EPSON TOUR CHAMPIONSHIP

October 5, 2023

Alena Sharp

LPGA International, Jones Course

Quick Quotes

Q. All right, here with Alena Sharp after her 7-under round in the first round of the Epson Tour Championship. Great round. Can you just walk us through the round and what stuck out with your game today?

ALENA SHARP: Pretty consistent. Just the same as last week, but I made some putts today. It started on the first hole. I was 5-under after 9 and played solidly on the front. Left a few out there, but I'm really happy with how I played. Drove it well. The putter was working, so...

Q. After that big jump of birdies there, after the front nine, what are you kind of telling yourself halfway through, especially with all that's riding on this week?

ALENA SHARP: Right, yeah, I saw a leaderboard before I tee'd off and I was like, wow, 9-under is leading already, and I know I need a big week this week to make my card. Kind of a thought came in like, oh, boy, I need to get my butt in gear right away.

Then I was like, no. We are going to stay present, because you can't worry about what other people are doing. So getting off to that good start, I was just in the moment.

Then tried to do the same on the back nine. Missed couple greens but got up and down, and then left a couple birdies out there that I maybe could have made.

You can't make every putt, so happy with just solid play all day.

Q. And talking about getting back out, you've been on the LPGA Tour. What kind of motivates you and drives you to keep going back out there? I know you briefly touched on it with Hope, to get back and finish the way you want to.

ALENA SHARP: Yeah, I still love playing the game. Still brings me a lot of joy. I travel with my wife and our dogs and I'm not ready to give it up yet.

So I still really love the grind and trying to get better every day. And, yeah, I have a new team, and, you know, I'm working with a different coach, and I feel like he's given me a different outlook on just the game.

Because I wasn't hitting it great last year; I was missing it left a lot. Now kind of changed my swing to hit a fade and I just feel like it's helped me a lot.

Q. Yeah.

ALENA SHARP: It's given me joy to play again. Over a career of 18 years on the tour you have so much going on, and like I've gone through putting yips and I fixed that, and then it's my swing went downhill.

Just it's always -- there is always something going on, but I feel like I got it all together now and want to just hopefully finish this week strong. If it's not good enough, go back to Q-Series and get out on the tour so I can finish my career the way I want to.

Q. And looking back at those 18 years -- this might be a very tough question -- but what are the most important things you learned in your 18 years looking back?

ALENA SHARP: I think huge, and it always comes up with everybody, is you just can't really worry about what other people are doing. You can't think about your score. You think about the cut line, you're always on the cut line.

You know, I've just tried to stay in the moment. It's hard sometimes, but really just trying to stay in the present. You got to believe in yourself and have a lot of confidence out here to stay out here.

I think those are huge things. I think at the beginning I didn't realize that I was that good and now I do see it and know it, so that's why I want to get back out there.