U.S. WOMEN'S AMATEUR CHAMPIONSHIP

August 11, 2023

Hailey Borja

Bel-Air Country Club

Quick Quotes

Q. Talk a little bit about that match.

HAILEY BORJA: I mean, wasn't hitting the best, but definitely my putting really saved me today.

So I mean, they're hard greens and I got really lucky with a lot of putts. They went in, so that's all that matters.

Q. It's a long week. How are you able to stay mentally focused knowing there is another one tomorrow and hopefully one after that?

HAILEY BORJA: Yeah, I mean, just getting a good night's rest and eating really good. And then at the same time, like thanks to my caddie, but we're laughing a lot out there, so it makes it a lot easier even though they're really long rounds.

Q. Did you get a chance to come over here at all when you were at LACC for the U.S. Open?

HAILEY BORJA: No, sadly not. This is actually the only course in LA that I had not been to. Surprisingly. Now I have. But, yeah.

Q. On 10 there you guys were tied and I know she kind of missed that short putt. How much momentum did that give you to kind of pull away on the back nine?

HAILEY BORJA: Yeah, I mean, this is kind of where I was like, okay, this is the opportunity for me to start getting ahead, which I did on the next hole, which was really good for me.

Then after that I kind of was pretty simple. Again, just kind of making those putts after that was a really big thing for me.

Q. I don't think you can get lucky over and over. There has got to be some skill involved.

HAILEY BORJA: Yeah.

Q. Your putting has always been a strength, right?

HAILEY BORJA: Uh-huh.

Q. To what do you attribute your putting prowess?

HAILEY BORJA: Honestly, these greens you got to be really creative, and I think that's what I'm really good at with my putting.

I mean, I may not have the best stroke or the best contact with it, but I think being creative out here is what's really important.

Q. You're close now. This whole week is a marathon. It's going to be lonely tomorrow; only four girls on the driving range. How do you not think about winning and the trophy and just stay in that present tense?

HAILEY BORJA: Yeah, I mean, that was honestly, me today. Okay, there is eight girls out here and this is kind of nerve-wracking. I was pretty nervous coming up, but once I got only the first tee it was totally okay.

My mom was able to help me. She's kind of talking about, oh, what do you want to do for your birthday? What do you want to for dinner? So really distracting me which really helped.

Q. What do you want to do for your birthday?

HAILEY BORJA: We don't know yet. (Laughter.) Still figuring it out.

Q. (Regarding her mom as caddie.)

HAILEY BORJA: She caddied for me in my first-ever Women's Amateur in Mississippi. That was probably the only time. But she's always out here no matter what, spectating, caddieing, whatever it may be.

Yeah, it's been five years since she last caddied I believe.

Q. So why this week?

HAILEY BORJA: Honestly I was supposed to have another friend caddie for me and he ended up going on a family vacation to Hawai'i. I was like, okay, yeah, you go to Hawai'i. That's pretty cool.

But I think my mom was honestly perfect for the bag. I don't really like someone that's kind of giving me numbers too much and giving me lines too much and all that stuff.

Just kind of simple play and figuring it out on my own is honestly what I really like.

Q. What's been her best and worst caddieing moments?

HAILEY BORJA: Her worst, probably --

Q. I knew you were going to say that first.

HAILEY BORJA: Her worst probably is she drops the head cover a lot and then leaves it or a towel or something.

But the best is her keeping me hydrated and keeping me snacking and of course just being fuelled on the course.