U.S. WOMEN'S AMATEUR CHAMPIONSHIP

August 10, 2024

Asterisk Talley

Southern Hills Country Club

Quick Quotes

Q. So, 1-up leads after first 18 to the 36 hole final. How we feeling?

ASTERISK TALLEY: I'm feeling a lot better than last time I played Rianne. I feel like it's just this course is a lot harder than El Cab and what we had to play before. I mean, she shot like 10-under in the first 15 holes. You can't really do that out here, especially with us both missing a ton of fairways today.

I feel like that's going to be what I have to work on for tomorrow. I need to hit more fairways. That's going to help me get close to the hole, hit more greens. I feel like that's what will be what wins tomorrow, is whoever can keep their ball in play the most.

Q. Was the fatigue setting in today for the missed fairway? Or what do id you think was so different in the afternoon from the morning?

ASTERISK TALLEY: I wasn't really hitting my like tee shots very good earlier today either I feel like. I don't really know what it is, I just haven't been hitting them, and then today I thought I could hit a little bit more but it didn't really work out.

I'm hoping that I can hit some more tomorrow, especially in the first couple holes. Hopefully get a little bit more of a lead. I mean, that's what we all want. I mean, that's really all I can do.

Q. Do you want to sleep on this lead or do you wish you could go out and keep on playing a little bit more?

ASTERISK TALLEY: I feel like it would be fun to play a little more, but, I mean, fresh day tomorrow.

Q. You'll take the rest if you can get it.

ASTERISK TALLEY: Yeah, I mean, playing 18 more today might be a bad idea.

I mean, just sleeping on this lead is fine. I feel like Rianne knows what she has to do and I know what I have to do. It's just going to be who can play the best tomorrow.

Q. Do you enjoy somewhat of the like you said El Cab is a little bit easier than this place. Instead of a birdiefest, almost having to grind for pars and can still win holes with par; do you enjoy that?

ASTERISK TALLEY: Yeah, I feel like that's a little better for both of us. I mean, especially on courses where you can just birdie every hole, if you don't birdie those holes then you kind of feel a little down on yourself. Like why didn't I birdie that? Why didn't I hit closer to the hole?

On this course you kind of, I walked away with par; I'm doing well. So I mean, that's really all you can do here.

Q. Unique situation with having to go home and come back tomorrow. What's maybe the plan for tonight? Are you going to try to get away from the golf a little bit?

ASTERISK TALLEY: I might practice my swing a little bit. Like in the hotel I might do some take away drills. I feel like that's my big thing, is just like calming down, not getting rushed.

I'm like infamous for being fast, but I really need to calm down, slow down tomorrow, not get too excited, not get too anxious for tomorrow.

I feel like that's going to be the big thing.

Q. Even if you feel like you get refreshed and hydrated after a really super hot day out here, after you've had several days of it, do you feel any kind of hangover from that?

ASTERISK TALLEY: I don't think so. I feel like every day is kind of like a reset for me. I don't feel like anything really carries over or anything. I feel like I just kind of refresh and reset then the next day I feel brand new.

Q. Were you astonished when you came out here this morning?

ASTERISK TALLEY: Yeah, I mean, especially with the win I had to take on my first match. I mean, by concession, I mean it's tough just knowing that I don't know if I could have played well enough to win my match, if I could have -- how I compare to these other players.

I feel like this first match has really set the tone and I feel like tomorrow I'm just going to play my best golf and hopefully I can bring it home.

Q. Because of the heat and it's a grind of an event anyway, right, but does it feel like you've been here a month?

ASTERISK TALLEY: Yeah. I mean, especially with the golf I've been playing. It's just like it's been the same tournament for like a month and a half.

But, I mean, especially with like us playing each other last month, here we are again. Same tournament, same feeling.

Q. Getting off to the birdie start today helped put that out of your mind?

ASTERISK TALLEY: Yeah, especially just getting up early in the match really helps, just knowing you have that cushion before you can really start grinding. I feel like if I can do that tomorrow, just get a little cushion early and then I can just grind out the rest.

Q. She did win three of the next four holes and you turned it right around and took control.

ASTERISK TALLEY: Yeah, I mean the first four holes I feel like really aren't tie holes. I feel like they're really like you you could double it or you could birdie it. It doesn't -- it's just like someone usually always wins those holes.

I feel like I won the first and then she won the next couple, and I mean, you can always turn it around. That's what we really learned from today.

I mean, she was up, I was up, and now we're pretty much the same.

Q. Any championship superstitions, food, what you wear?

ASTERISK TALLEY: No. I feel like I just try and go out there. I mean, I don't really believe in like luck, but my dad always has like superstitions I guess.

But he's like, got to do this, you got to do this. But like I mean, I don't really believe in it. I just do what he says.

Q. Did you want another shot at Rianne? Were you excited that you were going to get a chance to play her again?

ASTERISK TALLEY: Yeah, I mean, I knew that she -- we have been talking like all week. On the putting green it's like, play well today. Like, I hope to see you again.

But, I mean, earlier today this morning on the putting green she was like, play well today and I was like, yeah, I hope to see you again in the final.

She was like, me too. And then I saw she -- I was eating lunch when she made that birdie on 18. I was like, wow, that's really cool.