U.S SENIOR WOMEN'S OPEN CHAMPIONSHIP

August 3, 2024

Stefania Croce

Fox Chapel Golf Club

Quick Quotes

Q. I wanted to ask you, how do you make six birdies on this course?

STEFANIA CROCE: You know, the trick is the iron game. I had a lot of 9-iron, pitching wedge, so I was accurate and I made the putts. I made some also good iron shots like 6-iron and put it to like three feet, so I made a birdie on No. 13. But mainly it's keep the ball straight in the fairway from the tee shot and try to put the ball close to the hole.

The greens were holding, so it was like throwing darts. The ball would stop. So that was good.

Q. Your caddie said you had good control of the speed of the greens. Did you feel that way with your putter?

STEFANIA CROCE: Yesterday not so much. Today, yes. I decided to do something different. I felt more comfortable today.

Q. How do you like this golf course, and are you comfortable with it now that you're two rounds in?

STEFANIA CROCE: I am. I am comfortable because you don't have to risk too much on some holes, just hit a longer club to the green, but it's safer than trying to hit driver over the bunkers. So I played it conservative.

Q. You've put yourself in position halfway through now. What's it going to take to win this championship?

STEFANIA CROCE: You know, I don't know. I just keep doing my game and try to be focused. That's all. Whatever happens happens.

Q. You've battled against these same players earlier in your career. What's it like to be back battling against them again?

STEFANIA CROCE: It's more fun now because in the old days, you have to keep your card, you have to fight, you have to practice. We are like kind of enemies, friends but a little bit of enemies. Now we are just friends because we've done that. So now we compete, we're still very competitive, but with a smile.

Q. Also today you did well on the par-5s. You birdied 18 and 2, two out of the three par-5s.

STEFANIA CROCE: Yes. I put the same wedge very close to the hole. That's it. I have three-footer putts.

Q. You made it easy on yourself.

STEFANIA CROCE: Yes. Sometimes I missed the shot a little bit, but it still went close to the hole, so I said, hmm, it's good. Some luck on my side. So that was good.