U.S. WOMEN'S AMATEUR FOUR-BALL

April 28, 2021

Savannah Barber

Alexa Saldana

Maridoe Golf Club

Press Conference

Q. Why don't each one of you give me your thoughts about winning a national championship. I'll start with you, Savannah.

SAVANNAH BARBER: Yes, this means so much having this tournament and us winning the U.S. Women's Four-Ball. It's really special.

Q. Alexa, describe what you're feeling right now.

ALEXA SALDANA: Yes, it feels incredible to be able to win this with everyone watching and qualify for the other two USGA Women's Amateur and Girls'. It feels incredible.

Q. That's a new exemption this year. What are your thoughts about obviously winning this title but now you get into two other big championships?

SAVANNAH BARBER: It's awesome. Having not to qualify this year and just getting into it is really nice.

ALEXA SALDANA: Yes, I'm very excited to play those two tournaments.

Q. Have you guys played the Girls' Junior before?

SAVANNAH BARBER: No.

ALEXA SALDANA: No, me neither.

Q. Talk a little bit about how you guys came about as partners. I guess you guys both attend the same golf academy that's in Arlington; is that correct?

SAVANNAH BARBER: Yes, it's called the Crown Golf Academy, and we're roommates. This is our -- well, it's my fourth year in the academy.

ALEXA SALDANA: And it's my first year.

Q. You guys met in the fall?

SAVANNAH BARBER: Yes.

Q. Talk a little bit about this match today. You went 1-down early. They make a birdie, and then all of a sudden they started to lose it a little bit in the middle of the match. Did you guys sense that momentum?

SAVANNAH BARBER: Yes, as soon as we started hitting our shots and we felt the momentum gaining, we started taking advantage, and we moved on from there.

Q. How long was the putt on the closing -- on the 14th hole, and who made it?

ALEXA SALDANA: It was, I believe, 16 feet.

Q. And who made it?

ALEXA SALDANA: I did. I made the putt.

Q. I guess you guys almost had an eagle on 11; is that correct?

ALEXA SALDANA: Yes.

Q. Who almost had it and how long was the putt?

SAVANNAH BARBER: We both had eagle putts, and mine was about 30 feet.

ALEXA SALDANA: And mine was about 35 feet probably.

Q. Who almost made it, because they said one of you guys almost made the putt?

ALEXA SALDANA: Yeah, Savannah almost made the putt.

Q. This morning you had a pretty interesting match, too. You were 1-up and they tied it and you had to go to extra holes. How nerve-racking was that match this morning?

SAVANNAH BARBER: Yes, there were a lot of nerves through those two playoff holes, and then on No. 10, the first playoff hole, I had to make my six-footer to move on. We made it.

And then the next hole, I closed it out with a birdie.

Q. You guys came into this championship kind of under the radar. I looked up both your World Rankings, they're in the 1500s. You compare that to some of the other kids in the field, especially the two you beat this morning, a lot has been talked about them, Alexa and Paris are in the top 400. You had some Mid-Ams here that had a combined 17 USGA titles, and yet you guys are standing at the end. How do you explain the week? Is it something you kind of built on as it went along? I don't know what kind of expectations you had coming into the championship. To walk away with the title, I'm sure it exceeded all your expectations. Talk about that.

SAVANNAH BARBER: Right. We knew all of our preparation before this tournament at the Crown Golf Academy.

ALEXA SALDANA: And Texas Rangers Golf Club. It really helped us prepare for this tournament, and we've been --

SAVANNAH BARBER: We knew we were in a good spot.

ALEXA SALDANA: Yes.

Q. Is it easier to come into this kind of event when nobody knows who you really are compared to some of the other names that were in the field? Talk about being a little under the radar, not worrying about media interviews or getting written about or whatever. Is it easier to play when the expectations aren't as high on you guys as maybe there was on some of the other teams in this field, especially the two that you beat in the final today, they were in the final two years ago.

SAVANNAH BARBER: Right, no, I didn't think it really mattered. We knew we were in a good spot, and we could tell we had --

ALEXA SALDANA: We've been preparing for this for a few weeks, and we had a good chance of winning.

Q. Where was your confidence after you started winning matches, starting on Monday? You barely got into the match play. You shot 1-over and you squeaked into match play. When did things kind of get going for you guys? When did you kind of sense that your confidence was good enough to win?

SAVANNAH BARBER: As soon as we started getting to know the course better, we started hitting better and better shots, and it just created more momentum going into the other matches.

Q. What do you think this will do for your confidence going forward, now that you have a national championship under your belt?

ALEXA SALDANA: A lot of confidence, yeah.

SAVANNAH BARBER: It's awesome.

Q. What's next for you guys? What is your next tournament?

ALEXA SALDANA: We're playing the Legends Junior Tour at Bluebonnet this weekend.

SAVANNAH BARBER: Yes, so Friday is our practice round.

ALEXA SALDANA: Yeah, Friday we go to practice the course.

Q. Alexa, you are in the States full-time, is that correct, just to go to school, and your family is back in Mexico?

ALEXA SALDANA: Yes, my family is in Mexico and I'm here in the academy, yes.

Q. Have you committed anywhere to play college golf yet?

ALEXA SALDANA: No, not yet.

Q. I know, Savannah, you have, correct, Oklahoma?

SAVANNAH BARBER: Yes, I'm going to OU.

Q. Are you going to try to recruit her? Who else is recruiting you, Alexa? Where are you looking at to go or do you even have a group of schools?

ALEXA SALDANA: No, I'm still looking at all of them, yes.

Q. I guess your brother plays Division III golf at Mary Hardin-Baylor; is that correct?

ALEXA SALDANA: Yes, he does.

Q. Do any other family members play?

ALEXA SALDANA: My whole family plays. Well, especially my brother, the one who's in college and just won a college tournament this weekend, too.

Q. So he's still playing then?

ALEXA SALDANA: Yes, he is.

Q. What are you guys going to do? It's a short drive home. This has to be exciting not only winning a championship but you're winning it basically 30 miles from where you live?

SAVANNAH BARBER: Yes.

Q. Was there a lot of talk back at the academy? Were you getting texts?

SAVANNAH BARBER: Yes, a lot of congratulations as we kept on winning our matches.

ALEXA SALDANA: Yes.

Q. And then obviously a lot of kids because of COVID couldn't come out and watch, correct?

SAVANNAH BARBER: Yes.

Q. Was that probably driving your instructors crazy back at the academy?

SAVANNAH BARBER: Yes.

ALEXA SALDANA: Well, my coach was caddying for us.

Q. Who's your coach?

ALEXA SALDANA: Justin Pointer.

Q. And he's at the academy?

ALEXA SALDANA: Yes.

Q. I'm sure there will be a celebration when you get back there tonight, correct?

SAVANNAH BARBER: Yes.

ALEXA SALDANA: Yes.

Q. Only a short drive and you can show off those medals and the trophy.

SAVANNAH BARBER: Yes.