FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Tuesday, May 22nd, 2018
NOTABLE QUOTES: NCAA WOMEN’S GOLF CHAMPIONSHIPS – TEAM MATCH PLAY SEMIFINALS
NCAA Women’s Golf Championships
Team Match Play, Semifinals
Tuesday, May 22, 2018
Karsten Creek Golf Club
Stillwater, Okla.
Semifinal Match Results
Alabama (2) defeated Southern California (3) 3-1-1
Arizona (8) defeated Stanford (5) 4-1
**Alabama will compete against Arizona for the 2018 NCAA Women’s Golf National Championships on Wednesday.
Golf Channel / Wednesday NCAA Championships Programming Schedule (all times ET)
Golf Central Pre Game 2-4 p.m.
Championship Match 4-8 p.m.
Golf Central 8-9 p.m.
On Alabama and Arizona advancing to Wednesday’s Championship Match
Paige Mackenzie – “What we saw from them today and what we have seen from them this week is they are who we thought they were. They were the best team in the country coming in to this week and we saw that from their three top players today. They did what they needed to do. If they can have that collective effort tomorrow, I think they can walk away with the trophy.”
Curt Byrum – “They have embraced the underdog role and they are using it to their advantage. They barely get in to match play and all of a sudden they are playing for all of the marbles tomorrow. They have to continue with that enthusiasm as the underdog. Let’s go after this big Alabama team.”
On the Alabama defeating Southern California 3-1-1
Mackenzie – “Definitely a David vs Goliath match this afternoon between Alabama and Southern California.”
Steve Burkowski – “The buzz saw that is known as the Crimson Tide rolled right through today.”
Bob Papa – “Head Coach Mic Potter sent his three best out first and they delivered the three points needed.”
Curt Byrum – “The strategy worked. Three First Team All-Americans went out and did their job.”
Alabama Head Coach Mic Potter and Alabama’s Cheyenne Knight speaking with Golf Channel’s Kay Cockerill following their victory (Knight defeated USC’s Allisen Corpuz 3&1)
Cheyenne Knight – “I was 1-down after two and I just told myself to keep plugging away. I went 2 up after 9 and I just thought, ‘One shot at a time.’ Keep putting myself in position, hitting fairways, hitting greens and just making pars at worst, because I wasn’t going to win holes with a par, I was going to win with a birdie. So I wanted to take bogeys out of the equation.”
Knight – “In my first match, waking up early, going to bed late, that alarm at 4:50 a.m. was quite early. My first match I was tired on the first few holes. It showed in my drives. I missed five out of the first six fairways and so I was out of position. I felt a lot better this afternoon.”
Mic Potter – “I don’t know that we frontloaded. We wanted to get matchups that we like, and we feel like we have a chance to win every match. Wherever they fall, we’ll put ‘em. It doesn’t mean anything that we have someone fifth, first or third. It really means we are trying to get the matchups we want to give ourselves a chance to win every one. “We don’t want to sacrifice anything, we just want to give ourselves a chance to win every match.”
On Southern California
Papa – “For USC, its incredible season comes to an end.”
Byrum – “Andrea Gaston’s team sure weren’t playing like freshman this week.”
Mackenzie – “It is really incredible what Coach Gaston has done with this team this spring.”
Steve Burkowski – “Not only did Coach Gaston fill the void after her former players turned pro, she did so with some very accomplished young players.”
On Arizona defeating Stanford 4-1
Burkowski – “Less than 24 hours ago, Arizona was fighting for their golfing lives. They found a way to get into match play, and they are certainly making the most of their opportunity.
Papa – “This is a stunner.”
Burkowski – “Arizona’s Cinderella story is continuing.”
Burkowski – “Struggles in stroke play for Gigi Stoll, but she responded mightily here on Tuesday at Karsten Creek.”
Burkowski – “Haley Moore and the Arizona Wildcats Bear Down and continue this magical ride in Stillwater, Oklahoma.”
Arizona’s Sandra Nordaas speaking with Golf Channel’s Kay Cockerill following her match (defeated Albane Valenzuela 6&4)
Sandra Nordaas – “It felt really good. I played really well, hit the ball well and putted good. Match play, you just have to take one hole at a time. That’s what I did, my mindset was pretty good today. I kind of reset after every hole and focused on myself.”
Nordaas – “We’re doing good as a team. Our team spirit is pretty good. Our coaches are really good and making us reset, relax and don’t stress too much about what is going on and focus on yourself. I think that is the key to doing well in match play.”
Arizona’s Haley Moore speaking with Golf Channel’s Billy Ray Brown after her match (defeated Mika Liu 3&2)
Hayley Moore – “I had a pretty comfortable lead so I kept telling myself to keep making par. I got into some positions where I could possibly win with par and even birdie. Just missed some putts. That happens. Just because we get tired out here and we know that every putt has to count for us to advance. As long as I just kept making putts and solid decisions on each shot.”
Moore – “I think it is going to carry crucial into tomorrow and give my team confidence. If you have a putt and you make it, anything can happen.”
Arizona Head Coach Laura Ianello and Arizona’s Bianca Pagdanganan with Golf Channel’s Kay Cockerill following the semifinals
Laura Ianello – “This young woman right here (Bianca) got it all started. I think with her play and her being in general has pushed the other four to be as great as she is. So proud of Gigi Stoll for this morning and afternoon’s match. Two huge wins. Hayley Moore to pull it out. Sandra Nordaas. Yu-Sang Hou, I know she is going to come back huge tomorrow. And this one. The thing about Bianca is not many players, when you tell them under pressure that you need them, and they can really handle it. This kid can. Unbelievable.”
Bianca Pagdanganan– “I guess just knowing I have a team behind me and that I have other people to play for and not just myself. That is really motivating for me and inspiring. I don’t want to let them down so I do my best to rise to the occasion.”
Stanford Head Coach Anne Walker speaking with Golf Channel’s Billy Ray Brown following the semifinals
Anne Walker – “Putting is key. We didn’t putt very well this afternoon and that got us. We putted great this morning. We made a lot of putts. It helps with momentum and helps with winning holes obviously. Putting is key.”
Walker – “We talked about it this morning, we said this was definitely not going to be easy. They have got the momentum, they are excited and you can feel their energy. They had a little chip on their shoulder, what happened to them yesterday was still fresh. They certainly don’t want that to happen again.”
-NBC Sports Group-
