U.S. GIRLS' JUNIOR CHAMPIONSHIP

July 18, 2024

Jasmine Koo

El Caballero Country Club

Press Conference

Q. You realize you haven't lost a hole?

JASMINE KOO: Yeah. They just posted about that.

Q. I think they took my note from the website because I put something up about it. That's insane to play three matches, 37 holes of golf, and haven't lost a hole.

JASMINE KOO: Yeah, I think whenever my opponent sticks it close it just like makes me super motivated to make birdie, so we've just matched birdies really well.

Q. You're getting a lot more birdies than your opponents are. I mean, how well are you playing? Since that first six hole stretch on Monday when some people thought you were playing your way out of the championship, and all of a sudden, boom.

JASMINE KOO: Yeah. Honestly my game is just so comfortable right now. I'm so comfortable on the golf course.

Q. Uh-huh.

JASMINE KOO: There are so many holes -- my brother caddied for me for the first time today and there are so many holes where I was like, okay, aim right on this one. I'm like, you know, I have a wedge in my hand. I'm just going to go straight at it. I don't care if there is water on the left.

Q. You feel dialed in?

JASMINE KOO: Yeah, exactly.

Q. Has it been that way all summer? Something this week?

JASMINE KOO: It's honestly been like that ever since maybe like Augusta.

Q. Yeah.

JASMINE KOO: ANWA. It's just been really good.

Q. You were fourth there, right?

JASMINE KOO: Uh-huh.

Q. Yeah. And then obviously the Chevron and just seems like everything is kind of snowballing.

JASMINE KOO: Yeah, and it's such good timing right before I go to college, too.

Q. And obviously Curtis Cup.

JASMINE KOO: Yeah.

Q. Ever been to England?

JASMINE KOO: No, I haven't. I'm so excited to go.

Q. Is there something about playing at home, too, that -- I know you're not that far from home, but with the weather, the golf course, the surroundings...

JASMINE KOO: Well, you don't get too many California golf courses with bermuda and bent. That's actually more of an east coast thing I feel like.

But I'm sleeping in my own bed this week, so definitely better rest.

Q. Better food probably, right?

JASMINE KOO: Oh, yeah.

Q. Mom is cocking some good stuff?

JASMINE KOO: Oh, yeah. I love my mom's food.

Q. What's the specialty?

JASMINE KOO: There is this one Korean dish called Kimchi jjigae. It's like Kimchi stew. It's so good.

Q. How do you spell that?

JASMINE KOO: K-i-m-c-h-i stew.

Q. Yeah. Any thoughts about how you keep -- I mean, how do you keep this going day after day after day to keep playing great golf? How do you mentally compartmentalize that?

JASMINE KOO: It's better -- it's easier definitely when it's match play because stroke play you can get in your own head. Oh, my gosh, I'm so many under par.

It's easier to press on the brakes when playing stroke play for sure. Match play is like, yeah, I'm just trying to win each hole and it's easier to make many more birdies in a row.

Q. Yeah, so match play win was Western, right?

JASMINE KOO: Yeah.

Q. That your only match play win?

JASMINE KOO: Yeah.

Q. And you played Polo this year?

JASMINE KOO: I did play Polo, but I did not play very well.

Q. Bethpage got you?

JASMINE KOO: Yeah, the roughs got me for sure.

Q. If you're not in the fairway there it's a little rough.

JASMINE KOO: Yeah.

Q. Good luck tomorrow. You got potentially another 36-hole day tomorrow.

JASMINE KOO: Yeah, hopefully that's the case.

Q. Western is a 36-hole final, too, right? Or no?

JASMINE KOO: No, no. It was an 18-hole final. Like two days in a row it was 36 holes.

Q. So you're kind of used to the double rounds. Obviously play a lot of that at college, too.

JASMINE KOO: Yeah.

Fastscripts by ASAP Sports...