CPKC WOMEN'S OPEN

August 24, 2023

Alena Sharp

Shaughnessy Golf & Country Club

Quick Quotes

Q. All right, Alena, 3-under day for you. Just overall what was working well through the first round here at Shaughnessy?

ALENA SHARP: Well, to be honest, the start was a little shaky. I was a little nervous. You got to kind of put your blinders on out here. Fairways are narrow.

Played a few weeks ago at French Lick and I think it prepared me well for this course because the fairways are really narrow there.

Yeah, I kind of settled down.

I three-putted 11.

I settled down on 12.

Made good two-putt and hit the fairway on 13 and was off the races. It was like a switch flipped. Then I was just in my zone.

I haven't been in the zone like that in a while. Just very kind of not questioning myself and really decisive on what I was trying to do out there.

Q. How different is this event from any other event before you get to the first tee or tenth tee or whatever it is? How different are you feeling inside? Is it extra nerves? Extra energy you harness? How different is it from another event?

ALENA SHARP: I feel like every Canadian will say the same thing. Whether you're on the LPGA or PGA you always want to do well at home. There is always a little bit extra pressure. Obviously we do it to ourselves.

Yeah, I mean, definitely I could feel the nerves a little bit yesterday and then this morning. You know, but shook it off. Held on. Like you got to just hold on and try and just make a change.

And, yeah, hitting a few greens right away and then hitting some good shots in, and I made a birdie on I think my fourth or fifth hole of the day and I calmed down and was in the driver's seat the rest of the way.

Q. I think you remarked last year in Ottawa how you've learned to harness that energy instead of shying away from it and really use it to your advantage. Is that still the case?

ALENA SHARP: Yeah, I'm walking down 10 and 11 and I'm like, what are you doing? You've been in the hunt on the Epson Tour, which those players are solid. Like the top 10, solid. You have to play good golf. It's not any different. You're making a big deal out of this. Stop. Stop it.

And, yeah, once I hit that fairway on 13 I knew I was good to go. I actually made a good swing. First two on 10 and 11 were a little kind of like steery. I'm like, no, we've worked on my -- I've worked on my swing all year and it feels like it's in the best shape it's been in a while.

I know where my ball is going. Let's play golf. Come on, you know.

Q. Do you feel like because you kind of committed yourself to the Epson Tour, this week on the LPGA Tour do you feel like you're playing with house money at all?

ALENA SHARP: Yeah, a little bit. I mean, who knows what could happen this week, right? I could maybe clinch my card this week out here. I don't know. You just never know. So I'm keeping my mind and options open still.

Yeah, I have my plan set to play the last five Epson, but just coming in here I just wanted to take all the hard work I've done and just prove to myself that I could do it on a hard golf course.

Q. Just maybe can you expand on the golf course and how it played today.

ALENA SHARP: Yeah, it's narrow. The rough is spotty. In the morning it's wet so the ball sits down more. Greens are firm. You got to know your carries and you got to know where you're hitting it. You could have some treacherous downhill putts.

So I thought we did a good job today plotting along and staying on the low side of the hole. The one hole we didn't was 17. I was actually worried I was going to chip it off the green so I just putted it. Like putt it down there, and if we make a four, we make a four. Sometimes you just have to just take the bogey I think.

Q. What was the degree of difficulty on the up and down on 8?

ALENA SHARP: Yeah, No. 8 I was just like, please just get this on the green. Don't whiff it in the bunker. You know, I just -- I actually had a fluffy lie and just swung hard and came out really soft. Then making the putt was just gravy.

Q. If I can ask, what happened on the tee shot?

ALENA SHARP: I just got a little quick. That actually was like a great number for me and I just got a little quick and up and out of it.

That was probably the worst shot I hit today. I didn't feel nervous. I just made a bad swing.

Q. How do you like 17 with all the rink boards?

ALENA SHARP: Yeah, it's great. That green is treacherous though. You want to hit it in the right spot on this hole for sure.

Yeah, I love The Rink hole. I loved it last year. Hopefully it'll get rowdy this weekend.

Q. Just a little bit off topic, I think there are ten amateurs in the field on the Canadian side of things. Can you speak to the state of the next generation of Canadian golf, especially on the amateur side, and how you're seeing that generation and how they're performing?

ALENA SHARP: Definitely. It's amazing to see all the young kids here. I get older, they get younger it seems like.

Yeah, they have a lot of talent and Golf Canada has done a great job with the program and giving these girls opportunities to play in events like this. It's a huge experience builder for them. It's great to see them all here.

Q. (Wind interference.) Is that something you noticed and have people been asking more questions? Is there anything that you noticed in the last three years?

ALENA SHARP: Definitely think, yeah, people golfed a lot in the pandemic for sure. Not sure up here, but in Arizona we never closed down so golf was alive and thriving. Yeah, I would assume there is a boom from that for sure.

Q. One last: Did it feel like a casual round? You're out there, laughing with AJ. She's out there cheering you on; old buddies. Did it feel like you're out for a casual round of golf? Can you treat it like that a little bit?

ALENA SHARP: I feel like I've just grown a lot as a player and like Adam said, it's just playing with house money kind of because I'm not out here all year.

Still want to do well, but, yeah, you got to keep it light and have fun and enjoy it.