BLACK DESERT CHAMPIONSHIP

May 2, 2025

Esther Henseleit

Black Desert Resort

Quick Quotes

Q. Okay, here with Esther Henseleit after her second round here at the Black Desert Championship presented by Greater Zion. Obviously not the finish you wanted, but still very square in contention heading into the weekend. Just take us through the day.

ESTHER HENSELEIT: Yeah, played really well. Started really good with some birdies on the front, or the back nine here, and then just one bad swing really on 18. Just hit my drive way off into the lava and didn't get lucky. Yeah, just a double there.

Played good again on the back nine. Yeah, I don't really know, the bogey I had, I thought I hit a good shot and had a really (indiscernible)bounce and then it was in kind of a tricky spot and made bogey there.

But managed three more birdies afterwards and really nice way to finish.

Q. How does this course bring out some of your strengths?

ESTHER HENSELEIT: I really like it. I'm based in Scottsdale now so the grass is really similar, climate is similar, so I do feel like it's kind of a home advantage on the greens for me here.

And, yeah it's great weather. It's been perfect conditions. Just an amazing place, so it's great to be here.

Q. Is it nice to get the double out of the way knowing you're going into a fresh round tomorrow?

ESTHER HENSELEIT: I mean, I would rather not have a double today, but at some point it's probably going to happen on this golf course. You just have to remind yourself it's only one bad swing. Other than that it was super solid today and super solid off the tee.

Yeah, you just have to remind yourself it's not the end of the world. It's probably going to happen to everyone.

Q. 14 birdies on the week so far. How are you able to put yourself in those birdie opportunities?

ESTHER HENSELEIT: Yeah, just hitting my irons really good. A lot of opportunities from makable range. It's been really solid with the putter so far. So, yeah, just trying to keep doing that.

Q. Then you're only 53 putts, too. Is it just the approach is working really well or are you just holing a lot of putts?

ESTHER HENSELEIT: I do have a lot of the short putts, and today I managed to hit three of the par-5s at least close to the green, so it's kind of a must-make birdie there as well where you kind of chip it close and hopefully make the putt.

So there is definitely chances out there, a lot of wedges into the greens. So, yeah, just good iron play and some really solid putting.

Q. I was just going to ask, Mel was out there watching you a lot today. What was it like seeing her out there? You guys had some memories from Solheim Cup.

ESTHER HENSELEIT: Yeah, she's great. She was so much fun at the Solheim as a vice captain, and she has been kind of my idol growing up kind of. I was at a golf tournament in Germany watching her once and she gave me a ball. That was where I really wanted to turn professional after that, so she's been an idol.

It's pretty cool to have her out commentating on me.

Q. Does she know that?

ESTHER HENSELEIT: I did tell her at Solheim. I was a bit shy about it, but, yeah, she knows.