SOLHEIM CUP

September 5, 2021

Danielle Kang

Austin Ernst

Inverness Club

Team USA

Quick Quotes

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Q. With Austin Ernst and Danielle Kang. When you guys got off to the start and you looked up on the leaderboard, if you did, you saw nothing but blue, how important was it for you guys to turn your match?

AUSTIN ERNST: It was huge. We needed to get a point for the team and get it turned early so they could see some red early. Looked up at the turn and it started to turn a little bit our way. The matches were at least kind of all square.

But we knew we needed to get a point. We knew they sent us off for a reason first, and we needed to go get one.

Q. I think that reason might have had something to do with you guys being as mentally tough as they get. It was eerily silent earlier. You needed the crowd behind you. I don't know if you thrive off them, Danielle, more than they thrive off you, but nonetheless, what do you say about the environment you got to perform in today?

DANIELLE KANG: To be honest, I think Austin thrives off of it as much as I do, and having her as my partner I'm getting to know her game more and more, so I was freed up today. I was missing it in places that you probably shouldn't miss, but I know she's got those 57-yard bunker shots all day.

It was exciting. I don't know, I just -- I'm really happy to put a point up there for both of us. We worked really hard for that point. They she had some great shots into the green and I'm really happy for how we played.

Q. After yesterday, how psyched were you two to get back out there first thing in morning?

AUSTIN ERNST: We were geared up and ready to go. I think we were -- we knew we needed a point, and we needed points early. Kind of how we got off to kind of a slow start, we kind of knew we needed to turn it around.

We both played really well today, and they played great. They really made us work for it at the end.

Q. Did you feel any less pressure on you today? There was a lot of pressure on that first tee yesterday. Did it feel looser today?

DANIELLE KANG: Less pressure, no. I felt more pressure.

AUSTIN ERNST: I felt more, too. Since we were down, we knew we needed a point today. We knew we needed to kind of get it going, try to get it as close as we could. You know, if we could win the whole session or get it as close for this afternoon.

Q. How important is that first point because you were itching to get the crowd involved and they've suddenly become very involved?

AUSTIN ERNST: Yeah, it was huge. We tried to get them jacked up on pretty much every green, so that way everybody else could kind of hear those cheers.

And then we started hearing more cheers from everybody else. Everybody was apparently playing some very good golf.

Q. Austin, overall that back nine there, what was going through your head as you guys were grinding it out?

AUSTIN ERNST: Yeah, I mean, they literally never gave an inch. If they looked like they were maybe going to slip up, then they made a long putt or they hit a chip close. I thought we both played great. Danielle putted great because I didn't putt since No. 12.

I mean, we hit some good shots. We just really had to work hard for it. Huge to just get a point.

Q. Danielle, where do you think the momentum really turned in you guys' favor?

DANIELLE KANG: Momentum probably turned after we lost yesterday. Austin and I were really fired up, and we know we played -- we didn't play as great as we could, and it was a tough match and we took them to 18, but we know that we can play better.

We're starting to get to know each other's game a bit more and get more comfortable, and I really like her attitude on the golf course, off the golf course. So we got the crowds going, and we had -- we were riding off their energy. Today we just didn't budge, and I had a partner to do that with, so it was really great.

Q. Austin, how excited are you to keep it rolling this afternoon?

AUSTIN ERNST: Yeah, we're both playing great, so really just ready to get out there and hopefully keep up the good golf.