U.S. WOMEN'S OPEN

June 4, 2021

Inbee Park

The Olympic Club

Quick Quotes

Q. Inbee, four birdies against two bogeys; how would you describe today's round?

INBEE PARK: I hit a lot more fairways today. First day I missed four fairways and today I missed one fairway. That's pretty much the difference that I had today.

Putting good on these greens, so confident on the greens.

Q. Back-to-back birdies on 16 and 17. Can you talk us through those?

INBEE PARK: Yeah, there aren't that many holes that I can actually make a birdie on this golf course, so I really tried to take advantage of the par-5s when I hit the short irons, which I did.

I played great on No. 16 and 17. I hit great approach shots and holed great putts.

Q. How did the course play today versus yesterday?

INBEE PARK: I played in the morning so it played a little bit longer this morning. At the same time a little bit softer than yesterday. They cut the rough a little bit on Thursday -- I think maybe Wednesday. We were able to get out of it in the first cut area. I think it made a little bit of pressure off of the driving.

Yeah, I missed a few fairways but I got away with it.

Q. I know you had a bogey there on your second hole of the day, but then being able to rebound with those three birdies in four holes towards the end of your front nine, how do you think you got things started and what changed between those holes do you think?

INBEE PARK: That was my only miss of the fairway on No. -- what was it, No. 10? Missed the fairway there, and that was the only fairway I missed today, which cost me; I made a bogey of it.

If you are in the fairway, they aren't as hard as hitting from the rough. But I feel like I played a little bit better than yesterday, which is a really good key point to take for the weekend.

The course is going to probably get a little firmer and faster over the weekend and probably the rough is going to grow a little bit, so I'm just trying to hit everything as straight as I can and hole a lot of putts.

Q. I know how much you like the cold weather as compared to the hot weather while you're playing. Do you feel as if you're getting looser out here as you play more rounds in these kind of conditions?

INBEE PARK: Yeah, it is tough to get loose when you're playing in the cold weather, but I love the cold weather, and I know how to play in the cold weather. I'd much rather this than the 100-degree heat.

Yeah, I feel like I'm home and I'm used to the cold weather.

Q. You and Shanshan going back and forth with some solid rounds today. What's it like playing with Shanshan, as well?

INBEE PARK: Yeah, she had a great two days. She putted really well around the greens. I was able to kind of see her speed and try to learn from her speed. Yeah, she's a very consistent player, so hit a lot of fairways and greens together.

Q. You talked about the changes to the rough from the beginning of the week to when we last talked to you. How are you adjusting to the shots when you don't hit the fairway?

INBEE PARK: Yeah, when I played the practice rounds, when I missed the fairways I thought I was dead. But the USGA decided to cut the rough a little bit so we can get out of the rough, so like I said, a little bit of pressure off of driving because the first cut area is actually playable.

Yeah, so unless you're in the deep stuff, you can still kind of get it out, close to the greens.

Q. Only one player so far through two rounds has anything close to a 5-under total kind of score. Where are you seeing the scores lay out and what do you think you'll have to do this weekend?

INBEE PARK: You know, I thought practice round rough, I thought maybe over par was going to win. But with the rough a little bit cut down, maybe anything in the red figures is going to be a good score, I think.