AIG WOMEN'S OPEN

August 20, 2021

Steph Kyriacou

Press Conference

THE MODERATOR: Thank you so much for joining us today after your send round at the AIG Women's Open, that was a remarkable round of golf. Is that how you feel as well?

STEPH KYRIACOU: I guess the back nine was. The front nine was a little bit rusty, a couple silly mistakes but yeah I'm very happy with that back nine.

Q. I guess first of all how did you do that, a back nine 30 is extraordinary.

STEPH KYRIACOU: Yeah, I don't know (laughing). I just know I hit some good iron shots in and I pretty much holed hike everything inside 20-foot on that back nine which I'm really stoked about.

Q. What was your mindset as you made the turn?

STEPH KYRIACOU: Yeah, so my caddie basically just said, pull your head out. And then I made a birdie on 10, and I don't know, something like fired up and I don't know what else, I just made more birdies. I just kept going.

Q. Can you talk us through the eagle on 12, how did that come about?

STEPH KYRIACOU: I hit a good drive. I think I had 201 to the front of the green and I tried to smack a 3-wood down there and it went on the green to like 40 foot and I holed the putt.

Q. And then after the birdies at 13 and 14, just wonder sort of what was going through your head at that point, are you sort of aware of what's happening, 5-under for five holes? That's an extraordinary run.

STEPH KYRIACOU: Yeah, but the last four holes are pretty tricky. I said if I can just try to par these next four, like I'm happy, I'm leaving. I'll come back tomorrow. So yeah, I ended up birdieing 16 which is pretty good.

Q. Can you talk us through that one on 16?

STEPH KYRIACOU: Yeah, I hit a 5-iron. Just tried to land it like 15 meters short and I hit it pretty good and it rolled up to about 15 foot and I holed the putt. My hole group made birdies on that actually. It was a good hole.

Q. What was the atmosphere like in the group with the run you were putting together on the back nine?

STEPH KYRIACOU: It was pretty normal. I don't think like they made a big deal out of it. They said, like, good back nine after, but during it, like the group was making a couple birdies on the back nine, so I think it was just chill.

Q. Coming down those last two holes as you mentioned, it's a really tough finish. Was it a mindset of, come on, just two pars?

STEPH KYRIACOU: Yeah, I hit it in the bunker on 17 but it's actually not that bad because the hole I think feeds down to the flag. I said if I can get up-and-down here, like we're chilling, like it's sweet and I missed the fairway so far left on the 18th. So I had to like chip out and I thought like just give yourself a par putt, and then did I, and it like looped in. Was pretty lucky, went around the back of the cup and it went in. It was good.

The third shot I had 66 metres in and an 18-footer for par.

Q. What's the mindset going into the third day?

STEPH KYRIACOU: I think I've got good momentum going in. Yeah, I've just come off of that and tomorrow is moving day and I'm only five back. It's really nothing in links golf, and I don't think the weather is going to be great tomorrow. We'll see.

THE MODERATOR: I hear that you might have drawn some inspiration from an unusual source out there. Did your scoreboard carrier give you a few words of encouragement to spark you up a little bit?

STEPH KYRIACOU: Yeah, so I was talking with him for like a bit of the front nine, he's a really nice guy, and I made my first birdie on 10. And after on the tee, he's like, come on, you've got this. Then he said, like, "You can birdie this; you can eagle the next and you can birdie the next." He was being a bit of a smart ass, and was like, "Do you want me to change the score now?"

And when I made a couple birdies, he was like, "See." It was fun. There was some good banter.

THE MODERATOR: Thank you for joining us.