LPGA DRIVE ON CHAMPIONSHIP

February 4, 2022

Jennifer Chang

Crown Colony Golf & Country Club

Quick Quotes

Q. Here with Jennifer Chang. You end today at 6-under overall. Just take me through what the last two days have been like for you.

JENNIFER CHANG: Yeah, it's just been super consistent. I'm glad I have Will on the bag and we've made a lot of good club choices.

Today I putted much better than yesterday. I think yesterday I missed like a good five or six putts inside ten feet. That cost me a lot. Today I was able to convert all those.

I'm overall very pleased.

Q. Take me through the start of today. You had a hot start, two birdies in your first three holes. What was that like for you?

JENNIFER CHANG: Yeah, started off 10. Hit it close to about ten feet; made that.

So I mean, I was hitting a ton of greens at the start and kind of had a hiccup from I think 14 to 16 where I missed three greens.

But then overall just super consistent. Was making a lot of good clutch putts for par, converting those birdie putts when I had to.

Q. Being able to close with back-to-back birdies there, what's working so well for you there on 8 and 9?

JENNIFER CHANG: Yeah, I think a lot of the par-5s, they played much easier with the downwind. I used that to my advantage. Hit two of them on the front side on the green, so, I mean, was able to make an easy birdie from there.

So just super pleased.

Q. What's it been like to be able to take part in the Drive On Championship this year? We don't usually have this third Florida swing. Usually go right into the break before Asia. What's it like to be able to take this in even if it's just a three-day event?

JENNIFER CHANG: Yeah, I'm glad the LPGA is having us play a tournament like this just to give us the opportunity. I'm thankful that Crown Colony is out here supporting us as well.

I'm super happy with the course and how it's playing, so, yeah.

Q. What do you like most about playing here?

JENNIFER CHANG: I would say the grass is very different. I think it's similar to like Hawaii, so there is less break, not as much bermuda in it, not grainy.

And then just how firm and fast the greens are, too. I think it suits my game pretty well I would say, so I'm super excited.

Q. I think that's been a theme over the last couple days here at Crown Colony, a lot of players talking about how awesome the greens are. But being able to read them and read them effectively, how do you think you fared as you've gone through two rounds?

JENNIFER CHANG: Yeah, I would say like overall very pleased. Will helped me a lot with a lot of green reading, so when we are able to make those it was huge. So just being able to bounce back from a bogey and making a birdie, I mean, it's very easy to make birdie out here on certain holes, but also it can play very tough and you can make a mistake very easily.

Q. What have you been working on gearing up for these couple Florida swing events in your off-season? Your off-season started a little later than most people at Q-Series. Being able to finish that strong and being able to carry that momentum into the first two events for you, what was that like?

JENNIFER CHANG: Yeah, just the mental part of my game, I mean, every player has every shot in the bag. They know how to execute it. It's just putting your mind to it.

I think if I can mentally prepare myself, that's going to be the best way. You know, that's what I really focus on this season, just not trying to push myself or anything. Just be happy, yeah.

Q. Do you feel different as a player than you did when you first came on tour?

JENNIFER CHANG: Oh, yeah, for sure. I was a rookie. It was a weird like first two years. You know, this is my third year now and I feel like I know my way around playing and I just feel a lot more comfortable out here.

Q. I was about to say that, I said talking to you now -- and I feel like I've talked to you a couple times over the last couple years.

JENNIFER CHANG: Yeah.

Q. You just feel more confident and sure of yourself. Do you feel that way on the course as well?

JENNIFER CHANG: Yeah, for sure. Just changing my mindset about things, not stressing over a cut or a certain hole. I mean, I got really caught up in that, especially because as a rookie just the money, there is so much that goes into it.

So I think for me, this year I'm just focusing on my own game and taking it day by day.

Q. As a younger player on tour, how beneficial do you think the player summit aspect of Drive On Championship was, and what was it like kind of learning from other people and other industries?

JENNIFER CHANG: Yeah, I mean, it was a great insight for us, especially as rookies. You go into it kind of with a blind eye. You don't know what to expect.

So I think kind of giving us a firsthand on like what it's like, it's really cool, yeah.