AIG WOMEN'S OPEN

August 23, 2024

Stephanie Kyriacou

Mixed Zone

STEPHANIE KYRIACOU: I love links golf. My golf course at home is right on the water, so I play in the wind a lot, so it's kind of a little taste of home. But yeah, I don't know, there's something about being creative and the challenge that gets me excited.

Q. What's the course?

STEPHANIE KYRIACOU: St. Michael's in Sydney.

Q. (No microphone.)

STEPHANIE KYRIACOU: Yeah, I think I'm wearing like six layers, but I was taking the last jacket on and off. Yeah, just layers. Layers and layers. But it's fine. Today was much better actually. We didn't really have much wind in the morning, but now it's blowing.

Q. (No microphone.)

STEPHANIE KYRIACOU: I think yesterday I kind of -- at the start of the round I just kind of got in my own way, in my own head. I was almost intimidated by the conditions and the course. But then once I kind of got over that and grew up a little bit, it made it a lot easier.

Q. (No microphone.)

STEPHANIE KYRIACOU: Yeah, I'd say we're very close. We definitely hang out off the course. We stay together and stuff. Being so far away from home, it's kind of like having your own little family out here, and to me that's very important. Yeah, they just keep you going even when things aren't going well. Yeah, it's nice.

Q. (No microphone.)

STEPHANIE KYRIACOU: Yeah, obviously it sucked a little bit that I didn't win. But to put myself in the position, considering how I've played the start of the year, I was quite happy. I mean, yeah, it sucks, but it's fine. It's given me more opportunities. It got me into this event.

Yeah, I don't know. I was happy with it.

Q. What are you going to do this afternoon?

STEPHANIE KYRIACOU: Probably nap, going to the gym, a bit of recovery. Honestly that 4:30 alarm is tough, so I'm sort of resting.

Q. Can I get you to reflect on some of the highlights, what really stood out in your mind when you reflect on that round?

STEPHANIE KYRIACOU: I think I just took advantage of the LET time. Like I said before, it wasn't too windy, it was like a little breeze, so I definitely made some birdies on my front nine, and then just kind of tried to play the best I could on the back. But yeah, I'd say taking advantage of that was what I did well, and kind of just staying to each shot and each hole.

Q. Those early birdies, is there one that stands out as the particular highlight of the day?

STEPHANIE KYRIACOU: I'm going to say 17 because that's a bloody hard hole. So to birdie that was pretty cool. But I did hole like a 50-foot putt. But I'll take it.

Q. You did hole a 50-foot putt?

STEPHANIE KYRIACOU: Yeah, something like that, something silly. I was just trying to two-putt, but it went in.

Q. Nice feeling to see that one drop?

STEPHANIE KYRIACOU: Oh, yeah. I bogeyed that hole yesterday, so it was nice to get one back.

Q. Talk about what it's like to stand on that 17th tee. Not only is it iconic, but having the line over the hotel, as well.

STEPHANIE KYRIACOU: Yeah, I think it's so cool. Obviously it's a blind tee shot. It's so iconic. Not many people get to play this course or hit that shot, especially in an Open Championship. At first it was intimidating because you think you're going to hit it in the hotel. But I think I find the shot into the green a bit more intimidating because if you go long, it's not easy. It's not an easy up-and-down. Even practicing from there, especially with the wind today, being into, some people are going to hit like 5-irons, 4-irons in there. It's a very intimidating shot.

Q. What did you hit in there today?

STEPHANIE KYRIACOU: I hit an 8-iron or a 7-iron. I think I hit an 8-iron but I was short.