WOMEN'S OLYMPIC GOLF COMPETITION

August 8, 2024

Pia Babnik

Le Golf National

Quick Quotes

Q. Take us through your round out there.

PIA BABNIK: Yeah, it was a great round. It started pretty well. I was close on the first hole for birdie. Second one, chip was close. So I gave myself a lot of chances for birdies and I took some of them.

Q. What stood out the most?

PIA BABNIK: The five birdies in a row, that was pretty cool.

Q. When you're on a stretch like that, what's going through your head?

PIA BABNIK: Yeah, I was just trying to make another one. On 16 Sarah made her putt, the crowd went crazy. So I was like, I have to make this so they go crazy, too. I was lucky it went in. Just tried to play good golf all day.

Q. Second Olympics. To be here again for Slovenia, how much fun is this for you, and how much are you enjoying the crowd, the atmosphere, the Games as a whole?

PIA BABNIK: It's amazing. Last time in Tokyo, we didn't have crowds, and I didn't know what to expect. But this week here, it's just amazing. I could play this every week. It's so much fun and it's so great to see people come and watch and cheer for us. It's just amazing.

Q. You've had a pretty good turnaround this season. What's been key for you that you've changed or something you've adjusted?

PIA BABNIK: I think it was a long process since last August when I started to change my technique. Yeah, this year it sort of came together.

Q. What came together specifically?

PIA BABNIK: My swing. It was all over the place. Also when you play good, it's a lot easier mentally, so yeah.

Q. Speaking of mentally, this golf course is not easy. You made it look easy today. How have you been able to mentally keep yourself in it, knowing that if you hit in the rough or something like that, it could penalise you pretty heavily?

PIA BABNIK: I was more focused on trying to hit the fairway. It's definitely not easy. You just have to keep the ball on the fairway, and then yeah, it's a lot easier but also some second shots are pretty tough. And yeah, I managed today to overcome these things.

Q. Have you taken anything in outside of Le Golf National as far as the Olympics goes? Have you watched other sports? Is there anybody you've met that you've been excited to meet?

PIA BABNIK: It's been amazing. Like I saw some Slovenia athletes which are really good and they are super nice.

Probably the best part was after Novak Djokovic won the medal, he came to the Village and he was in the Serbian house, and we drove by and they were just dancing, screaming and it was just so fun to watch.

Q. Last one from me. You're in a good position heading into the weekend -- the next two days, excuse me. How do you just continue to build on this as you look ahead to the next two rounds?

PIA BABNIK: I will try to play my game and hit fairways and be aggressive where I can be, and that's it. Then I will see where I end up.