BANK OF HOPE LPGA MATCH-PLAY

May 27, 2021

Sophia Popov

Shadow Creek

Quick Quotes

Q. Sophia Popov, took a 5&4 win over Su Oh. Looked like a pretty steady day for you. Only dropped one hole. How are feeling right now?

SOPHIA POPOV: Definitely better than yesterday. Yesterday I was actually striking it really well and I was just not putting very well, and I think just a little bit of getting back into match play and the rhythm.

Putts that normally I don't pay much attention to I was paying more attention to, and I think that I just -- part of that, just getting in a flow and pretending maybe like it's a stroke play round helped me today.

Kind of had both things working well for me, so it was very solid.

Q. And you started quickly with a birdie on one, racked up a couple more. Are you getting more comfortable with the course out there?

SOPHIA POPOV: Yeah, definitely. I think especially with the greens. I was hitting it well yesterday too, but I think today I left myself more makable birdie putts and I think I had the speed down on the greens a little bit better.

Just, you know, being aggressive, like fine line between being aggressive and not being scared when you're hitting your putts, I think that's what I did a lot better today.

Q. But you're right, you got to find the line where you're not going crazy aggressive.

SOPHIA POPOV: Exactly. On some of them you have to be more attentive than you usually are because sometimes maybe if you don't know, maybe the two-putt is enough.

And I think yesterday I was a little bit too passive with a lot of those putts, and today definitely hitting my lines better and just definitely better performance on the greens.

Q. We don't get to play match play out here on tour. What are your thoughts on match play? I'm sure you played to some growing up in certainly amateur and junior days, but to have to it on tour now.

SOPHIA POPOV: Yeah, I actually grew up playing it a lot in junior, amateur golf back home in Europe. We have the European team championships, British Girls, British Am. Spanish Am. All these events have match play in them.

I think it was -- it was a little bit tough for me because I had to -- I was talking to Leona Maguire about it the other day and she was like, When is the last time you played match play, and I thought it was actually more recent and then I realized it was a long time ago.

But I think it's so engrained in you when you grow up like that, and so I think somewhere in there there is a match play player.

Q. And now we're heading to the final day tomorrow. What's the game plan as you try to make your way into the bracket?

SOPHIA POPOV: Very similar to today. I think just try to -- you know, try to hit it solid. Around this place if your ball-striking is good you're going to leave yourself good opportunities, and I think that's what it's all about.

Just be patient. And the back nine has some funky holes, so you kind of never know. Just keeping that in the back of your mind and you know try to be aggressive and make more birdies and solidify my spot.