U.S. GIRLS' JUNIOR CHAMPIONSHIP

July 21, 2022

Sara Im

The Club at Olde Stone

Press Conference

Q. Three wins away from possibly getting another USGA title this year.

SARA IM: It's so exciting, yeah, definitely.

Q. Does that weigh on your mind at all, trying to go for a second title in the same year?

SARA IM: I mean, it definitely weighs on my mind, yes, because USGA events, there's only really three or four of them we can play, and two of them are basically like impossible to win, the Open and the Am, as a junior. It's such a big honor to even have a chance to get two of them in one year.

Q. You were in the Open; do you feel like that experience and then obviously winning the four-ball in April has prepared you for this week?

SARA IM: Definitely the four-ball got me ready for match play, especially because there's a lot of golf in match play during the four-ball. The Open, honestly, I just learned so much from the Open, just different shots, because also my coach came for a few days, and he walked the course. I just learned a lot, just different shots and different ways to look at the hole and things like that.

Q. Was there anything in particular in today's matches where the tide turned? I know it was pretty tight early in your afternoon match.

SARA IM: It was. I mean, I feel like when I'm up -- my thing is all I have to do is keep it, right, so that's just what I've been trying to think. As long as I'm up like solid golf, should be good enough. Putting it in the fairway, on the greens, one-putt or two-putt, so that's just been my mentality, I guess, going into these matches.

Q. I think on 9 you hit one to a foot for an eagle?

SARA IM: I did. It was crazy. I striped my driver. It was like, wow. But my second shot I hit a 3-hybrid into that hole and I was like, just hit it towards the left and come back right. It was going straight at the pin. If you're going -- if you go a little bit right it would go in the water, so it was like, oh, my goodness, where is that going. It ended up really good, though.

Q. Did you think it might have went in?

SARA IM: Well, the people that are watching me, they were like, "Go in!" But I wasn't expecting it to go in. But I knew it was really close.

Q. How far did you have in?

SARA IM: 205 maybe.

Q. Is that as good as you can hit a 3-hybrid?

SARA IM: Definitely.

Q. Do you feel like you get through that, you get an easy win like that on 9 -- I think you were 2-up at the time. Did that put you in more of a relaxed mode?

SARA IM: Definitely. Being 1-up is so stressful, and just that shot gave me a lot of confidence going into the next few holes. I just knew I needed to play solid golf the rest of the way.

Q. What are your thoughts about tomorrow? This win gets you exempt for next year.

SARA IM: Oh, I think I'm already exempt actually from the four-ball.

Q. That's for one year. Four-ball gets you in for the current year, not for the second year. And the Women's Open qualifying gets you one year. If you made the cut you get two.

SARA IM: Oh, never mind then.

Q. So you're exempt for next year.

SARA IM: Oh, perfect, okay.

Q. Any thoughts about tomorrow? Obviously potential two-round day again.

SARA IM: I'm just going to try playing solid golf again, fairways, greens, always good on this course especially because it can get pretty tough out there with the pins.

Q. Especially with the heat, too.

SARA IM: Oh, my God, it's so hot. I just need to hydrate and play solid golf.