LPGA QUALIFYING TOURNAMENT STAGE II

October 22, 2021

Karis Davidson

Plantation Golf and Country Club

Quick Quotes

Q. We'll start with the round today; you had a great finish, obviously. You started on the back nine of the Panther course.

KARIS DAVIDSON: No, I started on the front nine, finished on the back nine.

Q. So you finished strong, extra strong, two early bogeys on 2 and 5 but you had birdies at 3 and 9 and then four on the back at 11, 12, 15 and 16. What got you into a rhythm out there?

KARIS DAVIDSON: Well, I guess the pace of play has been really good so far this week, and I think once you can keep your rhythm going, that really helps. You know, I was just getting good numbers out there and like good clubs, so I guess that's how I got into the rhythm.

Q. And your caddie?

KARIS DAVIDSON: Bob.

Q. How did you guys get connected?

KARIS DAVIDSON: He is a volunteer through the club, because obviously I'm in Australia, so nobody can come over and caddie, but he's doing a great job. He's very positive, good shot, good swing, good timing. It all really helps.

Q. Did you know him before?

KARIS DAVIDSON: No.

Q. Or heard of him from friends or anything?

KARIS DAVIDSON: No, never met him before. It's just this week.

Q. I was going to ask, too, about just in a normal year, you'd probably have a family member or two come over for this and help you out. How difficult or challenging is it in the current times with the current travel restrictions to have to do especially this kind of qualifying school yourself?

KARIS DAVIDSON: Yeah, well, luckily I've got a really good family and great friends at home, so I've just been calling them a lot, and they've been really supportive. But I've been away from home since May, and it's been challenging just not having -- like nobody can come over. Especially Australia, they've been going through tough times with the virus.

Yeah, but I'm just lucky I've got good family support at home and friends.

Q. So you haven't been home since May. Where is home base here?

KARIS DAVIDSON: It's Orlando at the moment.

Q. Isn't there like a group of Australians --

KARIS DAVIDSON: Yeah, there's a Golf Australia house in Windermere, and it's great. It's such a good idea because we've all not been able to go home this year, so we all just have a good time together and play some ping-pong and make meals together a lot of the time, so yeah.

Q. Is there a meal that Karis likes to cook?

KARIS DAVIDSON: I'm really not much of a cook. I was like, guys, I'm not really good at dishes and I'm not good at cooking.

Q. You're good at eating it, though?

KARIS DAVIDSON: Yeah, exactly. But I think I've been okay with it. I haven't had any complaints yet.

Q. Is there anybody, male or female, that you maybe connect with a little more from the Golf Australia contingent and have maybe worked with or practiced with?

KARIS DAVIDSON: Not really, but this year when I came over, Grace Kim and I traveled to a few Monday qualifiers together, and we're staying together this week, and we seem to be really good travel buddies because we just know when we want our own time, and we like the same sort of food. Yeah, and she's great company. I'd say grace was -- I'm closest to in the house at the moment, yeah.

Q. What type of food is it that you both like?

KARIS DAVIDSON: Well, she has like South Korean -- her parents are South Korean, so I think she eats a lot of Korean food at home, and I love Asian food, as well, so we both make some noodles at home with like rice and things like that. We both love pasta, just all of that sort of typical stuff.

Q. So you're closest with Grace. As the next generation of Australian female golfers, what's the vantage point of a Hannah Green and a Minjee Lee and what they've been able to do on the LPGA, and how have they perhaps given you and Grace to come out here and want to get to that level?

KARIS DAVIDSON: Yeah, well, all three -- well, there's more than three girls that have done really well out there, and I think it's a bit of motivation, and it shows you that you can do it. They've all had their tough times, as well, and I think especially this year. Well, not so much then but a lot of the Aussie girls that have been trying to get on a Tour or get playing in some events overseas. It's been really tough.

Just seeing them out there kind of gets you motivated, yeah.

Q. What Monday qualifying events did you do this year?

KARIS DAVIDSON: I did Portland, Arkansas and ShopRite. I was the closest in Arkansas. I got into a playoff, and Portland was just the hilliest golf course ever.

Q. What did you take away from those experiences on those Mondays? Obviously kind of similar to Q-school except obviously just one day, but is there some similarities that helped prepare you for the moment?

KARIS DAVIDSON: I think the brutality of the Mondays kind of like get you prepared for things like this mentally. That's the main thing that I took out of it. Like it's tough. It's like one day you've got to like -- every shot is like -- it's kind of like your last. I think that was good to bring into this week, that every shot is important, and to give it 100 percent and just commit to every shot.

Q. And then you had -- obviously just looking back on today's round and then looking forward to the weekend, you strung together a couple good rounds. How have you learned in your, I would imagine, short time as a pro to kind of harness that and continue it over a four-day span?

KARIS DAVIDSON: Yeah, well, I think if I can just get a good warmup like been the past couple of days -- those first two days, they're history now. It could be windier tomorrow. It could be -- the circumstances change every day, so I'm just going to go out there and like commit to every shot, like what I said.

Q. Anything that I should know or anybody should know about Karis? Any good stories that make --

KARIS DAVIDSON: Stories --

Q. Anything in your amateur days or anything that's gotten you to this point that you reflect on and you're like, wow, that was pretty cool?

KARIS DAVIDSON: I can't think of anything off the top of my head, no. I'm pretty hungry right now.