KPMG WOMEN'S PGA CHAMPIONSHIP

June 24, 2021

Yealimi Noh

Atlanta Athletic Club

Quick Quotes

Q. Yealimi, 3-under 69. That's a great way to kick off the KPMG. I think the TV just said it's your lowest career round at a major. What was clicking for you today?

YEALIMI NOH: Well, I hit a lot of fairways. Kept it between the bunkers. Just a lot of greens and made a few good putts, which is nice because I just switched putters like yesterday.

Q. Really? What brought about that change?

YEALIMI NOH: I don't know. I've been being looking at -- I used an arm lock last year and it was a little too long and a little too heavy. The one I'm using now isn't as long. It's still an arm lock and it's just feeling really good.

Q. For such a great round, I'm curious how you salvaged a four on the 15th hole? What were you trying to do with your chip and did to turn out the way you hoped for? It was pretty much impossible.

YEALIMI NOH: Yeah, the first chip I was just trying to -- if it was short in the rough I would've been fine with that. I just didn't want to go over. I hit a 9-iron out of the stuff over there.

It was okay. I mean, it was pretty simple chip. The second one ended up a little longer than I like and there was a lot of slope on that putt, but I was happy to go out with a bogey.

Q. And if someone were to ask you what is so hard about Atlanta Athletic Club, what would be the short answer?

YEALIMI NOH: I think hitting it in the fairway, and the last couple holes there is a lot more water on this course than what we usually play, so it's definitely intimidating.

Q. You have a really nice history in PGA events with the junior and the Junior Ryder Cup, and someone even thought you played junior league.

YEALIMI NOH: Yeah, the junior league.

Q. What has the PGA done -- as far as your development, what kind of role has it played?

YEALIMI NOH: Yeah, it's huge in my career. As a junior I was really fortunate to play the Junior PGA, which was like probably my first team event. It was really fun to win it.

Actually down the road here.

Q. Sugar Loaf?

YEALIMI NOH: Yeah, sugar loaf. Yeah, then the Junior PGA Championship was one of the biggest, I think all junior girls would think as the biggest tournament.

So one of the biggest tournaments. So it was really cool to win that one.

Q. When you think about being here it was right next door in 2014, this was all a dream at the time, right? What's it been like to see that play out?

YEALIMI NOH: Yeah, it's been so nice. This is my second KPMG, and it's just been really cool to see the development of my game.

Q. How would you compare rookie season No. 1 to rookie season No. 2 and how it feels and what you learned?

YEALIMI NOH: Yeah, definitely last year was a lot of experience, like good experience. We played a lot more than we thought we would.

This year my first full season it's definitely been a lot tougher just in how I imagined it would start out, especially from last year just having a pretty good year, half year. Then the beginning of this year it was really mentally and -- just mentally really tough for me, and I been trying to bounce back from that.

Q. You're the youngest player in the field this week as you may or may not know. How inspiring is it to see the LPGA moms out here competing this week?

YEALIMI NOH: Yeah, it's definitely incredible, especially like physically. It's such a hard walk and it's really hot, so it's really amazing to see them just go play and just do really well.

Q. On the men's tour a lot of people are using arm lock putters and there has been a hot debate; on the women's tour not as many people use it. Two questions: What made you switch to arm lock, and what are the benefits for you?

YEALIMI NOH: Yeah, definitely. I think last year I was the only one that used it. I started last year, and then for me it was just kind of always my setup for putting, like kind of bending down was a little harder for me. I have longer arms too, so the arm lock fit really well and looks natural, too.

Some people don't realize I'm using an arm lock, but it fits really well for my proportions of my body.

Q. Why do you think more women out here don't use it?

YEALIMI NOH: I'm not sure. I think because it's fairly new kind of, too. I think a lot more players -- I've seen a couple more use it last year, so I think might start being popular.

Q. When you mentioned the mentally tough part of early in the season, what was challenging about it?

YEALIMI NOH: Oh, so much. I didn't start the year off that well like results-wise. I just was really hard on myself, and then every tournament I went to just got tougher for me mentally, because, well, obviously results, but just getting like a fine, too. That definitely ruined my mood for sure, and I don't think I deserved it.

It was just hard to come back from that mentally, watching my back and trying to do something that I don't normally do. And then just been hard for me to stay positive. I been really working on it.

Q. How did you snap out of it?

YEALIMI NOH: There are so many good people around me, and my trainer as well as I have a mental coach, I have been talking with him a lot and just trying to find the positive things out of everything.

Q. Is it working?

YEALIMI NOH: I think so. It's been hard, and then recently like especially even this week I got like a really long talk from my trainer and my mental coach and just trying to be more positive and just waiting for my time to come.

Q. Last question: Is making the Solheim Cup something on your radar this year?

YEALIMI NOH: Yeah, of course. I think it's on every American's radar. It would be a dream come true to play it since I played the Junior Solheim Cup with Amelia, too.

Yeah, it would be amazing, and I still believe that I have a good chance at it.