U.S. GIRLS' JUNIOR CHAMPIONSHIP

July 14, 2021

Rose Zhang

Columbia Country Club

Quick Quotes

Q. Today obviously coming in as the medalist, first one out, take us through the match and important shots and holes that you had out there.

ROSE ZHANG: Yeah, overall I think I played pretty solid. I had a very solid game plan of just trying to minimize any mistakes. I know I am playing against another competitor, and in match play you can't really think about the first two days. When you go out there you have to be able to bring out your game, and that's what I tried to do.

First nine I wasn't really making any putts. I had a couple slip-ups. But overall I was able to grab it back, and I just played consistent, par golf, and that really helped me.

Q. Is it challenging coming off a round as good as yesterday, eight birdies, 62, and then to come back out the next day and play golf to try and reach that level?

ROSE ZHANG: Yeah, I didn't think much of it. Actually when I finished the 62, I was like, Okay, I'm done with the round, I made the cut.

Giulia came up to me and said, You shot the course record and you beat it by three, and I was like, Oh, really?

It was quite a surprise.

I think just coming out here, match play is obviously very different from stroke play. With that in mind, I didn't really think much of it.

Q. One quote that stood out yesterday after your round is you said you wanted to be more aggressive in match play. How do you be more aggressive after shooting a 62 like that? How much more aggressive can you get?

ROSE ZHANG: Yesterday I wasn't exactly -- I think I was just in the zone where I was able to be more aggressive because I was in places where I had wedges in, and I felt confident with the yardage.

Today I wasn't really putting myself in the greatest positions except for the back nine a little bit. I managed to get two birdies.

It was just my match today. I was just trying to play par golf, and that was what got the job done, so I have to continue doing that.

Q. How different does the course play in stroke play and match play?

ROSE ZHANG: Yeah, in match play it definitely changes your strategy. When you go out there, you have to be able to play with your opponent and just be ready for whatever they hit, the greatest shot, and whenever they might slip up a little bit.

You just have to really base that with your game. I think that's what makes match play so different and so fun to be in contention in.

Q. You've got a long couple days coming up. What do you want to work on going the next couple days?

ROSE ZHANG: Yeah, I think it's just regular short game and then putting. These greens are really tough.

Q. What makes them so tough?

ROSE ZHANG: It's just a lot of undulation. There's a lot of breaks that you have to read at least probably six feet out, and there's a lot of uphill-downhills that you really have to consider your speed, especially it's very easy to slip up and three- or four-putt.

Usually a lot of courses that you play it's not really easy to four-putt, but it is very easy to four-putt here, so you have to really be careful.

That's about it. I'm not really going to hit a lot of long game. I think that's tempo-based, and I had enough practice and reps in where I feel confident.

Q. You also want to rest; what are you going to do today after you practice some short game stuff to get ready for potentially two rounds the rest of the way?

ROSE ZHANG: I'm not sure. Probably putt a little bit, chip a little bit, and then go home, go back to the hotel and rest.