BANK OF HOPE LPGA MATCH-PLAY

May 26, 2022

Emma Talley

Shadow Creek

Quick Quotes

Q. Here with Emma Talley after her second round at the Bank of Hope LPGA Match-Play presented by MGM Rewards. That was quite a battle. I see at one point you were down by 4 or Stacy was 4-up rather. Tell me, I want to ask you about the mental part of your game, being able to battle back from that and attack.

EMMA TALLEY: Yeah, I don't know. It's something about match play like I said yesterday. Every hole is a new hole and you just never know when that's going to change, especially out here.

The course is really hard and it got windy on the back nine, which was to my advantage. Yeah, I knew that it could turn and I started hitting it much better probably the 8th hole on, so that really helped out.

Yeah it was a grind and really, really fun.

Q. Why do you find the wind was playing to your advantage? What were you doing to sort of take advantage of that?

EMMA TALLEY: I don't know if it was my advantage, but I was the 1-down, so I had nothing to lose. So I was just kind of going at pins and just trying to get somewhere on the green and make her hit a better shot.

Yeah, it was really fun. I did miss a three-footer on 16, which was a bummer, but it was a grind and it was just a fun day.

Q. Yeah, you just said that it was a lot of fun. What was the fun part about it? Playing with Stacy? Making the turnaround?

EMMA TALLEY: I think all of it. We're all so competitive and this is the kind of pressure we dream about. I was 4-down and it was back and forth the last nine holes. I haven't felt that kind of pressure in a while and it was really fun.

Had to make birdie on the last hole and did. It was fun. Stacy is great. I said yesterday she's a great mentor and she really is.

Q. Solheim Cup captain Stacy, and like you said yesterday, a great mentor. Does that make you nervous at all or mostly excited?

EMMA TALLEY: No, I think I know her well enough where I was just excited to get to play with her. She's like I said a great role model for everybody out here. She's not just a golfer, No. 1 in the world, but she's also a mom.

I think she's great and it was really fun today.

Q. Standing on 18 tee 1-down, talk me through the hole, how you played it.

EMMA TALLEY: Yeah, well I won 17, so I had the box. Just wanted to get in the fairway. She actually hit it in the rough on the right, and I will be honest, she hit in the bunker short of the green so I was like, Let's just get this somewhere close.

I hit it to like two feet and I thought it was impossible for her to get it up and down and she did. She made like a 10-footer, clutch 10-footer to make par, so I had to make the putt. Thank goodness it wasn't too long.

Q. Been asking a lot of players, I don't know if you heard Michelle Wie announced her retirement.

EMMA TALLEY: Yeah.

Q. Do you have any thoughts on her career and what she's meant to U.S. golf?

EMMA TALLEY: I actually feel like I'm about to tear up. She came out here and she really made the LPGA what it is today. I think she's done so much for the game. I know she will continue to do so much for the game, and I know she's going to do great things as a mom and wife.

I think I read that she's going to be part of Nike's team, so I know she's going to be a great businesswoman and I'm sure she's going to continue to help out of the LPGA. She's great.

Q. I mentioned to Jennifer your pod, pretty much the knock-out rounds begin tomorrow. You basically need to win tomorrow to move on.

EMMA TALLEY: Yeah.

Q. Does that change your approach tomorrow playing Lauren tomorrow?

EMMA TALLEY: Yeah, Lauren tomorrow. Actually not. I think just continue to play my game. I didn't hit it quite as well today as I did yesterday. Didn't make as many birdies.

Going to hit the range for a bit and just go out there and have fun.

Q. I want to ask one about playing with Lauren, another young player. I know you said no different, but how are you preparing and feeling about playing with her specifically? Have you had much experience playing with her?

EMMA TALLEY: Yeah, we played quite a bit together. She's a good friend and we both went to school at Alabama. Never played together, but she's a Bama girl, so I'm excited to play with her. Like I said, we're good friends. It'll be a fun day.

Q. Good job on coming back today; 4-down at one point. You mentioned yesterday you were really looking forward to playing with the Solheim Cup captain. Is there anything that you think you really showed her today just for her to keep in the back of her mind as we get closer to Spain?

EMMA TALLEY: Yeah, obviously I need to play a little better than I have been. We're a long ways out and I think today she probably realized I have grit and I don't give up.

Hopefully that showed her a little bit. I don't think she's too happy with me right now, but maybe later. (Smiling.)

Q. And then just looking ahead to tomorrow, Lauren Stephenson, like you said, you two played a lot of college golf together. How familiar are you with her game and how much do you two kind of hang out outside of pro golf?

EMMA TALLEY: Yeah, she's -- like I said, we're good friends. But, yeah, I know her game pretty well, but I don't really think that'll do anything tomorrow. We actually play pretty differently. She hits a pretty big draw; I hit a big fade.

Yeah, I think we'll just go out there and have fun and -- what do they say in the Hunger Games? May the odds be in your favor.

Q. Last question from me. How many "Roll Tides" will there be out there tomorrow?

EMMA TALLEY: Oh, I hope a lot. Like I said, she's a great girl and I know it'll be a fun day.

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