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U.S. WOMEN'S MID-AMATEUR CHAMPIONSHIP

November 13, 2017

Katie Miller

Houston, Texas

Q. You just mentioned you had to have a different kind of mindset out there playing today.
KATIE MILLER: Yeah, you know, again, back to the consistency thing. Coming through stroke play, and I definitely think the first round of match play, pars are really good no matter what.

Today, with the hole locations, not only were they, I mean, four and five paces from the edges of the green, they were also on very severe slopes as well. I was pretty happy with how I hit it I thought through the front nine and a few holes on the back nine.

I'm like, played it where I wanted to play it the next hole and on the next hole, and then I'm like. Well, three-putted that one, three-putted that one. So I felt like I was on defense, and in a match play situation I usually like a little bit more of an aggressive go-mode feeling.

It was just with the hole locations, those two things kind of didn't really match up for me that well today. Still happy with staying level headed through the end of the match and finishing.

Q. And you did win the second hole with a birdie.
KATIE MILLER: I did.

Q. How did you do that?
KATIE MILLER: Yeah, I hit a great drive just down the right side. I think I told you this the other day, the tree limb jut kind of hangs over. I sort of like that. It helps me visualize, so I'm going to hit it right over the corner. I just had a 56-degree wedge, so I hit it over the corner. I did take an aggressive line at that hole just because it was a wedge in my hand at that point.

I had a nice little left-to-right break, a little downhill. Kind of reminded me of a Western Pennsylvania-esque putt. It just looked good and rolled it in.

Q. How far was that one?
KATIE MILLER: 10, 15 feet maybe.

Q. Yeah. And then you won a bunch of holes with pars.
KATIE MILLER: Yeah.

Q. 3, 5, and 7.
KATIE MILLER: It's kind of the hole location thing. They were difficult, so I think you had to find -- and if they're like this the rest of the week, it's like middle of the green and make a par.

If you're going for the hole at all and happen to miss the green, I don't know that up and down is really there. I mean, it really isn't. I think having a little bit of a longer putt and just making pars are a good thing when it's like that.

I think you have to take your aggressive moments when they present themselves, and be disciplined enough to not otherwise.

Q. Winning in that sequence, those par, any of those pars, Man that was a good par I made?
KATIE MILLER: They were pretty standard honestly. Couple of them I putted up and she gave me the putt, and couple of them just tapped in. So they weren't nothing necessarily scrambly, I guess, in that sense.

Q. And then you went on to birdie 8.
KATIE MILLER: Yeah, that was another really difficult hole location. The wind helped me a little there. It was a little left-to-right, and I kind of hit a little draw or straight ball, especially with those shorter irons.

Just figured, take it a little left of the hole, and hopefully as it's falling it will fall a little right. I probably got to about 15 feet and just had a good line. Just kind of one of those you look at and it looks good.

Q. And then you birdied the par-5, 11.
KATIE MILLER: Yep. See, that one, I got to be disciplined on that one. It takes all I have not to go for it. When you shoot that second number you're like, it is right there, but that bunker isn't exactly an easy up and down, especially if you're further away from the green.

Then the left side of that falls off so hard. I literally had 70 yards, and at that point I was able to hit it at that flag. I was on the left side of the fairway, so I just positioned myself well and hit it up there.

So that was just a good plan on that hole.

Q. What club did you use?
KATIE MILLER: A 60-degree wedge, yeah, because I knew it was just going to kind of drop.

Q. So that was an example of good strategic...
KATIE MILLER: That was. That definitely was. I mean, it's funny, as I go, 12, (wind interference) par-3. That hole was five yards, so I think five paces from the left side all the way back. I mean, there wasn't much behind it either.

I looked to the right of the pin. I hit a great 5-iron back there and three-putted it. I mean, it looked super slick and it was just kind of another crazy spot.

But I really can't be unhappy. Like I committed to what I wanted to do, so I really can't be mad at myself. It was just trying to stay patient sort of through a little bit of that truly.

Q. It's tough to compare years, but how would you relate where you are in this journey as opposed to last year at this same time?
KATIE MILLER: So it's funny, last year in stroke play I thought I struck the ball really well and I putted poorly. Actually, the first day here I was pretty solid. I was solid striking the ball, solid putting.

Yesterday I got off to a little bit of a shaky start, but really was able to be patient and get that back around for medalist.

You know, today I just think -- I just wanted to control the mental side of it at this point, because I don't think it's anything -- I truly am comfortable where I am. Like any time I step on the range I'm comfortable with the way I'm hitting it. I felt that way at Kahkwa, too.

For me, match play, it's just a marathon. It's a marathon no matter who you play, what seed they are, in my mind. I always try to stay just very like you can't take anything for granted in match play, and just truly stay in that moment.

I can't be studying the bracket, who is where, what's going to happen. I just really need to focus on what's going on right now truly.

FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports

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