are.

So kind of snapping me back into who I am is really important. So I really value the people around me, because even my caddie, you know, he'll tell me to keep my head up. Let's get back into it. I want to see some anger and frustration at the least.

Those are the things that I really couldn't snap out of, and today I did the best I could. I think I did a good job. I don't think's it's a finished work. I really wanted a top 10 somehow. So far back, maybe, and hopefully it was enough today.

Q. T6 right now. Yeah, put yourself in a great opportunity to do that. I was going to ask you about Olly. You guys have had a lot of good moments together, some tough moments together. What was he like this week to help pull you out of the funk?

DANIELLE KANG: Yeah, I think right now everybody around me is helping me become myself again. I think that's most important. Golf is golf. I know that I finished top 10 at Kia or top 10 at Ocala, whatever it may be. It's not just about playing well. It's playing well being who you are. Game is going to be the game, but I want to be happy even if I don't score well. I want to be happy even if I do score well.

It's more than golf. I'm happy with how I felt. My mom was out there trying to keep me upbeat and get myself going. She was just dancing every time I made par and I just kept glaring at her. But I really, really appreciate everybody that has helped me get through for the last however many weeks that I needed to get through.

Q. What's the plan for the Masters week?

DANIELLE KANG: I'm actually having a girls' trip. Going to Hawaii with a couple of my best friends. We need a vacation. I need to be around my friends right now, and it's been a planned vacation. So people with real jobs -- yeah, I know -- they have to take time off.

So I don't think that's appropriate, but my friend Hillary, I've said it in Golf Digest that her name is that B-I-T-C-H who has a real job. Because you can't just leave when you want and all that. So they've taken days off so we're going to have a little Hawaii girls' vacation with her and a couple friends that live in Hawaii.

Q. Sounds fun.

DANIELLE KANG: Yeah, excited.

Q. Just ahead of Lotte. That will be fun.

DANIELLE KANG: Uh-huh.