U.S. WOMEN'S AMATEUR CHAMPIONSHIP

August 4, 2021

Jensen Castle

Westchester Country Club

Quick Quotes

Q. Talk about just the excitement last night when you were leaving here.

JENSEN CASTLE: Oh, my gosh, it was crazy. So I've been out all summer with a stress fracture in my rib and I haven't played in any tournaments. I picked up a club for the first time like five, almost six days ago. So I came to this tournament with no expectations. I'm just going to play. I mean, my expectations were so low because like I haven't touched a club at all.

First round was pretty sloppy. I was frustrated because I was not getting up and down from shots that I normally would get up and down.

Then yesterday I put it together and just focused on everything that I could control. And then the playoff hole, that was just so hype. It was so cool. It was like a steppingstone not only for me mentally, but also for Kentucky I feel like. The chances of 12 and two, like two Kentucky players coming out, that's unreal, so hype.

But I was super excited, and when I went to bed I was like, All right. Tomorrow is a new day. No matter what happened today, tomorrow is anew day. I can lose and -- I mean, don't say -- I didn't want to lose, but it is what it is. Not touching a club I was like, if I made it this far, that's all that matters to me.

So I think it just helped that I was so relaxed with no expectations for this week.

Q. Talk us through your match a little bit and what you like about match play.

JENSEN CASTLE: Okay, started right out of the gate, birdied it. I'm like, All right, cool. I just played consistent. Like fairway, green. That's all that matters. That's the game in match play. Just mentally it's exhausting when you miss the green consistently.

My match was so much fun. I loved her. She and I had fun, and she was a great player. She was really good.

So like I said, I just hit fairway, green. Goes in, goes in; two-putt, cool. Get out of there; save par.

Q. How do you like this course so far?

JENSEN CASTLE: I really like it. It reminds me of last year's Am.

Q. At Woodmont?

JENSEN CASTLE: Yeah, very similar. I like it. Just keep it in the fairway basically. You get some bad lies out there in the rough for sure.

Q. Do you think there is almost an advantage that you're coming in well rested given how long you hope this week could be?

JENSEN CASTLE: A lot of people have been trying to put that in my head. They're like, Jensen, you are ready for this. You've been out the past two weeks mentally. And I've never taken a break longer than two days.

So I can use that like as a help, but I don't know. I wasn't thinking that. I still have expectations but they're so low because I haven't touched a club. I'm just super excited for the rest of the week and just to be here is amazing.