NW ARKANSAS CHAMPIONSHIP

September 24, 2022

Danielle Kang

Pinnacle Country Club

Quick Quotes

Q. Here with Danielle Kang. What a round. 6-under today. Bogey-free back-to-back days. What does at that tell you where the state of your game is right now?

DANIELLE KANG: I know I'm still in the process of getting to where I want to get to. It's going to take some time. I know I'm playing well and I'm happy about that, but there is still shots that I hit because I get stuck or I'm not as fluid as I used to be.

But I'm actually really proud of the progress I've made. Then I've worked on my putting quite a bit and it's really helping me out, especially with the bogey-free, so I'm happy about that.

Q. It's paid off quite a bit. Just walk me through your day today. Any of those birdies really stand out?

DANIELLE KANG: I actually gave myself really good opportunities. As golfers we're very negative bias, so I can think of things that I could have done better, but I'm very proud of how I'm putting. It's hard to read these greens, but you feel like after 13 years I should probably read them a little bit better.

I'm trusting whatever I see; just hit it. Yesterday was a bit bumpier than this morning, so I know that this morning I have to capitalize on the greens. I did that today, so was happy about that.

Q. How rewarding is it to see some of those -- you said you've been playing out here 13 years -- to see those putts fall and to kind of hit the shots you're used to seeing from yourself?

DANIELLE KANG: I finished here probably second place, third place, fourth place, seventh place, I don't even know, but I know I've come close many times. I just really want to win here. I've given myself enough opportunities, and I'm happy that I have an opportunity tomorrow.

So just go out there and give it everything I've got. My host family really wants a trophy.

Q. Always a good reason to get one. Heading into tomorrow, just being in contention probably for the first time since earlier this year, how excited are you to be in that position? What's the mindset? I know the greens are still pretty soft out there.

DANIELLE KANG: Genuinely, I just want to cry, because it's been a crazy journey for me and I know it's going to be not easy moving forward. But even the fact that I got myself in contention, I'm proud, because it's just so hard to wake up so early and I have to do so many things so that I can just play golf.

But it's something that I love to do and I'm just happy. I'm proud of myself that I'm able to shoot 10-under par in two days, bogey-free. I'm not that far off, so we're good.

Q. You talked a lot about your putting today and you did really well. Seemed you had a little bit of improvement off the tee in your approach. Talk about what you saw there today versus yesterday.

DANIELLE KANG: I had a little bit of what off the tee?

Q. You improved a little bit off the tee.

DANIELLE KANG: Oh, yeah.

Q. And in your approach.

DANIELLE KANG: Ball striking is something that I've always prided myself in, but I lost a lot of speed, a lot of swing speed, ball speed, so the ball doesn't stop as quickly as it used to.

It kept rolling, pitches, and runs out, and those 9-irons that I used to be able to fly to the hole, I don't have those shots anymore. So I try to capitalize on it when I can, especially like on the par-3, 14. It's straight downhill. I know it's going to land soft because I had extra height to work with.

So I'm just trying to manage the golf game in a little bit different way, and I think figuring out how to play the best that I can play in my new, better improved way is something that I'm looking to do.

Like you said, I'm hitting it left quite a bit yesterday, but my body wasn't as awake. So today it was jump roping in the morning just trying to get things going.

Was aware of it.

Q. And then I want to ask, you mention you have to get up so early, you work so hard. Did you have fun out there today?

DANIELLE KANG: I did. It's actually a bit more stressful than you think. There are some random shots that just come out that I used to not hit. It just really irks me the wrong way. I have to be patient. I threw my club once and there is no reason to throw it. I'm 5-under par. I just never used to do that.

So my misses are different, and that's something that I have to get used to and can be okay about. So maybe if I just chill out a little bit more tomorrow, hopefully I'll just have a low one out there.