WOMEN’S AMATEUR CHAMPIONSHIP

June 17, 2023

Chiara Horder

Quick Quotes

Q. Congratulations, you are a finalist here at the Women's Amateur Championship. You must be feeling incredibly proud.

CHIARA HORDER: Yeah, thank you so much. I'm super happy I'm here. Like I really didn't expect it at all, and then if somebody would have just told me that I am standing here and tomorrow in the final, I would be like, wow, I'll take that, so I'm super happy.

Q. This morning's match, you eliminated the final Great Britain & Ireland player in the field you and you had to work hard for that win?

CHIARA HORDER: It was a very long match. I was 1-down until 17 or 18 and then I won 18 to get to an extra hole, and I was fortunate to win that. It was very long, but I'm super happy I got to win that.

Q. When you spend so much of the match down as you did and it's getting late in the match and you're running out of holes what do you say to yourself?

CHIARA HORDER: I just focus on my game and see what I can do to turn the match possibly. Yeah, there's nothing I can force or anything, so I just let things happen. Yeah, it worked out.

Q. What was the feeling on the 19th when you realised that you had won and that you were advancing?

CHIARA HORDER: I was like, oh, my God, and I honestly had goosebumps. I'm like, I'm so excited to get another match playing against the world No. 1. It was super cool.

Q. So at that point when you realised, what were you thinking then?

CHIARA HORDER: It was like, oh, my God, wow, another match playing against the world No. 1. But that's just a ranking, so I was just focusing on my game again and see what I can do and just enjoyed it.

Q. And you played some incredible golf in your match this afternoon. You had the eagle at 12. Can you talk us through that?

CHIARA HORDER: I hit a good tee shot, and the second one, it was a decent lie. It was more like an uphill lie and I had 200 meters, so I went with my 3-wood and hit it pretty solid. It rolled on to the green and I had like a 15-metre putt and I actually holed it, yeah, which was cool.

Q. You took control of the match towards the end. Can you explain to us the mentality and what you needed to do to really make sure that you closed out the win?

CHIARA HORDER: I guess on No. 12, that was really a momentum changer just to get that eagle and to just stay in the match and stay up. I was, as I said, just focusing on myself and just did what I can do. That was enough, so I'm happy.

Q. You had all your teammates out watching you and supporting you. What does that mean?

CHIARA HORDER: It means a lot. They are always supporting me so much, and without them, I couldn't do it, and my teammate is actually caddying for me. I'm having such a good time with her. I enjoy it a lot.

Q. As you said you've got your teammate on the bag. Is she there just to pull the bag and for moral support, or is she helping you with club selection and yardages?

CHIARA HORDER: She's actually helping me with everything, club selection, yardages, the line on the green. It works pretty well. She's trying to distract me and we talk a lot about stuff out of golf. It's super fun, yeah.

Q. She's done a good job today. Will she be back tomorrow?

CHIARA HORDER: I hope so. I will offer, and I will see what I can do.

Q. Of this championship, we've had two German winners in the past six years. I guess, what is it about German golf at the moment that you're all doing so well?

CHIARA HORDER: I guess it's just the support from the Federation. We get a lot of support. They do a lot of practice camps. The coaches are amazing. I think that's really what's leading us to this event. We do practice a lot on links courses, as well, so I think that helps definitely.

Q. Of course the past two German winners have been Leonie Harm and Aline Krauter. Do you know those girls at all?

CHIARA HORDER: I do. I know Aline better than Leonie, but I do know them, yeah. I like them a lot. They are definitely an inspiration for me.

Q. Do you practice together or anything like that?

CHIARA HORDER: No, unfortunately not. Aline, I was playing on the European Team last year with her and Leonie, she was pro before I really got into the team.

Q. Looking ahead to tomorrow, 36 holes of golf, it's a really long day. What do you feel like you need to do well on this course tomorrow to try and become the champion?

CHIARA HORDER: It's definitely about today, just to recover, get something good to eat, get some good sleep and then just be there tomorrow in the moment and enjoy it, I guess.

Q. You've played Prince's now a lot.

CHIARA HORDER: Yes.

Q. I'm guessing you've got a good strategy for it, but are there any kind of key holes out there that you feel like you need to execute on well tomorrow?

CHIARA HORDER: I feel like it's just every hole you need to stay there and hit a good tee shot, because then you get yourself a chance to go on the green and make a good birdie, make a good par. Just avoid the bunkers, avoid the rough, yeah, just from the tee.

Q. And then obviously for the champion, there is a lot of benefits to winning, including competing in four major championships. Does that now at this really end stages start to creep into your mind at all?

CHIARA HORDER: I mean, definitely. As you said now, I do get goosebumps and I'm like, wow, I could do that.

Yeah, it's amazing. It's a great possibility or opportunity. That would be amazing.

Q. Do you feel like there will be any -- you're under any pressure tomorrow? Will there be any nerves out there for you?

CHIARA HORDER: Definitely nerves just because it's a new environment and there's probably going to be a lot of people, and just knowing that it's the final of the Women's Amateur. But I'm just going to enjoy it. My teammates, my coaches are going to be there, so I'm going to have their support for sure.

Q. Are you superstitious at all?

CHIARA HORDER: Not too much, no. I do have like a song I would listen to before the round.

Q. So just I guess a little bit of fate. The last time an American reached the final of this championship, they did come up against a German in Leonie Harm. Do you take any premonitions from that?

CHIARA HORDER: I actually didn't know that. So yeah, I mean, it could be anybody, so we'll just see what happens.