BANK OF HOPE LPGA MATCH-PLAY

May 27, 2023

Leona Maguire

Shadow Creek

Quick Quotes

Q. All right, here with Leona Maguire. Leona, just saw you a little bit ago and here we are again. How are you feeling stepping off the course after your quarterfinal match?

LEONA MAGUIRE: Yeah, I mean, really happy to get through 36 holes today. It's nice to be in the semifinal. Played some really solid golf today. A little scrappy maybe this afternoon, but knew it was going to be a battle out there and it was just a case of staying patient.

Yeah, did enough to make it to tomorrow.

Q. She got up early. What did you do when that happened to kind of reset or refocus?

LEONA MAGUIRE: Yeah, I mean, I just missed a couple shots on the 2nd. Didn't really the hit a bad shot. Just rolled up into that high grass. The greens were a lot firmer in the afternoon which made it quite a bit trickier I thought.

So bounced back with a nice birdie on 4.

I think the eagle chip-in on 7 was sort of a big momentum swing in my favor.

Q. I was going to ask, take me through that eagle chip we saw.

LEONA MAGUIRE: Yeah, it was really nice. The way that pin was today and the way the greens were, you couldn't actually stop it at that pin in two, so it was a case of trying to see where we could leave it in a good spot to get up and down.

Yeah, bonus that it went in.

Q. You seem to be a player that gets on a roll and runs off several holes in a row. Is that something in your match play nature or just the way things have unfolded?

LEONA MAGUIRE: Yeah, I mean, I think I just try and stay patient. I don't panic when I get down and I don't get too excited when I go a few holes up. I try and stay as level as possible.

There is enough energy being spent on deciding what clubs to hit and where to hit it and all the rest, so try not to waste too much energy worrying about what my opponent is doing.

Yeah, I mean, you have to take your chance when your get them here. You don't know when they're going to come. Yeah, like I said just be really, really patient.

Q. So it doesn't seem like you've been out on tour that long, but the other three semifinalists are all 23 years old, making you the veteran out here. How does that make you feel to have all these young players around you?

LEONA MAGUIRE: Yeah, I don't think it really matters. I played a lot of golf with all of them, week in, week out. I think, yeah, there is a lot of ways of doing it, so hopefully good match tomorrow and looking forward to it.

Q. I'm going to change subjects real quick on you. As someone who was a big college star and top player in college, wanted to get your thoughts on Rose Zhang turning pro and what you think her potential is out here?

LEONA MAGUIRE: Yeah, obviously she's had an incredible amateur career. She's basically done everything there was to do. Yeah, wish her the best of luck. I hear she's teeing it up next week, so that's exciting for her.

I'm sure she'll have lots of people giving her advice and speculating, so I don't think I should add to that.

Q. Have you seen her play before?

LEONA MAGUIRE: I haven't. Played in the same tournaments, but I've never seen her play. So, yeah.

Q. Going into tomorrow, a little bit - I don't want to say a tight turnaround because we're ending earlier than yesterday - but overall what are the feelings and expectations you're holding yourself to tonight going into tomorrow?

LEONA MAGUIRE: Yeah, similar. Obviously not as big a break, so get some dinner, ice pack maybe, and just rest and recover, a good night's sleep, and be ready to go again tomorrow.