LPGA Q-SERIES

December 8, 2022

Valery Plata

Magnolia Grove

Quick Quotes

Q. Here with Valery Plata following the fifth round of LPGA Q-Series 2022. Great round, 5-under; you had seven birdies. How did it feel walking off that last green?

VALERY PLATA: It was great. It was a very positive day all around. I think the key was on the greens. I stayed patient all day and made the most out of opportunities I gave myself.

Q. And then one double bogey in there. How do you stay positive? Obviously over eight rounds of golf mistakes are going to happen. Not every shot is going to be perfectly hit the way you want it to. How do you stay positive when the shots don't necessarily go your way and get your0 self back into that good mindset that you had?

VALERY PLATA: Yeah, like you said, it's a long tournament, eight rounds of golf and lots of hours, and lots of mistakes are probably going to happen. I had three rounds where no bogeys though, so it was a bit weird. I'm like, oh, man, my streak just ended.

I just remind myself how good I've been playing all day and all last week. I just kept pushing a little bit.

Q. Like you said, three rounds bogey-free. Obviously, like I said, eight rounds of golf. How do you celebrate that but move on to the next week and know that -- you said you were upset your streak died a little bit -- but knowing that those mistakes will happen, how do you kind of celebrate that but also balance knowing that things are going to happen?

VALERY PLATA: I think just staying present is key. You take each day as it comes, and then once you leave the golf course, you kind of leave golf and that inside the golf course and then just keep on going with whatever comes at night, school, rest, and all of that stuff.

Q. And you mentioned school. Being your last semester or one semester left and taking finals next week, how does that help you kind of balance leaving golf on the golf course and kind of clearing your mind afterwards and taking it into a fresh new day the next day?

VALERY PLATA: Yeah, I kind of have to use my time as wisely as I can, and I'd really like to do well in school, so I try my best when I'm in tournaments and stuff.

So, you know, I go home, shower and then just do some homework and get some rest. That's kind of my routine, just like it is back at school. So it's kind of a similar situation I guess.

Q. And then three rounds left; over halfway through. How does it feel knowing that you're in the home stretch, and what do you kind of do to prepare for the next day and either keep the mindset the way you want it to or adjust so that you can do better?

VALERY PLATA: Yeah, I just got to keep things the same, not get ahead of myself, don't think about the past, just stay as present as possible, and then just staying patient. There is a lot of golf left. Just happy to be where I'm at.

Q. An LPGA Tour card on the line. Obviously for everyone that's the big goal coming out here. Do you set any smaller goals for yourself throughout the two weeks to kind of aid you to getting to that last one?

VALERY PLATA: Yeah, I think it's more of personal goals, not very results-oriented. Just try to make good swings, good decisions, commitment to it. Yeah, that's kind of how my rounds go.

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