BANK OF HOPE LPGA MATCH-PLAY

May 26, 2021

Azahara Munoz

Shadow Creek

Quick Quotes

Q. Aza, that was a heck of a battle you had there with Mel. Took a 2up win. Never was able to get more than 2up in the match and came tied there at the end. What's it like to have a battle like that out there on the course?

AZAHARA MUNOZ: Yeah, as you said, it was a battle. I started pretty good at the beginning, made birdie on one and got 2up through three. After that we kept going back and forth. We didn't have our best games out there, but it's tricky on this golf course. It's really hard to make birdies.

I feel like I played quite solid. Just made a lot of pars and then nice -- well, I didn't finish my birdie on the last, but it was nice to finish -- I had probably a five-footer for it.

Just happy to the get my first point.

Q. Talk us through No. 15, which is where you took the 1up lead again that you ultimately held to the end.

AZAHARA MUNOZ: Yeah, so that hole, she miss her 3-wood to the right so she had to layup. It's quite a tough, tough hole, so I actually hit a really good driver and I hit a really good 6-hybrid.

So we were probably both 20, 25 feet away. I was for birdie and she was for par. I two-putted and she didn't make her 20-footer, so...

Q. That's the beauty of match play, is you're playing the individual hole as opposed to stroke play. What's it like playing out there against someone like Mel who you've been on teams with, who you know so well, but knowing one of you ultimately has to come out the winner?

AZAHARA MUNOZ: It was really enjoyable. My caddie and her are probably best friends, and my caddie's girlfriend and Mel are best friends, so it was really enjoyable out there. She is such a good girl. We are pretty good friends, and obviously I'd rather have her on my team, which I'm hoping for it in September.

But one of us had to win, and we really enjoyed each other out there. I'm glad it was me, but it could have been either of us.

Q. What are your big takeaways from round one out there on Shadow Creek -- you've seen all 18 holes now -- that you take to tomorrow?

AZAHARA MUNOZ: It's tough. I think you just obviously want to make birdies out here, but now I've seen the course twice, both nine twice, and it's just really tough. It's hard to hit it close. Greens are firm. Sometimes you have long clubs in and you can't even go for the pin, so you just have to wear the other person down. Just try not to make mistakes and keep making pars.