COGNIZANT FOUNDERS CUP

May 12, 2023

Sarah Kemp

Upper Montclair Country Club

Quick Quotes

Q. All right, here with Sarah Kemp after her second round at the Cognizant Founders Cup. You got off to a really hot start. How amazing was that streak of three birdies right off the bat, and how did that push you through the rest of the round?

SARAH KEMP: Yeah, the three birdies was awesome. I just started hitting it good. I had a good warmup. Felt like it was going to be a pretty good day.

So, yeah, just hitting fairways and greens, and, yeah, just happened to go in really early on, so it was a nice trend to the day.

Q. You were just talking with Amy about International Crown last week, and you're one of three Australians at the top this week. What did you guys do or figure out last week that really has helped not just you, but the whole team succeed out here this week?

SARAH KEMP: We just had so much fun. We keep talking about it, you know, all the time when we see each other.

But we had just such a great team and that's -- I think we just laughed so much. Hannah said she had a sore belly from laughing so much. My cheeks hurt from laughing.

I think we were just in a good head and mind space last week and it's kind of bled over into this week I think.

Q. You mentioned playing last week with couple major champions, got some nuggets from them. What were some of the things you guys talked about golf-related last week that maybe helped you this week?

SARAH KEMP: Honestly, nothing golf related. When we were on the golf course, I played with Hannah a couple times and Minjee a couple times, and we didn't talk too much golf. We were just trying to talk about how we were going to beat our playing partners.

But, no, it wasn't a whole lot of golf talk. It was other stuff, Australia and you name it.

Q. Did you learn from them anyway? And if so, what did you learn from playing alongside Hannah and Minjee?

SARAH KEMP: You know, they make it kind of look so easy, especially with Minjee. I played with her the last two days in the foursomes, on Sunday last week, and she just makes it look so simple.

It just didn't look like she was -- I'm sure she's thinking about stuff, but it just doesn't look like there is a whole lot going on up there. It's just kind of see it, feel it, hit it. Where I think I can get in my own way sometimes and think too much.

I think if I learnt anything, just playing a little bit more carefree. I have to ask her how she does it, but it sure looks like she's not thinking too hard about shots. I think I can do that sometimes.

Q. What about this course do you think best suits your game and what part was the thing going for you the most today?

SARAH KEMP: It's playing quite firm, so I'm driving it longer than I usually would, which means that I have like quite a few wedges. I either hit like kind of hybrids or wedges, and I have a lot of hybrids in the bag, and I like them, or I had wedges.

I think I would say my wedge game is probably one of the best things about my game. So, yeah, the course just played firm so I got to hit it a little further.

Q. And how much did the wind this afternoon affect that club selection?

SARAH KEMP: Yeah, it was a little gusty out there. Like it kind of changed a few times, but I think we -- my caddie and I ended up figuring out which way it was going right before we were going to hit.

It was a challenge for a little while, yeah.

Q. Now going into the weekend tied for the lead, how are you going to try to clear your head, as you said, and kind of keep your carefree mentality going into moving day?

SARAH KEMP: Can you tell me? I mean, that's the question, right?

I'm sure I'll go to bed and think about it naturally, and I think I'll be pretty excited for tomorrow. Maybe try and calm my excitement down. Being co-leader going into Saturday at an LPGA event is pretty cool, right?

So if I can just play it down a little bit and just manage my excitement. Although that's a really good thing and I think there would be something wrong if I wasn't excited, but I think I can get a little bit too hyped.

So probably just trying to calm down a little bit and enjoy the experience.

Q. Can you talk about the ranges of your birdie putts? Was it everything was stiff or was to some long ones or...

SARAH KEMP: I made a few longer ones. I made a long one on -- I couldn't tell you the numbers. I'm sorry. Early on they were close. I didn't have -- 1 I had maybe six feet to maybe five feet; 3, three feet; but towards the back there were a couple longer ones.

I want to say I made -- the par-3, 15th I think I made like a 30, 35-footer there. But to begin with they were shorter.

Q. You're 37. You've been on the tour a while. Do you think about maybe this will be the week it happens?

SARAH KEMP: Yeah, I think about it every week. You know, is this going to be the week.

But it's such a small percent that you win, right? Everyone's win percentage is real small.

So I think if I can just keep doing what I'm doing right now, maybe I'll get close soon.

Q. Final question from me is: On 16 you came up short.

SARAH KEMP: Uh-huh.

Q. The chip was a little long and just missed the putt. I mean, was there anything that happened on -- that left you short of the green?

SARAH KEMP: Yes. I pushed my drive into the right rough so I had to play like a low punch and it came up short. I had an awkward stance to my chip, and, yeah, didn't end up getting it up and down.

But it's a pretty tough hole so I wasn't too upset by making a bogey. I hadn't had one all day, so one wasn't bothering me too much.