GAINBRIDGE LPGA AT BOCA RIO

January 29, 2022

Danielle Kang

Boca Rio Golf Club

Quick Quotes

Q. All right, Danielle, I know how important trusting the process is to you. How important was that on a day like this?

DANIELLE KANG: Today was rough. I checked out a little bit for the back nine. I did everything I can to stay in contention and gave myself a chance tomorrow.

It was really tough out there. I missed a lot of putts. There was a lot of gusting shots and I never missed so many putts by so far in a while.

Q. When you say you checked out, what kind of got you back in gear?

DANIELLE KANG: I just know that I have to keep focused. I did everything I could, but there were some shots that no matter how many times I stepped up -- I know I was really slow today, sorry for the broadcasters -- but I backed up about three, four times on one shot on No. 10 because the wind did four different things.

I don't know how to hit the shot. If it does one thing it's in the back bunker; if I do another it's in the front bunker; if I hit the shot that I want it's going to be right.

Trusting what I needed to do was really tough. My short game was great. Hit it to a lot of four-footers, five-footers, and missed a lot of the them today.

So it's okay. I mean, I'm proud that I just stayed in it and have a chance tomorrow.

Q. You put yourself right back in with a chance to win two Sundays in a row.

DANIELLE KANG: Today was probably the toughest day. Of course it's not the score that I wanted; however, I hit some really good shots out there, hit some really good putts.

So I just have to put that aside. Playing really good golf, so I'm going to try and put up a show tomorrow.

Q. What was it like on 10? I saw you backing off, the wind was changing, going through so many different things.

DANIELLE KANG: It's not just that. Even the putt on 17, I know I have a two-and-a-half-footer, but it's just not sitting still and it's kind of -- I think they rolled it. It's a little bumpier and the ball is sitting in a hole and want it to jump. If it does, it jumps out of the line. It's just kind of there are a lot of factors to it today.

So trying to stay focused on the speed. I didn't even know the speed today. I think the greens got faster than yesterday, because I was kind of all over the place a little bit. Managed to -- I think my short game saved -- my short game and driver saved my game today, and -- Wayne is here. Hi, Wayne.

Okay. (Laughter.)

Q. Nothing like an interruption from Wayne Gretsky over there.

DANIELLE KANG: I didn't even know he was -- I couldn't even tell you he was here. All right, anyway.

Q. You hit a lot of really good iron shots. Seemed like the wind, like your approach shots didn't really bother you. Was wondering, did it bother you more on the greens?

DANIELLE KANG: It bothered me a lot on the greens. I wasn't that bothered with ball striking, but it bothered me a lot on the greens.

I don't know, that three-putt, too. I didn't -- an I de-celed on probably 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, so I told myself to accelerate and I did, and then I hit had it by 12 feet.

So then I tried to keep that going, but then I was scared to hit it by three feet. It was just a lot of calibrating on the greens today, which was not a good way to play, especially in this gusty wind.

I don't think it's going to be as gusty tomorrow, but there is a lot of -- 2-under is not a bad score today. It was rough out there.

Q. We had a 3-under today. That was the low round of the day. Just what does it take?

DANIELLE KANG: That's good golf.

Q. What does it take to be able to continue that momentum that you started for yourself this entire week?

DANIELLE KANG: I believe like you don't really ride momentum. Momentum is really not real, right? You either play well or you don't. I'm not winning because I won last week.

Q. Yeah.

DANIELLE KANG: Just because you played bad doesn't mean you play bad the following week. For me, I just need to keep trusting my game. I'm going to go putt a little bit and hope that tomorrow I could just play some good golf and be entertaining for a lot of people.