BANK OF HOPE LPGA MATCH-PLAY

May 26, 2021

Annie Park

Shadow Creek

Quick Quotes

Q. Big win today. Take me through just how the game felt to pull that out.

ANNIE PARK: Yeah, I mean, I was putting really well today. My shots were okay in the front nine and in the back I forgot how tough the course was when you miss greens.

So I started missing greens and I had some tough chips, but thanks to my putting today I made some really good clutch par putts out there.

Austin, she was tough. On the back nine she was -- she had her momentum going on, so I just knew that I had to scramble out there.

And then, yeah, I thought it was a good match towards the back nine. Hopefully we both get the momentum going for tomorrow.

Q. You said the putting was good but you're back on the practice putting green.

ANNIE PARK: Yeah, I mean, these greens aren't slow so I'm just trying get used to the speed. I mean, these are one of the best courses that we play on and great conditions this week and only going to get quicker and firmer, so just trying to prepare myself for what's to come.

Q. Have you played here a few times then?

ANNIE PARK: I have, yeah. I've actually had a couple pro-ams out here, and so I was used to riding carts, and there were a couple holes where I just took the cart path and there were a couple shortcuts.

But, yeah, I always enjoyed playing this golf course. I like this golf courses. I think it's challenging and it's just well thought out building this -- building the layout.

So it was amazing. It's definitely different playing a tournament or like any event on this golf course because pro-ams you're just being aggressive, and then when you're out here playing match play, yeah, you kind of have to be aggressive but it's not always the right call.

So kind of learned that the hard way today.

Q. It seems like there is a lot of holes where you can win it with a par.

ANNIE PARK: Yeah, uh-huh, yeah.

Q. Would you say so?

ANNIE PARK: Yeah.

Q. Par is not a bad score out here.

ANNIE PARK: Yeah.

Q. Looking at the scorecard you took a lead on 3; Austin squared it on 4; and you jumped back up the very next hole, on 5; and 7 you went 2up and then she fought back early on the front nine before you closed it out on 18. When you were 2up, when you are up just in general, up in a match play event like that at that point, and you kind of maybe have that stalemate through the middle, what's going through the mind?

ANNIE PARK: I definitely agree that like there was some momentum going on in the front nine, but you always still need to prepare yourself for what's to come on the back, because that's still nine more holes technically.

Anything can happen in one hole and the momentum can change rapidly, and that's just match play and how it is. So I was 2up but didn't give it much thought because I knew I just needed to keep playing my game and think about one shot at a time.

Yeah, it was definitely one shot at a time out there. (Laughter.)

And then we were kind of behind but we had some -- like I had a ruling and stuff like that. But trying to like focus on your game and win a hole and on top of that trying to catch up with the group in front of you was definitely challenging.

I think the group in front finished early, so we were definitely trying to pick it up.

Q. Yeah, that's a lot. What happened on 18 for both of you?

ANNIE PARK: Yeah, so 18 I think she went a little bit towards the right. She was kind of in the hazard but she wasn't, she was pretty dry. And my caddie was like, Well, do you want to just play safe if you're not going to go for two? I'm like, Dude, I'm just going to hit driver, go to the left. I hit a really good drive.

I had about 164 to the pin. She laid up and I was shocked, because yesterday and the day before the green, that side of the green was pretty receptive, and I hit an amazing shot and I was like, That's got to be good. Landed on the green and it had a hard bounce towards the back; almost hit the cameraman.

But I was like so shocked. Like what just happened? Not like I was going to hit a 7-iron going into that pin. And so I was like, Well, it was definitely not an easy chip that I had and I think she didn't hit a good shot. She was in the bunker.

Yeah, that's kind of what happened. She like was struggling a little bit on the approach shots. It was definitely not easy. That pin was not easy. I don't know how you would hit into that. I was like, I have no idea why I just hit like -- went for that pin because there is a better shot going right of it.

Anyway, she conceded the hole and that's how I won.