CURTIS CUP

June 10, 2022

Rose Zhang

Rachel Kuehn

Merion Golf Club

Press Conference

THE MODERATOR: We are here with Rose Zhang and Rachel Kuehn, representatives from the USA team, who is now up 5-1 after Day 1 of the Curtis Cup match. Rose, talk about your team's energy and how you guys are feeling now.

ROSE ZHANG: It's been absolutely amazing. Just coming into the event and having the days of practice, we really created such a close bond, and we already knew each other from other events. So it's just been a blast with them. We all have inside jokes, and it's just been carried over on to the golf course. Our energy has really been just -- there's no parallels to how amazing we are and how we did. It's been great.

Q. Rachel, happy birthday, the big 2-1. Talk about playing so well today and kind of the camaraderie with your teammates.

RACHEL KUEHN: Yeah, I was really lucky to be put out in both matches and to win both times, and had two great partners, and yeah, I think everyone is just super pumped and I know I'm super proud of our team because we got off to a slow start last year, and to not have to put ourselves in that position again is great, and I know we're all just going to enjoy each other's company and enjoy a good day of golf, but we've got to go out tomorrow and do the same thing because GB&I is coming tomorrow and they're all great players. We've got to stay focused and got to keep playing well.

Q. I was just curious how much you guys have talked about what happened last year and the first day and what you feel like you learned from it.

RACHEL KUEHN: Yeah, I think we can learn from it that just because you're not winning doesn't mean it's over. Luckily we're on the flipside of it this year and we're leading after the first day, but I think we have got -- like we just said, we've got to stay motivated, we've got to keep the pedal down, because if anything last year showed us that you can come back, and we don't want to give GB&I that chance.

ROSE ZHANG: I totally agree. GB&I, all the players are amazing. We can't second-guess their abilities to make a comeback. So we really have to step foot on that pedal and really try to play well tomorrow to gain that momentum into singles.

Match is very unexpected, the tides can turn at any time, and as long as we are aware of that I'm sure we're going to be able to go out there and play our best tomorrow.

Q. Rose, how did Merion play under kind of match conditions today, and talk a little bit about the greens.

ROSE ZHANG: Yeah, Merion has been -- it's just so prestigious, to be able to be on this golf course, we're so thankful to have this venue and play the Curtis Cup here. But I would say greens are quite tricky. You really have to know your slopes. Even if you hit a great shot, you can easily just go into a slight edge or you can roll into the rough quite easily. The rough is quite thick out there.

But this course is very meant for match play, and I think that it's challenging but it's really fair.

Q. Rachel, how was it to pair with Amari today, and what do you like about her as a player and as a partner?

RACHEL KUEHN: Yeah, Amari is an incredible player and she's had an unbelievable spring. When Sarah told me that we'd be paired together, I was really excited. I think our games match up really, really well. We play golf really similarly, and that's kind of what you look for in a foursomes partner. But she is an incredible player, I think one of the youngest on the team, but I know she has everyone's respect, and her best golf is still ahead of her, so keep an eye on her.

Q. How was it to adopt her on the team for this season?

RACHEL KUEHN: Yeah, it's been so much fun. We had I guess three new girls on the team. Megha was with us last year. I don't think there's been any adopting. I think these three girls came in and have made an impact, and I think we don't see them as newcomers, we see everyone as part of the team and everyone as an important part of the team. I think it's been an incredible week so far, and I'm excited for the next couple days.

Q. Rose, you guys were 2-down after three. I know you mentioned on the broadcast you guys were playing games in the fairway, just laughing, smiling. How did you turn things around and how did that positive mentality help you guys today?

ROSE ZHANG: I feel like both Rachel and I were just very consistent and were really good at self-talk. We played with each other so much that we know each other so well. So just being down those three holes, we really just kind of made ourselves more aware of just trying to play the best we can and actually playing for each other. I think our partnership has really just allowed us to keep going and keep that momentum and make a quick turnaround, and after we had a putt drop, we just kept that momentum going.

I feel like it's the trust that we have within each other that allowed us to continue and keep that lead.

Q. How important is it just to know each other, know what you and Rachel are like on a golf course? How important is that out there in these kinds of events?

ROSE ZHANG: Yeah, it's definitely very important because you really have to be comfortable out there on the golf course. If you're not comfortable with the player that you're playing with, then it's hard to be kind of that bubble and comfortable in your own game. Just being able to have her by my side and us playing foursomes together, it's been great, and it's just been, as you can see, we did pretty good.

Q. Rose, how did you walk away from that first match, and what did that self-talk look like going into the afternoon?

ROSE ZHANG: Yeah, the first round was quite disappointing. I didn't think that I was quite comfortable out there. The game is always quite difficult, especially if you don't have your "A" game out here, then you're going to be in some tricky spots, and you can't just give out that to your opponents.

I think going into the clubhouse I tried to keep myself as composed as possible, really just allowed myself to kind of get a new refreshed start and go into the next round refreshed and ready to go. You really just have to make sure that you're not down on yourself, and I think as long as I made the adjustments I needed, I would be good to go. So that's exactly what I did.

Q. If I remember right on the broadcast, you and Rachel were singing songs during your match. What were you singing?

ROSE ZHANG: Yes, we sang "Rewrite the Stars" by Zac Efron. Oh, my gosh, and then on 16 I suddenly thought of Mulan, and then we started singing the "Let's Get Down to Business" song. It was because like the entire crowd was walking, and then it reminded me of like the snow and like the Huns just running down. And then we were coming down the stretch, so I felt like it was worthy of -- yeah.