BANK OF HOPE LPGA MATCH-PLAY

May 25, 2023

Danielle Kang

Shadow Creek

Quick Quotes

Q. Here with Danielle Kang. Danielle, a nice victory; 3 & 2. Just walk me through three what this day was like for you.

DANIELLE KANG: It was a bit better than yesterday. We're progressing in the right direction. I hit some more fairways today, which was good.

Maria didn't play as good as she wanted to so I think she was a bit frustrated, and there was quite a bit of opportunities that I have given because I was kind of not in play off the tee. So capitalizing in those moments, she did the best she could.

But it was really nice playing with her. I've always enjoyed her company. So good. Good that I got one point.

Q. When she started out 1-up from the start and you were able to tie it up by I think the 4th hole, was there any mindset change or anything different that you had changed?

DANIELLE KANG: No. Right now, honestly, my game is not in a place where I feel I'm going to come here and just crush everything. I'm using every round that I've played for the past few months as kind of reps.

Today I don't really mind if I'm down or up. I still have to execute a shot. I know that I have to hit a good drive on 14. I know I have to be in the fairway on 15, which I wasn't. It was an auto loss on 14, I believe.

It's kind of like that, where I need to somehow stay in play, and that's what I'm more focused on with my own game than what I usually would be is counting the other person's strokes.

Q. Yeah. You were able to, I mean, going 1-up, 2-up, then 3 & 2 to finish it off, how much does that lend itself to be a confidence boost heading into tomorrow?

DANIELLE KANG: It's more of a confidence boost for me on how I hit the drives today. I know I keep going back to that, but I didn't probably putt and chip as well as I did yesterday, but that's golf, right? Not everything can be on pointe all together.

But as long as I'm hitting a few fairways, hitting really good drives, like it's not just hitting a fairway and having 190 into the green. It's really solid, compressed, and that's what I'm looking for.

And then the feeling that I'm searching on the tee box, I'm getting closer to it. It's happening more often, so I'm happy about that.

Q. Any change in approach knowing that if you wanted to play the weekend you had to win today?

DANIELLE KANG: Not really. Kind of have to win every day to get to where you want to on this tournament.

Q. And then how about the course? As someone who knows it so well, how is it progressing as the week is going along?

DANIELLE KANG: I love the way the golf course is playing. It's playing really tough. You can't really hold the greens very well, but that's the beauty of Shadow Creek. You got to learn how to hold the greens by utilizing the golf course.

I gave myself more putts today because I was in the fairway, so that's -- my key is to give myself opportunities to be able to utilize the golf course the way I can.

Q. One more from me just to wrap it up here. I know that you've got a lot of family and friends that are kind of rooting for this you this week with Shadow Creek being your home course. What is it like the last couple days? I mean, we talked to you on Tuesday, but now a couple days under your belt to kind of be that de facto host to people.

DANIELLE KANG: I love when family and friends come out and watch me and they have something to root for. I know it's a bit more stagnant than they want it to be at the moment, but we're gearing up for that weekend, right?

So obviously I want to do the best that I can in front of my sponsors, in front of all the executives of MGM, all my friends and all the cool people that live in Las Vegas pretty much, but I still have to do what I need to do.

I just really enjoy and thankful for the opportunities that anybody creates for me to be able to showcase in front of my friends and family.

Because I don't really like playing for nobody. Like I like hearing claps. I like the crowd. I envy the PGA Tour sometimes on their crowds, you know. Even in their practice rounds.

I think hopefully one day we'll get there, and I feel that having my friends and family -- and they're kind of rowdy so it's good. It's good to hear something.