NW ARKANSAS CHAMPIONSHIP

September 26, 2021

Aditi Ashok

Pinnacle Country Club

Quick Quotes

Q. So a strong finish for you.

ADITI ASHOK: Yeah.

Q. Obviously a great final round. 4-under, and that includes six birdies today at Nos. 1 and 2, 5 and 7, and then 14 and 18. So all four of the par-5s. I feel like that's kind of rare because they seem like they're longer par-5s.

ADITI ASHOK: Yeah.

Q. Can you take me through the day and how it unfolded for you?

ADITI ASHOK: I think it was a good day. In the beginning I hit it close on 1 and 2 so I knew I was hitting it good. I holed those putts as well.

On 5 I hit it to like two feet, so I knew I could make a lot of birdies. I think all the par-5s for me today, even though couple were moved up, they weren't really reachable. I think I'm kind of used to that playing on the LPGA with the longer courses.

I was just not fazed by it much. I was just trying to make birdie on every par-5, because what's that's what all the girls do out here.

Yeah, it worked out. I think in the middle I lost maybe my ball striking a little bit. I missed like three, four greens in a row, and that was obviously -- you know, because if you don't hit the green here you don't have a birdie putt and easier to drop shots.

Yeah, I got out of it, but I think it was a good finish. I started hitting it well again and holed a couple putts. It was a good day.

Q. For you specifically, a four-day event versus a three-day event like this, how much difference is there maybe in a game plan or mentality, if at all?

ADITI ASHOK: I think four days, although it's just one day extra, it feels a lot longer in your head. You know, especially when it gets to the weekend. You feel a lot more mentally tired.

I think three days is shorter, but at the same time you have to score pretty quick because you know everybody else is going to do the same. It's like a shootout. You have to make as many birdies as possible.

I think the last time I played here my goal was to -- I had a bogey-free tournament in 2019, so not 2020, but 2019, and I that was I think a good approach.

I think on a course like this you have to make more birdies, so that was what I focused on this week, to get more birdies, even though I dropped a couple shots, made a double bogey.

It's still about how many birdies you can make in three days.

Q. And moving over to ShopRite next week, does a good finish here, especially in the three-day format we just talked about, does a good finish here make you feel a little better heading into next week?

ADITI ASHOK: Yes, definitely. And also I think it's better because I feel like I haven't done my best at ShopRite. It's not that long a golf course so I feel like I could have had way better finishes, but in three years -- I didn't play 2020 -- I don't think it happened in 2020.

Q. We played but not until like late in the fall.

ADITI ASHOK: Yeah, no. So I think I could have done way better in my first three attempts at ShopRite, so it's good. I feel like I'm playing good, so that might be a bit of an advantage for me, because it's not always my best week of the year.

Looking forward to it this time.

Q. I was looking at your schedule and you've been on the road for what, 16 weeks, 17 next week?

ADITI ASHOK: Yeah, from Meijer, if you take Meijer, except the week before the Olympics, I've played every week. But it's just I played a couple in Europe which were only three days and Portland and this one was three days. I think when you see five of those events becoming three-day events it's not as bad, but still a lot of travel.

I think it's good because I kind of get better. I feel like as a player the more I practice on the range I get better, but I don't know what exactly the tiny little things you find out in the tournament, whether it's a club here or there that you can push or not push.

Just general stuff. How you feel during a tournament. I feel you learn more while playing. So, yeah.

Q. You had the Olympics sandwiched in there.

ADITI ASHOK: Yes.

Q. You know what you accomplished there for your home country and also for yourself. Have you been able to kind of look back and reflect on it at all? Has life changed much for you.

ADITI ASHOK: I think social media-wise it's changed a lot. Obviously haven't been back to India so I can't tell how much of a change there has been back home. I've heard it's quite a lot and a lot of people have heard about golf, which is good.

I'm just glad I put together four great rounds. One shot off a medal, you know, when I reflect back it's bittersweet because I feel like I am always thinking which shot I could've hit better, but I still think it was great for the game, especially in India.

Q. Was that a moment this year in your career that continues to drive you week in and week out?

ADITI ASHOK: Yes, definitely, for sure. I think before that week I hadn't really had any Top 10s in over a year and I had never really played in the leader groups in that event.

I played well at Dow, but that was team event. It's still good, but it's not like playing in a leader group with Lydia Ko or Nelly Korda. That was a great experience for me. And not just playing with them, but just holding my own against them, which was -- it's hard for a short hitter, especially in those situations.

I feel like I did good, and that was a huge takeaway. I feel like I can actually play well out here, and not just struggle to make putts. I can finish well, like I did in my rookie year. I had a top 10; the second year I had a couple Top 10s. After that it's been a bit of a dry spell.

I think for my confidence it was great.