FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Friday, June 21st, 2019

NOTABLE QUOTES: KPMG WOMEN’S PGA CHAMPIONSHIP, FRIDAY’S 2ND ROUND

GOLF Channel Notable Quotes

KPMG Women’s PGA Championship

Second Round

Hazeltine National Golf Club

Chaska, Minn.

Friday, June 21, 2019

**Saturday’s third round of the KPMG Women’s PGA Championship will air on NBC from 3-6 p.m. ET.

KPMG Women’s PGA Championship Leaderboard

Hannah Green             -7

Ariya Jutanugarn        -4

Sung Hyun Park          -3

Lydia Ko                     -3

Nelly Korda                -2

Angel Yin                   -2

On Hannah Green, leader at 7-under par (3-under 69 on Friday)

Karen Stupples – “This is a very big stage with some very big players chasing her down. Ultimately, she has been doing this with a little smoke and mirrors. It has been her short game. She is going to have to trust the process on those putting greens if she wants to continue to hold the lead.”

Stupples – “She is going to be feeling some intensity she has never felt before. Standing on the first tee knowing that you not only have a chance to win your first LPGA event but also a major championship.”

Arron Oberholser – “She has been getting it done with a magical short game this week.”

Oberholser – “She needed this ball striking part of this round today. You are not winning major championships chipping and putting around the golf course. You’ve got to strike you ball. She has to continue to what she did today, and if she has any hope to content against these giants behind her on the leaderboard, she is going to have to strike the ball extremely well on this golf course.”

On Ariya Jutanugarn, 2nd at 4-under par (2-under 70 on Friday)

Jerry Foltz – “She is the type of person, not to mention a great player, who enjoys life in general. I don’t think she has ever had a bad day. I have never seen her not smiling, and she doesn’t take herself, or her game, ever too seriously.”

Foltz – “I oftentimes get texts from players and caddies who are watching the coverage and they are in shock for some of the clubs we call out for Ariya.”

Ariya Jutanugarn speaking with GOLF Channel’s Jerry Foltz following her round

Ariya Jutanugarn (on the course)– “You need to be really patient. It was really windy today. I played really tough today. I feel so much better because I learned to be patient on this course.”

Jutanugarn (on whether she will have the driver in the bag this weekend)– “Maybe not because it is really windy. I just like to hit something I can control so I feel like I can control my 3-wood better.”

On Lydia Ko, T3 at 3-under par (2-under 70 on Friday)

Mark Rolfing – “She highly enjoyable to watch play golf. She really dissects a golf course.”

Karen Stupples– “Consistency is the order of the day. She needs to settle down with a coach, be consistent with the work that she is doing and get back to playing Lydia Ko golf, which is relying on great wedge play, making great putts and not trying to hit the ball like Ariya Jutanugarn.”

On Angel Yin, T5 at 2-under par (1-under 71 on Friday)

Karen Stupples – “She has some sort advantage on this golf course, with it playing so long. If she keeps hitting those long drives and keeping them in the fairway, she will be in contention this weekend.”

On Michelle Wie, 2nd round 82 on Friday (22-over par for the championship)

Gary Koch – “This has been hard to watch. You feel so bad for her. You know how much she wants to be out here and wants to compete. Physically just not able to do it.”

Mark Rolfing – “I talked to her a couple of times during the round. We walked down the 10th fairway together. I frankly am quite surprised she is still playing. We have seen her withdraw a number of times during her career but clearly she has some reason why she wanted to complete this 36 holes.”

Karen Stupples – “I am a big believer that you only get a certain shelf life playing professional golf. No matter what age you start at. If you start at 15-years old playing professional events or if you start as a 25-year old. The mental stress and the pressure that you put yourself through. All of the hours of practicing can take its toll and eventually, everybody has a breaking point.

Gary Koch – “You just want to come back and want to play, but you get into so many bad habits when you are trying to play when you are hurt. Your body just won’t allow you to do what you know you need to do. The natural reflex is, ‘Don’t put me in a position that is going to make me hurt.’ That is very tough.”

-NBC Sports Group-