LOTTE CHAMPIONSHIP PRESENTED BY HOAKALEI

April 13, 2022

Sarah Kemp

Hoakalei Country Club

Press Conference

Q. That was a pretty good round today, including a nice hole-out there on No. 6. Tell us how you feel after your round.

SARAH KEMP: Yeah, really happy. I haven't played that good all year, so it's nice to finally get the year started.

But, yeah, it was just really solid. I felt like I hit a lot of fairways and I had a couple of -- I holed out twice. I had one from the bunker and one chip in on 6, I think, so that was a bonus.

And I putted well, so it was just nice and solid overall.

Q. What do you think caused the good round today? Been working on anything?

SARAH KEMP: Yeah. You know, same kind of stuff. Like I've been terrible at being patient I felt like. I missed the cut by one at ANA and I sort of trended slowly, very slowly in the right direction.

But it's been super frustrating, and it's just nice that, yeah, I guess I remained patient and just kept doing the same thing.

But, yeah, it was hard the first couple months. Wasn't the start that I wanted to. I got COVID in January and I missed the first event; didn't get to play a tournament in Australia.

So I've been doing exactly the same; just stayed patient.

Q. How special is it to be out here in Hawaii, the course, the environment, I guess?

SARAH KEMP: Yeah, it's great. It's hard to have a bad day. Even if golf wasn't that great here, it's awesome. I went and had dinner in Waikiki couple nights ago. Had the best poke I've ever had. I love it here. Yeah, I would happily come back all the time.

Q. We've got Hannah at the top of the leaderboard; Minjee has won this event; Karrie has played well; I know Cam Smith won here earlier this year. What is it about Aussies and Hawaii?

SARAH KEMP: I don't know. Maybe we're a little closer to home. Feels like -- it's funny, I'm playing in Australia next week in an LET event. It's closer for me to get from Honolulu to Sydney than it is Sydney back to -- sorry, Honolulu to back to Orlando.

So maybe we're just a little closer to home and there is a lot of the Aussies here. When I had dinner in Waikiki I heard the accents all over the place, so maybe it's that.

Q. This is a long course, a big course. Tell me your thoughts on Hoakalei and how you managed it today.

SARAH KEMP: I actually didn't find it crazy -- crazy enough, I didn't find it long, and I'm not a very long hitter. I think I just hit really good drives into the -- I kept it lower on the into-the-wind holes and it got out there a little bit further.

But, yeah, I didn't have too many longer clubs in today. It was nice. I think we had a lot of crosswinds, but I sort of shaped it in the way that I would get some of downwind on the crosswind.

So, but, yeah, it's an awesome golf course. The greens are rolling great. But, yeah, I drove it well so didn't feel like it was overly too long today.

Q. Okay. I have one more question that I think will be really specific. With the green ribbon, just wanted to get your thoughts and remembrances of Shirley, as we lost her yesterday.

SARAH KEMP: Yeah, she's so cool. I remember meeting her, one of the Founders, in the Phoenix event. She was just the nicest lady. I know everything that just she did for us to get this tour started is phenomenal.

It was really sad hearing that yesterday, yeah.

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