HONDA LPGA THAILAND

February 23, 2023

Maja Stark

Siam Country Club Pattaya, Old Course

Quick Quotes

Q. Here with Maja Stark who stole the show on day one here at the Honda LPGA Thailand. You have two twos on the card with hole-outs, middle of the fairway. Just walk me through those two holes. That's incredible.

MAJA STARK: I didn't hit the best drives, but then I had -- it wasn't even full shots. Like I had like a half a 9-iron, so I just gripped it down on both of them.

So the 9-iron is probably my favorite club.

I didn't aim for the pin but pushed them, both of them, and just bounce and rolled right in.

Q. The first one on 5 goes in. What's going through your head at that point?

MAJA STARK: Just to keep going, because Amy started so well. She started with three birdies, and I figured that it was just going to be a birdie competition this week. So I just figured I would, yeah, keep going, keep playing aggressively, but still smart, because you can really end up short-sided on a lot of these holes.

So, yeah, just not be stupid.

Q. Then to have another one two holes later, you looked kind of in disbelief. What was going through your head?

MAJA STARK: Yeah, I was in shock. When we made the one on, was it 5, I said, wow, it's been so long since I had a hole-out.

Then on 11 I said to my caddie, oh, let's make another one as a joke, and it went in. Yeah.

Q. Getting off to this good start, I know this kind of golf course suits your game. What is it specifically that works so well for you out here?

MAJA STARK: I think it's the irons since there are lots of run-offs. The greens are pretty small. They might look big, but there are lots of run-offs that start on the green.

So yeah, being able to hit it where you want to is for sure one of those things.

I didn't feel like I putted that well today, but thanks to good irons I got a few birdies anyway.

Q. I know you were technically considered a 2022 rookie. First full season on the tour. Saw you get off to a good to start at the Hilton Grand Vacations Tournament of Champions, of to a good start here, got a win in Morocco a few weeks ago on the LET. What is where you confidence level right now? You just seem like your playing so confidently.

MAJA STARK: I don't know. I feel like I have confidence in my game, but maybe not as much confidence as a person I guess. I don't know. I talked with Suzann Pettersen a couple days ago, and she -- and I said, I'm terrified of messing up. What do I do if I mess up?

We've talked about the Solheim and everything. She said, Maja, do you have a heart? I said, yeah. Is it beating? Yeah. Then you're human, you are going to mess up, but you just you keep going.

I feel like my confidence level is the same. I've just gotten better.

Q. To have somebody like Suzann who has done everything in our game as a mentor to you and somebody that you can ask questions, what does that mean to you?

MAJA STARK: It's really cool. You know, I have great coaches at home but they don't know what it's really like, so it's nice to have that extra perspective on things. She's so tough. I feel like we're the complete opposite kind of. I don't know. She described me as a Pitbull but I feel like a Golden Retriever. I know I have I have no idea where she got that from.

Some people say I look mean on the course but that's not what I feel. But, yeah, it's really cool. I've looked up to her for so long and now I have her phone number, and that's crazy to me.

Q. Finally, heading into three more days here. First day we don't win golf tournaments, but what did you see out there or what do you want to work on?

MAJA STARK: Keep working on my putting. I felt like I was running a little bit low on energy during the last few holes, so I didn't do all like my routine the way I was supposed to.

I wasn't like dead serious or -- yeah, I don't know how to describe it.

And also, have a little bit more confidence in my irons, because I messed up on a couple on -- was it 14? 13, 14, and, yeah, there is no room for that on this course.