ISPS HANDA WOMEN'S SCOTTISH OPEN

August 16, 2024

Megan Khang

Dundonald Links

Quick Quotes

Q. Here with Megan Khang after her second round of the ISPS Handa Women's Scottish Open. Tough conditions. How were you trying battle through those?

MEGAN KHANG: Honestly I'm really trying to have a lot of fun out there. It's not often I'm hitting a 7-iron to a 116 pin.

So it's a lot of the stuff I'm really comfortable with how my ball-striking is. Fortunately I've been able to hit some good shots and really trust myself out there and make some long putts here and there but overall really trying to enjoy it and make the most of it because it's tough for.

Q. Everyone said in links-style golf course, you have to be creative. What were was one of the more creative shots you had out there today?

MEGAN KHANG: Honestly it's such a long, hard round, I don't remember. Gosh, I don't even know. I have the worst memory. But I'd say probably the best birdie I made today was probably on No. 3. I hit a good drive down the middle of the fairway and again we are at the mercy of the bounce and ended up in the fairway bunker. Unfortunately had to just kind of pop it out and funny enough I had 210 to the front and 220 to the pin and I thought I could get there so I waited for the green to clear and ended up like 30 yards short. And had the wind directly in our face, and I just tried my best to get my best opportunity for par. And fortunately enough it was my second hole-out of the week for birdie and it's stuff like that that kind of gets a round going, especially with it being my third hole.

Q. Another chip-in, what went into that?

MEGAN KHANG: Honestly just trying to get it close. It's tough out there. I was in the mindset of let's try to hit it close and make par. Again, you know, hit a really good chip and kind of bounced back and spun a little back into the hole. So stuff like that kind of helps you kind of stay within yourself and not get too frustrated out there even though you hit a good tee shot and may not get the bounce you want, you can always hole out from anywhere, I guess.

Q. You had a lot of birdies on the card today. What were some of the ways you've been able to take advantage of this course to put yourself in those positions?

MEGAN KHANG: Some of the par 5s have been pretty good. Two on the front have been a little tough. They have been into the wind but making the turn, you know, my ball-striking is pretty solid. So No. 10 I was able to hit a hybrid into the green and make about like a 10-footer putt for birdie. Fortunately, you know, No. 13, I can get to the green in two. If I hit two good slots, and you know, just missed the green to the right but my chipping has been kind of helping me out this week. So ended up chipping it up for close for birdie.

Q. Your best finish was a couple years ago, tied 24th. Is there anything about this course this week that you just think your game suits?

MEGAN KHANG: You know, for me, I've been hitting the ball pretty solid this entire year, and the difference has been making the putts. This week I have been a little bit for fortunate to make the putts. It's just kind of golf. It's always between the ears that gets you going, and so kind of coming into this week, obviously next week being St Andrews, as well, just trying to really embrace links golf and have some fun and just really embrace Mother Nature because it's going to be wild out there. It's going to be fun, but it's also going to be a challenge that you just have to look at the bright side of things.

Q. You talked about trying to have fun out there. We can tell on TV, you're clearly having fun. But just like touch on your demeanor and how that helps your game?

MEGAN KHANG: It's kind of crazy. I'm aiming 30, 40 yards right of the pin and to be able to pull off a shot, it's a huge confidence boost. You just laugh, like wow, I can't believe that actually worked sometimes. And so just having a mindset, all right, let's really trust it and have some fun. Sometimes it can work out and sometimes it doesn't. I'm trying to tell myself that if I can at least do everything I can to hit the shot I picture, I really can't be too upset. Coming out here, having some straight left-to-right, right-to-left winds, it's really a good clinical and it's helped me with my trust issues -- no, I'm kidding, trust issues.