U.S. WOMEN'S AMATEUR CHAMPIONSHIP

August 9, 2022

Aliea Clark

Chambers Bay

Quick Quotes

Q. Walk me through the eagle on No. 4.

ALIEA CLARK: The eagle on No. 4, so yesterday on No. 4 -- I know this is not what you asked me. Yesterday on No. 4 I hit a fat slice into the native area, had to punch back on the grass. So today when I hit a good drive and I was on grass after my first shot, I was thrilled.

Then I kind of hit a 3-wood pretty thin up the left side of the fairway, but it worked out. I avoided the bunker. It was a super tight lie. There's some very tight lies out here, just dry, fescue grass. I had a 52-degree, and I was like, okay, I know I can miss this long left, so we'll aim a little left, if we pull it, it's fine. Hit it super thin. As soon as I hit it I was like, oh, God. The thing runs all the way up the hill and it comes back and it looks pretty good, and I was like, no, and then it went in the hole. Everyone was clapping and I was just mortified, like I just shanked a 52-degree into the hole. But whatever. I just took the ball and I sat there and I was like, thank you, I'm out.

Q. What was your reaction of the ball in the air?

ALIEA CLARK: As soon as I hit the ball, I replaced an expletive I won't share with you, but I knew I missed it in the right place so I knew it would be fine, and the pin was in the back, so I figured even if it was bad I would still have 20 feet or less for birdie, which was always the goal today, to just get on the right part of the green. So I wasn't that mad. But seeing it go in the hole was honestly a little embarrassing. I didn't deserve it, but I'll take it and get out.

Q. Did you get a round of applause from the crowd?

ALIEA CLARK: Yes, I did. The Pepperdine coach was following up and she was clapping. I was like so embarrassed.

Q. Did you have a score in mind today that you --

ALIEA CLARK: The whole day I was just trying to get whatever approach shot 20 feet or less. For me that was going to make the cut. If I just didn't have those really long putts for birdie. I was just trying to put myself in position to make par and miss shots where I knew it was okay.

I met Robert Trent Jones' business partner out here, and his advice was always miss high, so I would look, where can I miss my iron shot to give myself an okay look at par, and it worked out pretty well. I only made two bad choices today and ended up with tap-in bogeys, so you can't be mad about that.

Q. Moving on to match play.

ALIEA CLARK: Can't wait, love match play.

Q. The only mid-am; how does that feel?

ALIEA CLARK: Bittersweet. I always love seeing Mid-Ams be successful, but I hope that -- I know my run at the mid-am in the fall inspired a lot of my friends who are mid-ams to pick up golf clubs again, so maybe they'll be a little more inspired to get the strongest field of mid-ams ever seen, get those girls out of retirement.