U.S. WOMEN'S AMATEUR FOUR-BALL

May 14, 2024

Melanie Walker

Sydney Hackett

Oak Hills Country Club

Quick Quotes

Q. Two days ago or I guess the last day of stroke play, you guys were 2-over with like 11 holes left. You went crazy low the last two holes.

MELANIE WALKER: We birdied our last four to get back into a playoff. It was like her wedges and I made a putt on 18, and we knew that we could go far in match play. Like this is our third time to get to quarterfinals, three years in a row. But I think last year we came in as the 24th seed, this year we're the 25th. We've just never been the killers.

SYDNEY HACKETT: Once we get to match play, we've got a good shot. We can ham-and-egg it pretty good and get a good amount of birdies.

Q. At some points a couple days ago were you thinking about plane reservations back to Virginia?

MELANIE WALKER: A little bit.

SYDNEY HACKETT: After the first day we're like, okay, we need to shoot 6-under to get into match play.

MELANIE WALKER: I think we literally practiced for six years afterwards on putting. Even after our first nine for the second day of stroke play, we were kind of sitting there like, we need to get something going. We both birdied 10, and then I birdied 11, and then we were in momentum, and we were still outside the cut, and then she made three birdies in a row and I made my birdie on 18, so it was nice.

Q. Now here you are in the semifinals. All it takes, right? Is this some kind of a roll? Was it just a matter of just focusing or just making a putt? Was there something that clicked?

SYDNEY HACKETT: I think it was the putts, honestly. That's like the main difference.

MELANIE WALKER: We weren't even in position for the first day, so just making sure both of us are on position on every green and giving it our best shot. This green at 18 we were not in position both of us that often, but we gave it our best shot every time, and when one of us was struggling the other one stepped up a good amount, and it just made it really fun.

Q. Were you guys quarterfinalists two years ago, too?

SYDNEY HACKETT: Puerto Rico, yeah. So we finally made it to the final day.

Q. You guys knocked out a team that was 14-under in stroke play. They were rolling, and then obviously looked like they just couldn't make any putts.

MELANIE WALKER: They did a good job of giving themselves opportunities. We had a lot of fun with them, and they're a really good team. Was really blessed to be playing with them and just enjoying it.

Q. Was there a turning point in this round today? You guys were 2-down early.

SYDNEY HACKETT: Yeah, I almost chipped in for eagle on 8 so that was fun --

Q. That's been their hole. Lauren chipped in for eagle this morning.

SYDNEY HACKETT: This morning I had a 12-footer for eagle. I was disappointing about missing it. Yeah, they parred it, so I think it's more of just making sure that everybody has an opportunity and just keeping going out there and just ham-and-egging as best we can.

Q. Any big results for you guys this past year in college?

SYDNEY HACKETT: I've had some good ones. I've been runner-up a couple -- I had three top 5s in the fall or top 10s, but no wins. Hopefully soon.

Q. Not like your teammate Katie?

SYDNEY HACKETT: No, Katie is a baller. Every time Melanie hits a long time, I'm like, that's Katie. We played stroke play with them, so I think that's kind of -- we knew what it took to shoot low because we got to play with them and saw what it took --

MELANIE WALKER: We learned from them, helping each other read putts more and just giving good looks every hole.