BUICK LPGA SHANGHAI

October 13, 2023

Maja Stark

Qizhong Garden Golf Club

Press Conference

THE MODERATOR: 2023 Buick LPGA Shanghai, welcome. So, Maja, pretty solid round today out there. Golf course got a bit tougher today. 66 yesterday, bogey-free, six birdies. Many players reflected the golf course kind of play longer today than yesterday. The greens are softer, and if you hit a second shot, I think including you, second shot into the green, shorter to the green. What do you think of your play today?

MAJA STARK: I think I played a little bit better than yesterday actually because I hit better shots. Obviously didn't make as many putts as I did yesterday, but overall my game felt better. Obviously it was a little bit longer out there, as you said.

But, yeah, hit some better drives and more straight this time.

Q. After the bogey on 7 with two back-to-back birdies, how much did that help continue the momentum of that round for you?

MAJA STARK: I don't know, feel like I have an easier time letting go now than I used to. I didn't really think about that bogey. I just told my caddie on the fairway at 8, I said it's a birdie now, and then I had the 30-footer for birdie and didn't look like it was it was actually going to be a birdie but then, yeah, made that, which was very nice.

Always get a little more confidence hitting those and making. So, yeah, just felt good on the green.

Q. And then two more birdies on the back nine. Walk us through those holes, what suited well for you.

MAJA STARK: I barely remember. Well, I was close to making birdie on both 11 and 12, and then having 13 as a pretty short par-5, really felt like I could take advantage of that. Felt like I had a lot of about chances on the back nine. Feel like I hit good putts but just misread, wrong pace.

So, yeah, felt a little bit like I left some shots out there, especially on the back nine.

Q. Compare to your putting game to yesterday? What made the difference today? The green speed? The weather?

MAJA STARK: Definitely when it got a little bit wetter it got a little bit slower I think. Also I think yesterday I just -- I mean putting is a little bit about luck as well and I think I had that luck yesterday and today they just didn't really go in.

So I think I hit good putts. I don't think there is much more to work on, like from today, so I think I'm just going to hope for better luck tomorrow that I read the greens a little bit better, have a little bit better pace, but...

Q. Now you're going to group with the Chinese player Lu Liu tomorrow. This is her home course. Lots of Chinese fans will come to support her. What do you think?

MAJA STARK: I'm excited. We didn't have that many people out here. I think they got deterred from the bad weather. I'm really excited to play with her. On her home soil I think she's going to be ready to play really well. Her home course, I didn't actually know that, but I feel like I could maybe get some tips because it's pretty tricky out there. Maybe I'll steal some of her strategies.

Q. Have you ever played with Yu before?

MAJA STARK: Yes, I played against her at the Match Play in Las Vegas earlier this year.

Q. Who is?

MAJA STARK: I did.

Q. Many fans watched the game via live broadcasting, including Solheim Cup and Ryder Cup. As we all know, top players, most are not from Europe. Who will be the next top player from Europe?

MAJA STARK: I don't know, I feel like we have a couple good ones. I mean, Linn Grant would probably also be one. I would say she's the next.

Q. Who?

MAJA STARK: Linn Grant. I feel like -- well, she's better ranked than me. We're the same age. I think people would say she's the next top player for Europe but I'm trying to catch her.

Q. In the women's golf world there are two Chinese players in the top 10 rankings. What do you think of Chinese players or how impress you?

MAJA STARK: It's really impressive. Ruoning Yin just became the first Chinese player, right, to be world No. 1, so that's a really good sign for Chinese golf, especially since she's so young. I think she's going to be around for a really long time.

And you see Xiyu Lin as well. She won last week and I think it's just going to keep going because they are good friends and always trying to catch each other. I think their other friends are also probably going to try to win against them sometimes, but it's really impressive how steady they are as well. Especially Xiyu. She's always up there it feels like.

Q. Maja, the first time in Solheim Cup, and I remember you played ten matches and very important point for the European Team, a lot of fan, and our question the victory, 14 to 14 for the Europe team to retain the trophy, which score do you like? A big score or like 14 to 14?

MAJA STARK: Well, obviously we would've liked to be a little bit more dominant, but then we had some bets going on and that some people would have to do some things if we got to 18 points, and I was one of the people that had to sacrifice something if we got to that, so I'm pretty happy we didn't get all the way up to 18 points for my personal sake.

Some people tried to say that we didn't actually win the trophy, which is true. We played just as well as the Americans. But the point is to get the trophy and we did it, so in my head we won, even though we played -- we tied. I call it a three-peat.