SOLHEIM CUP

September 5, 2021

Mina Harigae

Yealimi Noh

Inverness Club

Team USA

Flash

Q. What a great match out there. Let us go through the match first. You were 3-up through 10 holes, lost three holes in a row and fought back to win this match. How did it go out there?

MINA HARIGAE: I think it was great golf all around. I think me and Yealimi ham and egged it really well. When we lost the lead I thought, hey, we're just back to square one, we have six holes left, and let's go.

Q. You certainly did that. Yealimi, they put two rookies out; Captain Pat had so much faith in the two of you to put you out here this afternoon. How did you feel about the pairing and how did you like playing with Mina?

YEALIMI NOH: It was such a great time. I think us being rookies we were ready to come out here and win a match, and I'm so glad we did it together. Mina played so great today. Front nine she made a lot of good putts, and coming back, fighting through that stretch of losing the holes was really a test of our patience, and we really fought out.

I mean, we just played really well together, and it was a lot of fun.

Q. At the start of the afternoon did you feel like you had a point to prove?

MINA HARIGAE: I don't think we had anything to prove because Yealimi and I, we earned our spots here. We're playing golf the last couple years. It was more exciting to go out there, fun to be like the first ones out, and that's what we did. We just went out and played some great golf.

Q. Having won in the way you did, do you feel an extra excitement or an extra sense of pride?

MINA HARIGAE: A little bit, probably.

YEALIMI NOH: We were just so ready to go this afternoon, too, so we were just ready.

MINA HARIGAE: I think we were just ready to go more than anything. We were champing at the bit watching the morning matches, especially their comebacks. I think that motivated us more.

Q. Where are your energy levels at given the length of the week?

MINA HARIGAE: You know, we were able to rest this morning. We slept in a little. That probably played a good part into our good play.

But like I think my adrenaline is just off the charts right now.

Q. How has your experience been, if you can summarize in just a few words?

YEALIMI NOH: It's been very busy. Every day is filled with a lot of golf and a lot of extra things, but overall it's just such a great experience to be here as a team. Just so awesome.

Q. Going into tomorrow's singles, what has this victory given to both of you?

MINA HARIGAE: I think a lot of confidence. It's our first Solheim Cup point of our careers, so it's a good high to ride into tomorrow.

Q. Yealimi, I want to know what the start was like. I know you said you were revving to go this afternoon. Take me through that front nine.

YEALIMI NOH: Yeah. The front nine was -- our first hole was a bit of a bummer because we all bogeyed, all four of us, but we managed to get a birdie on the second hole.

Mina made lots of good putts on the front nine and really got the crowd going, too, from that. It was good. It was good to have a lead on the front nine for once. I think it was our first time having a lead. And then fighting back through the back nine was tough.

Q. Mina, take me through that fight on the back nine; what did you two say to each other? I know you said on the green that you were starting fresh, but what was it like to grind it out to get that win down the back nine?

MINA HARIGAE: I think as great as it felt being 3-up, I think it was even more rewarding to come back from losing -- making it back to all square. You know, honestly, we just started talking about desserts. I think like being able to -- she was just like, do you like cakes, Japanese desserts, all kinds of desserts we were talking about, and I think that lightened the mood, brought us back to reality. I think that's what really helped, honestly.

YEALIMI NOH: Yeah, we weren't too focused on how the match was going, and like it's really intense, but just kept it lighthearted and had fun.

Q. Overall, Mina, you talked about it a little bit ago, but just the fact that you two have been playing impressive golf leading up to here, what does it mean to have the trust from Pat Hurst, first off in the afternoon, before singles tomorrow, the two rookies; what did that mean to you?

MINA HARIGAE: It meant the world. It means she believes in us. She just had all the faith in us to lead the afternoon wave. It feels amazing.

Q. Yealimi, was yesterday's first tee better than today or was today better than yesterday?

YEALIMI NOH: Like crowd-wise or us -- I think today was a lot better. I think obviously the first hole, the first day of our first Solheim Cup was quite nerve-racking, but actually I was a little better than I thought. Like I thought I would be so nervous, but it's just so much excitement that it just overcomes all the bad nerves, so it was a lot better today.

Q. Mina, the first point of both of your first Solheim Cup careers. What does it mean to be teaming with Yealimi after this day?

MINA HARIGAE: I think it's awesome. Pairing two rookies together, and we both got our first Solheim Cup points, that's a memory that is one of my best golf experiences.