U.S. WOMEN'S AMATEUR CHAMPIONSHIP

August 6, 2021

Rachel Heck

Westchester Country Club

Quick Quotes

Q. So you guys were tied at the turn and then you got a big one there on 10 and obviously the last two. Take us through the back nine there.

RACHEL HECK: Yeah, was some great golf played. She kept the pressure on the whole time. I had to make some good putts to halve the holes. She didn't let up at any point.

On the last hole she made a 15-footer to save par to force me to make that putt, so it was great golf. It was a lot of fun. That's the kind of pressure match you expect in the quarterfinals.

You know, that's what it was. It was awesome.

Q. You've played in plenty of these before. This is the first time reaching the semifinals. How does it feel to get this far at the Women's Am and to be playing some of the best golf you've played?

RACHEL HECK: Yeah, no, it's honestly just such an honor to make it this far. I've played I think it's my fourth or fifth year playing, and, yeah, the farthest I've made it is the round of 16 before this.

Every year I watched it on TV and I just think, Ah, like I just want that to be me. Like I just want to be playing. Win or lose, I want to be playing. So to be playing is pretty special.

Q. You've obviously maintained your composure pretty well this week. How do you keep yourself calm out there?

RACHEL HECK: I think having my dad on the bag really helps, because walking up the fairways we just talk about random things. We have fun. He keeps me happy. If I hit a shot I don't like, he's like, That's all right. You know, like we keep each other smiling, so it's a lot of fun.

Q. Does Sam get to come out and watch you quite a bit?

RACHEL HECK: He doesn't, no. He watched at the U.S. Open and then he came here yesterday. With him being at West Point we don't get to see each other a whole lot. He goes back to school on Sunday, so he was able to come here for a few days. (Indiscernible).

Q. (Indiscernible - wind.)

RACHEL HECK: Oh, yeah, 100%. I was walking the fairway and look at him and he'll make some silly face at me and make me smile. I'll go, if we have a backup, I'll go talk to him. Just makes me so happy. Like I said, we really don't get to see each other a lot, so any time we have is really special.

Q. Heading into tomorrow what's the mindset going to be?

RACHEL HECK: Same as every other match. You know, since round of 64 they've been great matches, great play, and that's what it's going to be the next match, too. Just taking it one shot at a time.

Q. How much has your putting been propelling you forward? You've made some serious clutch putts in some serious clutch situations.

RACHEL HECK: Yeah, yeah, no, it's been good. I mean, those are the kind of putts you kind of practice and you think, this is to win the hole, this is for Women's Am, and you envision that in your head so many times so that when you get to step up to a putt like that you're like, oh, I've done this before. I can do it again right here.

Q. One last one. Thoughts on your matchup tomorrow now with Jensen Castle? Have you played with her, played against her very often?

RACHEL HECK: Yeah, I don't know if we've played together a whole a lot. We were on the same team at Wyndham Cup I remember. I think it's incredible that she went from the playoff to the semifinals. After she won her match I was with my dad and we were talking about how incredible that is. You in an 11 for 2 playoff and someone told you you would be in the semifinal. She's playing some amazing golf clearly and we'll have fun tomorrow.