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THE EVIAN CHAMPIONSHIP

September 16, 2017

Katherine Kirk

Evian-les-Bains, France

Q. Awesome playing today. Nice way with the two birdies on 16 and 17. Was it 16 where you chipped in?
KATHERINE KIRK: Yes, it was. I was glad that went in, 13 yards. I hit a decent tee shot actually, I just kind of got a bad bounce, and that's one of the probably more difficult greens out here. Fortunately I just had a good lie and chipped it in.

Q. How did winning this year sort of change your mindset for the rest of the year?
KATHERINE KIRK: Huge confidence boost, especially after struggling for a couple years and questioning whether I'd be playing much longer. Yeah, it's just -- yeah, nice to know you can still do it at 35 years old and as one of the older players out here. Yeah, I mean, golf is funny; I wasn't expecting it for sure, but yeah, I kind of surprised myself even, and certainly since then, it's just, yeah, been nice. Hey, you know what, I can win out here, and just keep believing and keep doing the right things, and you never know what happens.

Q. What do you put it down to?
KATHERINE KIRK: I changed coaches at the end of 2015 and just slowly things are starting to kick in, so better ball-striking, and my misses aren't as bad. So when that happens -- I mean, I still do make the occasional double, but it's just not as bad as it used to be.

Q. You're not giving yourself as much to do?
KATHERINE KIRK: Yeah, and the proximity to the hole is better, so I think I'm making more birdies, and my putter is better. Too. I went back to being childlike with the putter. I got way too technical last year, and it did my head in, and at the end of the year, I just said, bugger it, I'm going back to being a kid.

Q. Who's the new coach?
KATHERINE KIRK: Dana Dahlquist. He's in Long Beach. I'm still working with my coach in Wichita, but he found Dana and said, hey, I know Dana can help you, so let's both go out there and get it done.

Q. That's a long way from Wichita, isn't it?
KATHERINE KIRK: Yeah, I've probably been out there maybe four times this year, but it's worth it. When you know it's the right information and it works, you are willing to do it.

Q. And this course, does this suit your game would you say?
KATHERINE KIRK: Yeah, I mean, I like it to look at it; it's gorgeous. There's no easy holes out there, so I think that kind of helps keep me engaged, keep me focused. I think sometimes when we play wide-open golf courses and maybe some more resort style, I get a little lazy, so the fact that I have to pay attention here on every shot makes me probably a little bit better. I mean, it's funny, you don't have too many flat lies other than your tee shot, so you're always like telling your caddie, hey, I'm starting it here, it's going to move to here. So there's a lot of that going on, but fortunately my caddie is a professional golfer, too, so it's nice having the reassurance on the bag. Yeah, you just keep going along, right?

Q. Your clubs came late; I think you said you played with some of Sandra Gal's clubs?
KATHERINE KIRK: I did, yeah. Her driver, 3-wood, 5-wood, they were backups, and then her putter. And then I got a rental set from the academy.

Q. Was that for practicing?
KATHERINE KIRK: On Monday in the pro-am, yeah.

Q. When did they arrive?
KATHERINE KIRK: They arrived late Monday night, yeah, so I flew Sunday. It's not the first time I've done that. Actually I played the Australian Masters, the first round of the actual tournament with a rental set, and I played better with them than I did with my own when they rocked up. Just goes to show it's all mental really.

Q. Did your mindset change you said on how long you might play? What are you thinking in terms of how long you might play?
KATHERINE KIRK: Yeah, I've probably bumped it out a few more years, and I actually started to think about the Olympics, too, but that's kind of a long way off. I guess it's not really, but -- we'll see. As long as I'm healthy and competitive and still enjoying it --

Q. Do you enjoy it?
KATHERINE KIRK: I love it, yeah, but unfortunately my husband travels on the weekends most of the time in the U.S.

If I had to be away from home as much as I have been this year and he couldn't come out, it would be pretty hard.

Q. Was he with you at Kingsbarns?
KATHERINE KIRK: He was, yeah. He tries to make a couple international trips, as well, during the year.

Q. What's he do?
KATHERINE KIRK: He's a financial advisor. This is actually his company. He's the largest partner of seven, and they started their own firm about a year ago. It's going well. A good market helps, too, right?

Q. So you don't have to worry about your money?
KATHERINE KIRK: Yeah, he's invested it for -- how long has it been now, 16 years, or whatever it's been, 14 years? Yeah, I found a good one in more ways than one.

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