U.S. GIRLS' JUNIOR CHAMPIONSHIP

July 21, 2022

Yana Wilson

The Club at Olde Stone

Press Conference

Q. You've had some tough matches out there.

YANA WILSON: A little bit, a little bit.

Q. Back in the quarterfinals again, but there's no World No. 1 sitting on your back.

YANA WILSON: Right.

Q. Probably happy about that?

YANA WILSON: Yeah, I know. I'm a little happy about that, but it's match play, anything can happen. I was actually texting Rose and Michael Thorbjornsen, and they've been helping me out through the week because they're both past U.S. Junior champs.

Q. Rose is over in France right now?

YANA WILSON: She's in Evian right now, yeah.

Q. Has she been answering your texts?

YANA WILSON: Yeah, she's been giving me some advice for the week.

Q. What did she tell you?

YANA WILSON: She told me just to stay kind of even and told me to keep hitting fairways and greens and stay consistent.

Q. Do you feel like you've done that?

YANA WILSON: For the most part, yeah. My first match today was a little iffy, but I feel like I warmed up around the 17th hole.

Q. You won that hole, correct?

YANA WILSON: I think I might have tied and then I won 18, made a 20-footer and started rolling it from there.

Q. Did that win the match or did it put you up --

YANA WILSON: Yeah, to win the match, on my first match.

Q. Were you tied going into 18?

YANA WILSON: I was tied going into 18 and made a 20-foot slider. It was fun.

Q. When you make a putt like that going into the afternoon, did you feel like, okay, it's a little momentum, let's go play?

YANA WILSON: Yesterday towards the end of the round I didn't really make that many putts, and early on today I didn't really make that many putts. It felt nice to make a good one for something that really mattered.

Q. Do you feel like tomorrow you'll have a little bit of an advantage? You've been here before. You've been in that quarterfinal position and felt that pressure.

YANA WILSON: Yeah, well, I mean, I know what not to do now compared to last year. Honestly, I don't think I have an advantage. I think everybody has an even playing field. Everybody starts out all square. We'll just see how tomorrow goes, and I'm really excited for it.

Q. Does this heat -- Vegas is pretty dry. I know it's hot in the summer but not this humid.

YANA WILSON: It's different for sure. But I have an umbrella that keeps me really cool. Yeah, it's great.