U.S. WOMEN'S OPEN

July 4, 2023

Mina Harigae

Pebble Beach Golf Links

Press Conference

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THE MODERATOR: Please join me in welcoming Monterey native Mina Harigae. How does it feel to be here in your hometown.

MINA HARIGAE: It feels surreal, not just being home but all the grandstands, all the buildups. It's such a great atmosphere. I feel like everything is like buzzing, and the whole peninsula is supporting everyone being here. I think they're really, really behind it.

Q. You're the course expert out of the group here. What would you tell someone who's playing it for the first time?

MINA HARIGAE: I feel like Pebble Beach every day can be totally different. Could be beautiful and sunny, and it could be fogged in the next day, or even honestly the next 20 minutes it could be fogged in.

It's almost a brand new experience every single round or even every single hole. I think you just have to really just enjoy it out there.

Q. You knew coming out of your runner-up finish last year that there was going to be some outside-of-the-ropes activities. You've had a crew following. Talk about what that's been like?

MINA HARIGAE: It's been amazing. After last year a lot of people want to come and support me, be part of Team Mina. Not only the benefits of obviously that big check last year, but I think it's really awesome that I have more supporters.

I have a great big contract with PROS. They're supporting me. They're on my team. You know, PXG has always been by my side. Amex this week, supporting for small businesses, Takara Sushi is my parents' restaurant, so got a really cool deal with them.

But this is amazing.

Q. I know you're doing something cool with Malbon and your high school. Could you explain that?

MINA HARIGAE: Yeah, we had a really good collaboration event last night. It was to help raise funds for my alma mater, Stevenson School. Got a cool logo. My husband actually designed the cool little logo with the pirate eye patch, and it turned out really great.

It's beautiful. Forest green, which we're surrounded by here, and it was just a really cool event. I saw a lot of people who I haven't seen in a while, new friends, old friends, and so much support for women's golf, and it's really cool to see Malbon Golf going in that direction, as well, and they're launching a women's line Thursday actually.

Q. You know this course well, but how does it look different for a U.S. Open, not just the grandstands but the golf course this week?

MINA HARIGAE: It's was actually funny. Like in the practice round the last couple days it's actually easier to pick targets because there's more TV towers, grandstands. But the rough is gnarly. You can get really bad lies out of there. Fairways are rolling great. Greens are getting firmer by the day.

It's not a resort golf course anymore. This is championship golf.

Q. What's your favorite hole out here?

MINA HARIGAE: It's such a basic answer, but I love 7. It's so fun. It's short. It's beautiful. You can just have a lot of fun on that hole.

Q. The last few majors have been won by women 25 and younger. Can you just speak to the moment in women's golf and the future for it?

MINA HARIGAE: I think women's golf is in a great place. There's so many young up and coming golfers, superstars, obviously Rose Zhang. I think it's in really good hands. Everyone is really good coming out of college, even before college turning pro right away.

But it's really cool to see, and I'm really happy to be a part of that growth and in that journey of women's golf. This is my 14th year out here, and just to still be out here and be a part of the whole journey, I think it's really cool.

Q. Mina, can you talk about when I walked with you last time, you said you've done this course 50 plus times at least, something to that extent. Can you expand more about how this time will be different for you.

MINA HARIGAE: Obviously it will be different this time because there's way bigger crowds and hopefully a lot of support. I think just it's a historic moment in women's golf and just golf in general. We're here at Pebble Beach, an iconic spot where so much history has been made. So in that aspect, I think it's just a monumental part of history that's happening here.

I mean, it could just be lit in the atmosphere. So I think in that aspect it could be different, and obviously course conditions are going to be championship major top of the top course conditions. I think those are probably it.

Q. Could you talk more about, it sounds like you did something with a local school. What are some of the local people you'll be able to see since you're back in town for the tournament?

MINA HARIGAE: So actually yesterday I saw old teachers, middle school teachers, high school teachers, even my third-grade teacher came out to see me yesterday, so it was so cool just to see everyone from my past come out and support me.

It's cool to have the community behind you.

Q. Have any of the players asked you much about the golf course?

MINA HARIGAE: No, not really. I don't think a lot of people -- a lot of players know that I'm actually from here. But my friends -- actually the players have asked me more about my parents' restaurant than the golf course itself, actually.