CPKC WOMEN'S OPEN

July 27, 2024

Alena Sharp

Earl Grey Golf Club

Quick Quotes

Q. How happy were you with your round today?

ALENA SHARP: Really happy. Obviously shooting under par on this golf course, I think it's a good score. I saw there was 11-under so that's just amazing golf.

Yeah, I was happy to get in the red today and get back to even par for the tournament.

Q. You had pretty hot start. Your front nine was the best today?

ALENA SHARP: Yeah, my front nine was good and then my back nine I had chances. Just the putts were all along the edge. I hit 16 greens and I think I only hit 20 in the last two days, so that was a big improvement today to give myself a lot of chances at it.

Q. Yeah. And was the fan contingent better today?

ALENA SHARP: At the start it was, and then, I mean, there's lots of people watching Brooke so that was pretty cool to see that a couple times. Same fans as the last two days so that was nice.

Q. I came to watch you on 17. Thought you would pull out a jersey.

ALENA SHARP: Well, maybe tomorrow.

Q. Because you've done it the last couple years, right?

ALENA SHARP: Yeah, I was going to do it today but someone forgot to bring it.

Q. Oh, no.

ALENA SHARP: Tomorrow I will have it in my bag.

Q. The Flames jersey?

ALENA SHARP: Yeah. I don't want to get booed. In Ottawa I didn't mind doing it because it's in Ontario. When I'm in a different province I've got to bring the right one.

Q. Because you're a big Leafs fan, too. You have to.

ALENA SHARP: Yeah. Last year in Vancouver I wore the Vancouver jersey, yeah, so I will definitely be wearing a Flames jersey tomorrow.

Q. Okay, good. Yesterday you talked about working on your putting. Do you think you achieved that today?

ALENA SHARP: Yeah, I mean, I feel, you know, putts rolled in and I hit my lines on the other ones that didn't go in. Yeah, I was very happy with it.

Q. Although it is a little bit cooler, these conditions seem kind of ideal. The wind has certainly died down. How did you find the adjustments today condition-wise?

ALENA SHARP: I think it's playing easier because of the wind. Still, you still have got to drive it in the fairway. The rough is still long. Got a little wet with the rain. So I hit it in the rough a couple times today and had great lies so I got lucky a couple times.

Yeah, I think it's playing a lot easier without the 20 mile an hour wind gusts of whatever they were.

Q. For tomorrow what's on your checklist?

ALENA SHARP: Same as today: just really attack a little bit when I can, and then play smart for the other tougher pins. There are a couple tough pins around the water tomorrow on a couple of those holes on the front, and No. 11 looks like a tough hole tomorrow. I think it's been the toughest hole all week. It's back left over the water.

So just attack when I can. I want to play better on the par-5s. I have not played them well this week. So that's a big goal for tomorrow, make a couple birdies on those.

Q. You finished fourth in Priddis. Feel you can get up to that again?

ALENA SHARP: Yeah, you never know, right? Yeah, it was nice to know that I can shoot under par today. Now having that mentality, do it again tomorrow.

Q. Here with Alena Sharp. A 3-under par day today at the CPKC Women's Open. You talked earlier in the week about the vibes in Calgary being nice. How were the vibes today?

ALENA SHARP: Yeah, a little chilly to start and the wind was lower so that was kind of nice. The last two days it's been just really tough because the fairways being narrow, rough being really thick and cross breezes, trying to keep it in the fairway has been tough.

A little easier today. Felt like I could be more aggressive. The greens were a little bit softer, maybe just a little bit of the rain we had.

Q. How important was it to get off to the start you got off to?

ALENA SHARP: Yeah, it was nice. I left one out there on No. 1. I three-putted from the front at the back of the green there.

It's nice to see putts go in. Four birdies on the front and then one three putt was my bogey, but played really solid. Hit more greens. Gave myself a lot of good looks.

Q. You've done so much with your golf game. Ball shape going the opposite direction than basically any other time in your career. How pleased were you to see things going your way?

ALENA SHARP: Yeah, today was really good. I hit my irons really crisp. I drove it better. Found a little something on the range this morning. You know, golfers, we think, think, think, and then I had a feel and went with that all day.

I felt like I stood on the tee shots knowing where I was going to drive it. Yesterday and the day before it was like just trying to ride the wind more so, yeah.

So that was pretty cool. Hope that feel comes again tomorrow.

Q. Mentally for tomorrow, what will be the approach for the final round?

ALENA SHARP: I'm sure that there will be -- there are a few tougher pins tomorrow, so just play smart when I can and be aggressive when I have wedges in my hand. I hit my wedges really well today and gave myself some good looks at birdie.

Kind of just try to do the same thing. You don't really change the game plan. Want to hit a lot of fairways and give myself chances for birdie.

Q. There was 11-under par score today, a tournament scoring record and a course record. Did you think the golf course was going to give up a score that low?

ALENA SHARP: 11-under is a little ridiculous. That's amazing golf. I thought maybe a 6-under might be low; 11, wow, that's pretty impressive.