BUICK LPGA SHANGHAI

October 14, 2023

Maja Stark

Qizhong Garden Golf Club

Quick Quotes

Q. Another day, another Maja Stark name at the top of the leaderboard. As you walk away from the third day here how are you feeling?

MAJA STARK: Feels good to be able to hit bad shots like that and still break par, so that feels nice.

But then also feel like I have some -- I have to practice a little bit for tomorrow.

Q. Let's start at the beginning, some of the positives. Saw a couple birdies on the front nine. What were some of those shots that kind of looked well for you?

MAJA STARK: Weren't really shots. I think it was mostly the putts. Made a long one on 6 I think, and then two-putt on 9.

So wasn't really -- still not very good game, like I didn't play very well, but my putter has been treating me well this week and at least I have that so I can actually save myself when I do screw up with my irons.

Q. You talked about in Solheim that you've been able to kind of think about putts as that putt is to win it and be able to shield some of the bad shots out of your mind. Were you able to do that today, or is that something you'll work on again tomorrow?

MAJA STARK: Yeah, a little bit. In the beginning of the round I was telling myself, oh, just pretend like this putt isn't a big deal, because it's not nice to putt when you nervous. I realized I just putt way better when I think this is for the win or whatever it is for. I think that just makes my a little bit sharper and gets my focus to a different level.

Q. This is the first time that you have held on 18-hole, 36-hole, or 54-hole lead on the LPGA Tour. Were there any nerves being in contention and being in that final grouping?

MAJA STARK: Maybe a little bit.

Q. As well as playing alongside Yu and some more fan presence here in Shanghai.

MAJA STARK: A little bit. I wasn't nearly as nervous as I usually am. I think I was a little bit tense the first few holes, and then obviously -- I don't really know what's going on with my irons. Like I don't know what I'm doing wrong, so that also makes my a little bit nervous for tomorrow.

Hopefully I can just figure that out today.

Q. I was going to ask, talk about the iron game. What do you work on after a round like that when you head to the range?

MAJA STARK: Good question, because I'm working on new stuff so I don't know whether to keep working on the new stuff or go back to what I usually do.

So I don't know. I got to go to the range and see.

Q. What's the new stuff you're working on?

MAJA STARK: So my wrists roll a lot in the beginning so my club ends up under the swing plane very quick, and that makes me steep on the way down.

So, yeah.

Q. Tomorrow you will have another chance at an LPGA Tour victory. How much would that mean to you to add another one to your resume?

MAJA STARK: That would mean a lot. I mean, the last one, it wasn't maybe like a main event because a lot of people weren't there. They had already played the European majors and a lot of them had gone home. Maybe the field wasn't as strong as usual on the LPGA, so it would mean a lot to win it just it prove to myself that I can actually do it when we have a lot of top players here, and then obviously next step would be winning one where you can miss the cut, too.