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U.S. WOMEN'S AMATEUR CHAMPIONSHIP

August 4, 2016

Virginia Elena Carta

Springfield, Pennsylvania

Q. How was it out there? It was a tense match, two good players.
VIRGINIA ELENA CARTA: Yeah, I think this match was the best by far that I've ever played on the course as a match play.

Q. In the history of match play for you?
VIRGINIA ELENA CARTA: Yes, definitely.

Q. Wow.
VIRGINIA ELENA CARTA: It was super tough, mentally, too, because I haven't been putting good today, so I stuck the ball four feet on No. 2, 3, 4, and then like 7, 8, and I missed all those chances. So it was really tough to like get it going.

But at the same time, I think the turning point, I was 2-down, the turning point was for sure the putt on 10 to halve the hole, the par putt. That was huge.

Q. How long was that?
VIRGINIA ELENA CARTA: It was probably 15 feet. So that was really, really good and gave me a little bit of confidence. And on 11, again, like probably a 35-, 40-foot putt for birdie, those two were like turning points because then I got confident on my putting, and I had a few other opportunities.

I think the luck that I had on 17, my ball didn't go in the bunker with the first shot, like had a reason, because on 15 I hit a perfect shot on the green and then like it was on the green like actually farther than the hole, and it came back like in the fairway, so I was like, okay, that's like squared things with 15.

Q. You deserved some good luck after that?
VIRGINIA ELENA CARTA: Yeah, I was like, come on. And both our balls, she had just like short of the green and rolled back. I hit the green and rolled back, and then we made two awesome pars, so I knew like I couldn't lose my patience and attention because she's such a tough competitor. Wow, she played awesome. I'm super excited for this match. It was mentally tough, but I'm excited.

Q. Is it sort of like draining after that to then get psyched up for another one?
VIRGINIA ELENA CARTA: Kind of, yes, but as soon as I -- I don't even know what time is it, but I think I have some time to get lunch and rest a little bit, maybe shower so that I refresh a little bit and then be ready for the next match.

Q. Were you rushing for bananas because you were sort of fatigued?
VIRGINIA ELENA CARTA: Yes. Yeah, for sure it was helpful a little bit with some potassium.

Q. How many times have you played in this championship?
VIRGINIA ELENA CARTA: Never.

Q. This is your first time?
VIRGINIA ELENA CARTA: This is my first time.

Q. And how has winning the NCAA championship sort of changed your mentality? Has it changed you at all? Obviously a different format.
VIRGINIA ELENA CARTA: Yeah, yeah. I think winning nationals was like a good starting point kind of thing because I knew what I was doing was correct, what I've been working the entire year was correct, so it was more like a confirmation of like everything that I've done during the year.

But then playing -- getting to play the Marathon Classic in Ohio, that was like huge again, and playing with Cheyenne Woods the first day and Alison Lee was great.

Q. How did you feel you stacked up?
VIRGINIA ELENA CARTA: I mean, with them?

Q. Just the LPGA in general.
VIRGINIA ELENA CARTA: I felt like -- I mean, I have to prove my game and everything, but at the same time, I learned so much from all the players there, and it was a great opportunity for me. And then getting to know Lydia, that was kind of inspiring. She was like super, super nice, and just the fact that she won previously this tournament for sure, I don't know, it gives me a little bit more energy or something like that to like keep going and trying to do my best. Then we'll see, of course. But just those opportunities, winning nationals gave me the opportunity to play in the LPGA, and playing there I learned so much from all the players. I learned to be even more patient. I thought I was patient, especially after nationals, I was like, oh, you managed everything super well. But at the same time I saw like a few players that I was playing with maybe being like under trees, not saying one word, and from the trees making a birdie, and I was like, that's like huge. Like if I'm under trees, I'm like, oh, my God, I'm under trees, and I'm probably going to make like a par, and I'm going to be like, oh, that's good. Why did they make birdies? Because they didn't lose their focus, and they're like, okay, whatever, it's another shot.

So just being there was great. Yeah, and I'm happy to be here now. I mean, if I'm here now, it's still because of nationals, because I got an exemption into this one. In fact, I was looking into the qualification, like the qualifying side, so I was like telling my mom, maybe I should play that one, blah blah blah, and like five minutes later, literally five minutes, my coach texted me and was like, you should check your email, and I was like, okay, and I checked my email, and I got the exemption. I'm like, mom, I was kidding.

Q. Perfect.
VIRGINIA ELENA CARTA: So yeah, that was -- I mean, made my life easier, also because I was studying this summer, so that was easier.

Q. You said that Eugene Country Club reminded you of a European course. How do you feel about this course?
VIRGINIA ELENA CARTA: I think this is still kind of American. It's more -- I think compared to Eugene, Eugene was way narrower, and the pine trees were really, really close to the fairway, too, but here the trees are more like on the sides, are not that close. It's really tough, as Eugene, I think, because they are both like long courses, and on this course you still have to hit long irons/long woods into the greens and par-3s, which makes everyone's life a little bit more hard. But --

Q. What do you hit into 14?
VIRGINIA ELENA CARTA: Today with the wind in front I hit a 3-wood.

Q. That's what I figured.
VIRGINIA ELENA CARTA: I was like, whoa.

Q. It's a meaty par-3.
VIRGINIA ELENA CARTA: In fact, when I went on the tee and I saw the tee was like back today, I was like, oh, my God, this is going to be so long today.

FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports

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