KPMG WOMEN'S PGA CHAMPIONSHIP

June 22, 2023

Celine Borge

Baltusrol Golf Club

Press Conference

THE MODERATOR: Celine, take us through your opening round here at Baltusrol.

CELINE BORGE: Yeah, I tried to stay focused on every shot and hit fairways and greens and just to do my best.

Q. How many major starts do you have, and what did you think of the overall test of Baltusrol?

CELINE BORGE: It was a very nice course, and it's my second major. It's been very good condition and just trying to play as normal as possible and see how it goes.

Q. What do you find the biggest challenge?

CELINE BORGE: The rough is very thick. If you keep it in the fairway, it makes it easier.

Q. Celine, at what point today did you look up and say, hey, I'm doing pretty well in this thing?

CELINE BORGE: I tried to not think about it, just tried to do my best on the next shot and see how it goes.

Q. Did you ever look at a board today?

CELINE BORGE: Yeah, I saw it on the front nine, I think.

Q. You've got a local caddie on the bag this week in Corey birch. Tell me about how that partnership got together and what it's been like having somebody with all the Baltusrol knowledge on your bag.

CELINE BORGE: Yeah, I got him from the club, so it's been very nice. Really just want someone to carry the bag, and he's been good at that.

Q. He said he didn't give you too many reads, but the ones you did call him in on on the greens, how helpful was it to have somebody that understands how these greens work?

CELINE BORGE: I didn't use him on the greens.

Q. You said you had a lot of clutch up-and-downs. How critical was it to your score to get up-and-down when you did miss a green?

CELINE BORGE: Yeah, it felt good to hole like the five-foot putts.

Q. What's been the toughest transition of your rookie year so far?

CELINE BORGE: It's to have a caddie for me. I'm not used to having a caddie. I just try to do what I've always been doing, just play my own game and just someone to carry the bag.

Q. How many caddies have you had so far?

CELINE BORGE: I've had a local in every tournament.

Q. Are you considering getting a full-time LPGA caddie?

CELINE BORGE: I don't know yet. I'll have to see.

Q. How well do you know Suzann?

CELINE BORGE: I don't know her very well, but I have talked to her sometimes.

Q. Was she an inspiration of yours growing up?

CELINE BORGE: Yeah, it was very nice to see how well she did.

Q. When I was watching you on the course, you seemed very focused. You don't smile very much. I'm just wondering, is that you? Because right now you're smiling a lot.

CELINE BORGE: Yeah, I just try to stay focused and I don't show too many emotions when I'm playing.

Q. You had a birdie attempt on maybe your 14th hole. It kind of did a 360 around the hole and stayed out. What was that feeling like, because it looked like it was right in?

CELINE BORGE: Yeah, it was a little disappointing that that didn't go in. But just how it is.

Q. If someone told you before today's round that you would walk off the golf course tied for the lead, what would you have said?

CELINE BORGE: I will not think that. No.

Q. On the Epson Tour or the LET, do you carry your own bag usually, push cart?

CELINE BORGE: When I played Epson, I carried.

Q. Can you talk us through your two birdies on the front, what would have been your back, on 2 and 5?

CELINE BORGE: Yeah. I hit a 3-wood in the fairway, and then I tried to aim right of the flag and it rolled down to the flag on the approach, and then I holed that downhill putt.

On the next hole, I hit a driver in the fairway and on to the green and holed the putt.