U.S. GIRLS' JUNIOR CHAMPIONSHIP

July 19, 2024

Jasmine Koo

El Caballero Country Club

Press Conference

Q. Tough customer today.

JASMINE KOO: Oh, yeah.

Q. Seemed like the turning point was on 10; 1-up lead; putt to win the hole. I don't know if it was a misread or just a pull or...

JASMINE KOO: Yeah, it was like a -- I think it was both, a misread and a pull. I don't know, just like one of those days where nothing really -- actually I played well up until the back nine, like you said, and then just kind of started falling downhill.

You know, it was really up to me whether or not I would come back on track, but just never happened. It's just golf, yeah.

Q. Got down three early and then you tied it up.

JASMINE KOO: Yeah.

Q. Did you feel like, okay, I got it back to square?

JASMINE KOO: Uh-huh.

Q. Here I go. And then you took the lead.

JASMINE KOO: Yeah, I did. And then I think -- and then Rianne kind of got to like, oh, no, I need to come back. So we were kind of just like chilling at 1, I was 1-up.

And then the putt -- yeah, and then I hit like a few shots out right and just kind of like screwed myself.

Q. You guys both tied the par-5. I think she tied it up on 11, right?

JASMINE KOO: Yeah, so I made a bogey on 11, so I gave her that.

And then on 12 I hit it to like a foot for birdie and then she made one on top of that. So I think that definitely gave her momentum.

But honestly, she played so well today. She didn't leave any doors open for me.

Q. And you had played just incredible golf leading into today. Lost your first hole this morning, 44 holes into this championship.

JASMINE KOO: Uh-huh.

Q. How difficult is it to continue to keep doing it day after day?

JASMINE KOO: Like it's just like I knew that today might not have been like the previous days where I just come out with fireworks.

I just thought I just need to learn how to overcome the pressure and overcome what if the match is going to 18.

Yeah, as I expected I didn't shoot like 7-under through 11 today or anything. Yeah.

Q. Heck of a week. Got a lot in front of you. Women's Am in a couple weeks and Curtis Cup. What do you take from here that will help you in those two events coming you?

JASMINE KOO: Kind of just like superstitions, because they say if you win the Junior you never win the Am...

Q. Rose Zhang did it. She did it the opposite. She won the Women's Am before...

JASMINE KOO: Yeah, you never win it the same year.

Q. Except Eun Jeong Seong. She's won the AM and the Junior in the same year in '16. The only one to do it. Even JoAnne Carner didn't do. Had a chance and lost in the final.

JASMINE KOO: Oh, wow. I think my game is there.

Q. Absolutely, saw that on display the first three or four days of that championship.

JASMINE KOO: Yeah, so definitely have good vibes going into that.