CME GROUP TOUR CHAMPIONSHIP

November 18, 2021

Megan Khang

Tiburon Golf Club

Quick Quotes

Q. 5-under 67 today. Had six birdies on the card. Hit 14 of 14 fairways, 16 of 18 greens.

MEGAN KHANG: Nice.

Q. Yeah, really nice. How to you find Tiburon today? What was working so well?

MEGAN KHANG: It's always nice out there when you do get to lift, clean, and place. Hitting it on the fairway was key. Nice to know I hit all of them.

But, no, just staying patient out there. We knew the weather was going to come sooner or later, and just kind of making sure that we took advantage of the conditions without the wind being there and being able to have ball in hand.

So it was nice to have that and just kind of tried to play our best before the rainfall game. Thankfully we finished just in time.

Q. How much having ball in hand, no wind, make it easier to attack a golf course like Tiburon that's traditionally pretty tough?

MEGAN KHANG: Yeah, no definitely. Tiburon typically plays pretty firm, and with the rain we got I'm assuming few weeks ago -- Nelly told me it rained in Florida few weeks before I came down, and then, I mean, even the practice rounds we knew we were getting some mud balls.

So definitely helps knowing that you weren't going to get a mudball and kind of know that you had a clean shot. There is essentially no excuses out there.

And so it was nice to be able to do that.

Q. Saw you at the Pelican Women's Championship. How essential was that event to your prep for this event?

MEGAN KHANG: I mean, I love playing an event, especially before a big event. CME is essentially almost like a major. It's a way to finish off the year strong, and I think coming from a week where I may not have felt 100% about my game, it was nice to see what I need to work on to really get prepared for this week.

Q. CME just announced yesterday or the day before they're increasing the purse for 2022. What does that mean to you as somebody that has been out here for a little bit and has seen the LPGA grow the past few years?

MEGAN KHANG: It's incredible to see what CME is doing for the women's game. Like I know we appreciate it as well.

It's very exciting. Definitely motivates all of us in a sense. More so than you usual, I guess, to try and get that win out here.

I think it's great for the game and shows that women's golf is really climbing their way up to the top to really be competitive with the men.

Q. You seemed a little surprised when she said you hit every fairway. Has driving been something you been struggling with this season?

MEGAN KHANG: No. I mean, typically I'm a pretty good driver. It's just it was funny, because the whole day I was playing with Madelene and Hannah, and all I saw today was 30 yards ahead of me.

So I guess I don't really pay attention much to I guess stats, but I'm always confident with my driver. It shouldn't have been a surprise, but it was more of a surprise that I didn't know how many par-3s we had total, so I didn't know how many fairways out there were hittable.

Q. How much time have you spent with Nelly outside of a tournament week?

MEGAN KHANG: Nelly and I are really good friends. I mean, we grew up playing junior golf together, and fortunately enough, she obviously lives in Florida, so I came down a few days before Pelican last week and we were able to kind of hang out.

We try to do dinner once a week even during tournament weeks, so, I mean -- Jess as well. The whole family is an amazing family. I always joke that they're my tour sisters, stuff like that.

But, I mean, it's hard to do in-season, but we do try to see each other. Even if we don't during the off-season, when we see each other in person it picks right up where we left off.

Q. What's the biggest thing you've learned from her this year? She's really taken off.

MEGAN KHANG: Yeah, Nelly is playing incredible this year. I think from when we were younger we both knew that -- like I knew Nelly was always going to be a great golfer and it was going to be very competitive us two.

It helps that we're really good friends and she pushes me to be a better golfer, and just kind of push myself and try to compete with her and keep up; really have something to chase after.

Q. Now, the winner Sunday gets $1.5 million, I believe. Have you thought about what you would do with that kind of money?

MEGAN KHANG: I mean, I for sure would help or really just take care of my parents in the sense of my mom really wants a new house.

So I would definitely buy my mom her dream house. She's always wanted that, and it's always been a goal of mine to give her what she wants, because they gave me everything I want and need.

Q. Where do your parents live now? California?

MEGAN KHANG: No, I'm from Massachusetts. So Rockland, Massachusetts. Ideally I told my mom we could tear down the house and build up from scratch, and obviously with the marketing so high right now it's a little tough to do that.

But the 1.5 would definitely help.