BANK OF HOPE LPGA MATCH-PLAY

May 24, 2023

Karis Davidson

Shadow Creek

Quick Quotes

Q. All right, here with Karis Davidson. Just walk me through your debut here at the Bank of Hope LPGA Match-Play presented by MGM Rewards. Being able to win over Janet 5 & 4, just what was today like for you?

KARIS DAVIDSON: I just stuck to my plan that me and my caddie had. This course is quite challenging and pars are going to win a lot of holes, so just stuck to that and did my best.

Was just trying to play the course rather than think about the match, and then holed a couple of good putts towards the end on the last few holes of the match, which, yeah, were really important to make.

Q. Those finishing holes, we talked to just about everyone that's come in about how crucial it is to kind of, you know, know what you need to do on those finishing holes. What was it like for you the last couple holes coming in?

KARIS DAVIDSON: Yeah, we just stuck to -- as I said, stuck to our plan. You know, the greens really leap on, so we were just like, just hit it there, and if it takes a good bounce and it's good.

But, yeah, what's the par-3, the 13th?

Q. Yeah.

KARIS DAVIDSON: Yeah, that was like a really tough hole.

14 is tough.

So, yeah, those last couple of holes were crucial.

Q. You started the day down. Being able to work it back up, when did you really feel that you were getting comfortable out there at Shadow Creek or that the match was in your favor?

KARIS DAVIDSON: I don't think you can ever think like that in match play because anything can happen, like as it was shown today. I was down after a few and end up winning.

You know, you can never think that it's your match. I think once it's done then you know, but you can never get too ahead of yourself out there for sure.

Q. If I'm looking at the scorecard right, you turned it around with birdie, eagle; is that right?

KARIS DAVIDSON: I don't know if I had an eagle.

THE MODERATOR: You did, on No. 6 --

Q. No. 5.

THE MODERATOR: No. 5. Oh, no, no, that's a par-3.

Q. Oh.

KARIS DAVIDSON: Yeah, no, I didn't have an eagle today.

Q. Sorry.

KARIS DAVIDSON: No, that's all right.

Q. I saw the 3 and I thought that was on 6. The birdie, did that settle you down to get you back into the match do you think?

KARIS DAVIDSON: You know, even when I was down I wasn't actually playing that bad. You know, Janet hit a couple of really strong shots and made birdies; I made pars.

But I still, you know, committed to all my shots and I wasn't really shook up being a couple down. I was like, well, there is a lot of holes to go and just got to stick in there.

Q. When you get on a roll like you were, you won, what, five out of six holes, something like that.

KARIS DAVIDSON: Yeah.

Q. Is it just momentum carrying you or just stepping on the pedal harder, sticking to the plan?

KARIS DAVIDSON: I think I definitely stuck to the plan, but I was really committed to my shots. Obviously it's important to try and win these matches, the first few, to get into the next stage of the tournament.

So, yeah, I wouldn't say I played any more aggressively. Just my caddie kept me in line. You know, didn't play too aggressively, so...

Q. And then just I don't know, have you been to Vegas before? Is this the first --

KARIS DAVIDSON: No, this is my first time in Vegas.

Q. What are your initial thoughts of Vegas?

KARIS DAVIDSON: I'm actually staying at a pretty nice hotel, the Palms Casino, so I'm living luxury this week.

One of my friends lined that up for me as a contact there. So, I mean, I'm really enjoying this week so far. It's beautiful.

Q. Is it hard to focus on golf with so much else to do down there?

KARIS DAVIDSON: Not really because all of us golfers, we're just -- everything is around the golf, so I'm not -- I think later in the week I'll probably have a little gamble or have the experience of Vegas, but nothing too crazy. (Laughter.)

Q. I'll add one more. We've seen some Aussie brilliance over the last couple months. Do you feel that it kind of aids to the confidence of you watching kind of your countrywomen out there picking up their game like you are as well?

KARIS DAVIDSON: I wouldn't say it adds to the confidence, but I think it definitely inspires me to be like them and win a tournament.

I've played a lot of golf with Grace especially, and to see her win, I was like, wow, that's cool. So that would be great to do that eventually, yeah.

Q. Were you there in Hawai'i?

KARIS DAVIDSON: I was, but we were all catching flights. It's an awkward one to hang around.

Q. She had to run. I do remember that.

KARIS DAVIDSON: Yeah. So unfortunately few of us weren't there to congratulate her, but we did a little Australian dinner at the Chevron, so that was nice.