BANK OF HOPE LPGA MATCH-PLAY

May 27, 2021

Ashleigh Buhai

Shadow Creek

Quick Quotes

Q. Ashleigh Buhai, winner over Brooke Henderson. Move to 1-1 now on the match play at Shadow Creek. Take us through today. You guys were back and forth on the front nine, quite literally. I think just about every other hole someone won, and then you put the foot down on the gas toward the end of the back. Let's start on the front nine, the back and forth. How fun that was?

ASHLEIGH BUHAI: Yeah, I mean, I think if you had to ask Brooke neither of use were happy with how we played today. I gave her a hole, she gave me holes back. We weren't winning them with birdies, so they were was soft bogeys. That's what match play is about. You just got to hang in there and you're playing in the opponent.

So then we halved with birdies on 8, which was good, and I made a really good up and down on 9 to turn 1-up. Then I made two bogeys 10 and 11. And 12, I was 2-down through 12, but as long as you got holes to go you're still in it.

So, yeah.

Q. Exactly. That's what you did.

ASHLEIGH BUHAI: Uh-huh.

Q. You went par, par, birdie.

ASHLEIGH BUHAI: Uh-huh.

Q. Between 14 to 16 to go from 1-down to 1-up. Take us through that stretch specifically. And like you said, as long as there are holes you can get back in it.

ASHLEIGH BUHAI: Yeah, the greens are so firm it's so difficult to get it close, and I hit so many good shots, like from my 12th hole in, and didn't get rewarded for anything. I feel Brooke did that as well.

I just kind of steady made the pars. And then she hit it on for two on 16, so I had to hit it close for three, which I did. Unfortunately she three-putted and I holed mine.

And then 17 we both went long.

And then it came down to 18, and we were both in the rough. Luckily I left it in a better spot than Brooke and managed to make birdie, so it was really back and forth the whole day.

Q. Take us through 18. Hit the drive right off the tee and had an approach shot over the pond.

ASHLEIGH BUHAI: The water, yeah.

Q. That was gutsy, I thought.

ASHLEIGH BUHAI: Yeah, I mean, I thought my drive was in the middle fairway. I said to my caddie, I said, That's the best drive I hit all day and I got down there and there's right rough. But the rough on the right is definitely a little bit better than the left, and also with the pin today I'm not having to carry as much water. I kind of had that shaved area I could work with.

Brooke was in the left. She had to carry everything. So I think she had a tougher shot. I did what I had to do. Hit it into that shaved area, tried to leave it there, and left myself a little four-foot tester, but very happy to have holed it.

Q. Those four-footers, are those a little tougher on you?

ASHLEIGH BUHAI: A little jittery, yeah, for sure. Yeah, I mean, because make that I've got a chance tomorrow; miss it it's a different ballgame.

Q. Speaking of a chance, tomorrow you get Jenny Coleman. A win and you'll force a playoff for the winner to move on to the round of 16.

ASHLEIGH BUHAI: Uh-huh.

Q. Just to put yourself in that spot after a performance yesterday that you probably weren't happy with, but to come back strong and put yourself in this spot has to mean a lot to you.

ASHLEIGH BUHAI: Yeah, of course. It's something to play for. Would've been disappointing having to go into tomorrow and just playing the day away. Got to dig deep. Can't say I am 100% happy with where my game. I haven't hit it great. I've pulled a lot drives. Trying to just work that true.

But I took two weeks off and went back to South Africa. Hadn't touched a club, so for me this was just about getting some rounds before the U.S. Open in, and if I get through, I get through.

I wasn't going to be too hard on myself.

Q. First time in South Africa since --

ASHLEIGH BUHAI: Since last year June, so, yeah, it was really good to go home after Asia, see our family and friends. It's been a lot of travel getting back there and back to the States, but it was well needed.

Q. Good. And last one I have for you. Your take on Jenny Coleman, your opponent tomorrow. Angela said she has the underdog mentality. She was the 61st seed in the tournament.

ASHLEIGH BUHAI: Uh-huh.

Q. Fourth seed in your respective pod. You both knock off the No. 1 seed in your pod and then she goes and beats Team USA Solheim stalwart Angela Stanford. What have you seen out of her this week?

ASHLEIGH BUHAI: Well, obviously it's fantastic. She's obviously playing well, and that's the beauty of match play. Doesn't really matter where you're ranked. It's what you come up with on the day. If you're playing better than that person you're going to beat them.

Good for her. Obviously won the last two days and she's playing good. I'm going to have my work cut out.