T-MOBILE MATCH PLAY PRESENTED BY MGM REWARDS

April 5, 2024

Minami Katsu

Shadow Creek

Quick Quotes

Q. Here with Minami after her third round at the T-Mobile Match Play presented by MGM Rewards. Just a little slow start on the front and then you really picked it up at the back. Bogey-free. What went into your round especially the three in a row to end it?

MINAMI KATSU: Yeah, had a double bogey on 6, which was not happy; had a bogey on 9. Wasn't a great front nine.

Between my walk to the 10th tee just kind of thought, hey, let's relax a little bit and refresh my mind. I switched the ball and that kind of helped me.

So, yeah.

Q. When you're having the kind of front that you did where it's bogeys and doubles, how were you able to kind of keep your mind focused and not let it negatively impact the rest of the round?

MINAMI KATSU: Yeah, I feel like the first nine I was thinking way too much. My swing, the green slope, the wind. I think that made me really nervous, so back nine I tried to focus more simply, try to play simply, and that kind of worked out.

Q. Shifting from stroke play to match play, how will that change how you approach the course and maybe attack some different shots differently?

MINAMI KATSU: To be honest, I don't really have a lot of experience with match play, so I think my game won't change. I'll try to play simple and I think as we play, I think there will be definitely a judgment where we need adjustment.

I think that's the key.

Q. You told me the Tigers won last night. Do you think that helped your play, and do they play again tomorrow and throughout the weekend?

MINAMI KATSU: Yeah, their game definitely affects my game, too. Usually it goes in a good way. If they win obviously I'm happy. If they lose, it kind of gives my motivation, hey, I'm going to do good today.

So it's helping me a lot.

And Tigers will be playing tomorrow and Sunday, so I'll be cheering them on, too.

Q. Only eight players remain on such a tough course. Just being in your second year on the LPGA Tour, even if you don't make it the semifinals or the finals this weekend, what does a tournament like this do for your confidence knowing you're able to hang with and be in the top eight in one of, if not the toughest, course we play all year?

MINAMI KATSU: At a course like this you really need almost a perfect shot to play good out here. Lots of thinking going on in my head.

And to be in the top eight, that definitely gives me a good confidence. I feel like compared to the other courses, I feel like I was thinking a lot more and I was able to play good, which is something I should be giving me a lot of confidence.