U.S SENIOR WOMEN'S OPEN CHAMPIONSHIP

August 27, 2022

Helen Alfredsson

NCR Country Club

Quick Quotes

Q. Helen Alfredsson, kind of an up-and-down day but you're tied for the lead heading into Sunday. What can you take out of that?

HELEN ALFREDSSON: Well, that I am tied for the lead still, that I didn't plummet like a stone in water, which is good, but it felt like it.

You know, it is the U.S. Open, and you know mistakes are going to come, and I did not hit the ball anywhere near as good as I did yesterday. I had a few going way, way left and left me in some compromising positions. Then I didn't get it up-and-down on the last hole, either.

But you know what? Like you said, I'm right in it. It's Saturday, and there's still one day more to go.

Q. Are you easier on yourself now after a mistake than you would have been 10 years ago?

HELEN ALFREDSSON: Probably. You know, obviously it was not all that efficient. Sometimes when you do get upset and angry, you can't be scared at the same time, so actually that's pretty good because then you just kind of go at it.

I know that for -- I read that somewhere, because when I got upset, people say you shouldn't be so upset, but then I didn't have any fear, either. Like I said yesterday, it's like you're too tired to be upset. Then you have to get yourself back, and the recovery is not as quick, either.

You're just trying to let it go and move on, something I probably should have done 25 years ago but didn't.

Q. Laura talked about it, Annika agreed with her to a point, that this is like 25 years ago; it feels the same no matter what level you're playing at, what age you're playing. It's the same feeling. How do you think about that?

HELEN ALFREDSSON: Well, I think the one thing that made us the golfers and that made us play on the LPGA for many years was the fact that we were competitive like these girls are out here, and I'm sure like the girls that play pickleball or tennis, they are no less competitive there. It's just something that we have in -- play backgammon against me, it's the same. Here we are walking the dog and you see somebody in front of you, and it's like, yeah, I can catch him. It's so stupid, but it's always part of you.

And then you have people that, oh, yeah, it's okay.

Q. So it's like, I want to go out and win this tomorrow as much as anything I've ever played?

HELEN ALFREDSSON: Oh, yeah, that's why we're here, isn't it. You just want to go out and play well and give yourself a good shot. It's just something happens when you get that on the first tee and you get it going.

Q. How do you give yourself grace for today and then reset heading into tomorrow?

HELEN ALFREDSSON: Well, grace, yeah. I have to figure out why I didn't hit -- I hit some really bad shots. But I have to see if I can figure out what I did and then move on for tomorrow. It's nothing I can do today, and that would be a complete waste of energy if I would dwell on it.

Q. You're paired with Laura tomorrow; do you remember the first time you ever met Laura or played with her?

HELEN ALFREDSSON: Yeah, actually we were in Holland, I think, for the European Team Championship. She was so long, and we were like, who is this person. We were told to lay up, and by the time we hit our second shot we were at her drive, and it's like, this is not working; we've got to figure out something. We've been friends ever since. I remember her, they won that year, and they had to perform something to "Thriller," and that was as bad as anything I've ever seen, as well. So yeah, I have some good memories with Laura.