U.S SENIOR WOMEN'S OPEN CHAMPIONSHIP

August 3, 2024

Kaori Yamamoto

Fox Chapel Golf Club

Press Conference

THE MODERATOR: We welcome Kaori Yamamoto to the interview room here at the U.S. Senior Women's Open, 1-over 72 today but 7-under for the championship and you have a nice lead going into tomorrow. How do you feel about having a big lead going into tomorrow's final round?

KAORI YAMAMOTO: I do not want to think too much about the big lead. I'm just going to do what I always do every day.

Q. To that point, will you keep the same game plan and play the holes the same way you have been playing them?

KAORI YAMAMOTO: I've got the same game plan, same as usual.

Q. Did you feel like you were struggling early in the round as opposed to the last few days, especially when you made the bogeys on the front nine?

KAORI YAMAMOTO: Yes, I did struggle, but I didn't change my game plan. I knew it was going to be a hard round after the delay, so I kept my game plan. I missed many opportunities, but I kept telling myself, they will come, they will come, and I was hanging in there, and I'm glad that I got a birdie on the last hole.

Q. When you got to the 12th hole, can you talk about the approach shot you hit to three and a half feet.

KAORI YAMAMOTO: My second shot was a super shot. I really liked it. What I was thinking during my swing was make a short but firm swing, and it went as I imagined, and it stuck, and I made the putt, and I'm very happy about it.

Q. Your birdie putt on 18, how did it line up? Did it have a lot of break to it?

KAORI YAMAMOTO: It was uphill, but once it started to break, it looked like a downhill as it was breaking, and it did break a lot.

Q. Right in the middle of the hole?

KAORI YAMAMOTO: Yes, right in the middle.

Q. For tomorrow is there anything in particular you would like to improve in your game overall?

KAORI YAMAMOTO: When I was out on the golf course today, I left a putt short that I went ahead and finished, and I didn't feel very comfortable after saying I'll finish, so I'm going to be more aware of the short putts tomorrow so I don't make any bad mistakes.

Q. How do you feel the rain affected the greens after such a long rain delay, both today and yesterday?

KAORI YAMAMOTO: I feel that the greens during the delay slowed down a little, and I had that in mind, and I was trying to hit it. It was just hard to actually roll it to the hole. I struggled with that a bit, so I had a few three-putts.

One putt I tried too much and I hit it too far, and then I couldn't hit it far enough on the second putt. I'm really concerned with my short putts for tomorrow.

Q. Since you've been playing here, have you heard from friends or family in Japan? Are you getting a lot of text messages or phone calls wishing you good luck?

KAORI YAMAMOTO: I have been receiving a lot of messages. I'm using my phone as a translator, with the Google translator, to communicate with my caddie, but every time a message comes in it vibrates in my pocket, and of course I haven't been checking it, but it's been vibrating nonstop.

Q. We don't see many players use two gloves. Why do you wear two gloves, and when did you start wearing two gloves?

KAORI YAMAMOTO: I'm not wearing two gloves. I'm only wearing a golf glove on my left hand, but what I have is a cover for the sun. I do not want to get sunburned. That's why I have a cover over my hands.