U.S. WOMEN'S AMATEUR FOUR-BALL

May 13, 2025

Natalie Yen

Asia Young

Oklahoma City Golf & Country Club

Quick Quotes

Q. Yeah, seems look you guys are firing on all cylinders. Can you talk about your matches?

ASIA YOUNG: Yeah, I think a big component was staying loose in between because it's a long day. You got to be really patient out there. We played rock, paper, scissors like a million times, so that was fun.

NATALIE YEN: Yeah, there was a very interesting debate on more doors or wheels in the world. That was going on all day.

Q. Doors and wheels, which one there is more in the world?

NATALIE YEN: Yeah, it's still ongoing.

ASIA YOUNG: I think it has to be doors.

NATALIE YEN: I think we're both thinking it's doors.

Q. That's something I wanted to ask you guys, between holes do you guys have -- is that how you take your mind off things a little bit?

NATALIE YEN: Yeah, we just talk about things that are just completely not golf related. With it being a long day, you start at 7:30 and right now it's 5:45; it's a long day.

ASIA YOUNG: Yeah, it's hard to do golf all day.

NATALIE YEN: If you can tone the golf down to the minute that you're on the ball, that makes it a lot easier.

Q. Any other games besides rock, paper, scissors?

ASIA YOUNG: That was pretty much it.

NATALIE YEN: Yeah, that was it.

Q. So, yeah, during your matches you guys had pretty significant leads most of the time. Did you feel like you were in control the whole day?

NATALIE YEN: Yes and no. You never want to say, oh, I've got the match, because it always can --

ASIA YOUNG: The lead is never big enough.

NATALIE YEN: The lead is never big enough.

ASIA YOUNG: Especially when the people you're playing against are really good. You never know who can make a putt here and who can make a really good shot there.

NATALIE YEN: Yeah, so we got out early. We got up in our match, and it was --in our first match, and it was good. We kind of ended early and we had enough time it kind of decompress and get the result of that match out of our head and we were fresh for the afternoon.

I think that really helped us, because it was a grind out there. The wind was pretty brutal.

Q. Yeah, the wind definitely feels like it's the strongest that it's been. Was that your experience?

NATALIE YEN: Yeah, and it's the opposite direction, so that makes 5 a reachable par-5, but that makes 1 a little bit different hitting into that green. It makes 7 a lot longer; 8 a lot longer.

So, yeah.

Q. And speaking of -- did you say 15 or 13 that you get the wind behind you?

ASIA YOUNG: No, that was 15, no. 13 is --

NATALIE YEN: 5. 5. Talking about the front.

Q. Okay, on the back in your quarterfinal match, is it 13 that is a par-5?

NATALIE YEN: Is that the one we just played.

Q. The boomerang.

ASIA YOUNG: Yeah.

NATALIE YEN: Is quarters what we just played? Okay, yeah, round of 8.

Yeah.

Q. So you guys, which one of you eagled, made the eagle?

NATALIE YEN: She did.

Q. Walk me through the hole.

ASIA YOUNG: Yeah, I hit a really good drive. Me and Natalie, we figured you out like a strategy that kind of -- because I felt good about going for it in two, so she made sure we were on the green and we have a definite par or birdie look.

Then I was able to hit a really good wood in because I knew my partner was in close, and then converted a putt.

NATALIE YEN: Yeah.

Q. What was the length of the putt?

ASIA YOUNG: I think it was like 15 feet maybe.

Q. Okay.

NATALIE YEN: Yeah.

Q. And you went for birdie on the hole?

NATALIE YEN: No. I missed my putt just barely low.

Q. Gotchu. You guys also made birdies on 5 and 7 in the quarterfinal.

NATALIE YEN: Yeah.

Q. Can you walk me through those holes?

NATALIE YEN: Yeah, so 5, it's reachable today in the wind, and they moved us up, and in our quarterfinal we both went for the green actually.

ASIA YOUNG: Yeah, everyone went long.

NATALIE YEN: Kate was also over the green in two, Meg was over in three, and we were all there, and Asia just made the putt. I didn't -- I was closest after we all hit our chips and I didn't have a chance to putt because she made it.

ASIA YOUNG: I think we ended up birdieing that hole.

NATALIE YEN: Yeah.

Q. Was it a longer putt or were you in close?

ASIA YOUNG: The pin is really close to the edge so I was right after the fringe, but it was a closer putt.

Q. Okay. And then on 7? Was there anything?

NATALIE YEN: Kind of the same shot.

ASIA YOUNG: Kind of the same as 13. I know my partner is in a good spot and I can count on her. I think that opens it up to go for the pins a lot.

Q. I want to take you back it 13 when you made the eagle.

ASIA YOUNG: Yeah.

Q. What was going through your head at that point? Did you feel like it was maybe a little bit of a turning point?

ASIA YOUNG: Yeah, totally. I felt like honestly on 8 and 9 I felt like we both left a bit out there. We could have got a little further ahead.

Then they won 12. I was just trying to stay calm, do my routine. I know if I do it good then it'll be all right.

NATALIE YEN: Yeah, match play, one hole is not the end of the world. It's not like stroke play if you have a double or triple it's going to hang on for the rest of the day. It's one hole. You're done.

I think we both stepped up on the tee after they hit and were like, okay, fresh hole. Let's go get a birdie, let's go get an eagle.

Q. So you guys feel comfortable with the format itself, the mentality and approach?

NATALIE YEN: Yeah.

ASIA YOUNG: I think we've played so much together that it's just like --

NATALIE YEN: Yeah.

ASIA YOUNG: -- the more reps we can put in the more it becomes just like we know what the plan is.

NATALIE YEN: I think we both have played match play a lot individually, so we know the strategy and we both can -- we both understand how to play it.

So there is not too much, what do you want to do? It's more like, I trust you. Let's go play.

Q. Yeah. And going back to the round of 16 match from this morning. I don't know if you guys know, but best ball, between the two of you, you had no 5s on the scorecard. Three birdies in a row. What do you guys remember from that round?

ASIA YOUNG: What stretch was that? Do you remember?

Q. I don't remember the holes. I want to say it was on the back.

ASIA YOUNG: On the back. We birdied 12.

NATALIE YEN: We birdied 12, 13, 14. And 14 it's by default. We --

ASIA YOUNG: Oh, yeah, yeah.

NATALIE YEN: We were dormie. It was really only two birdies because we were dormie on 14, and by them missing their putt and Asia had a putt for birdie, but I was already in for par.

So really only two birdies. Asia birdied 12. She plays this hole really well.

ASIA YOUNG: And then I think same with 12 and 13. Four-Ball a such a cool format because I know Natalie is really good. When she's in the fairway I can trust her, so then I feel totally ready to go for the greens.

NATALIE YEN: Yeah. We have different playing styles but they complement each other really well.

Q. I saw on 12 during the quarterfinals you had a shot out of the bunker that hit the flag.

ASIA YOUNG: Yeah, it was the rough.

Q. Oh, that was the rough? Okay. I thought it was the bunker over there.

ASIA YOUNG: Yeah.

Q. Did you guys have any other shots that were kind of a little crazy like that?

ASIA YOUNG: Oh, yes, on hole 10 in the round of 16 we both hit good shots; went long.

And I had kind of a crazy chip and it ended up going in, which is nice. It was kind of lucky.

Q. Oh, you chipped in? Very nice.

ASIA YOUNG: You'll take it.

Q. So obviously tomorrow semifinals; if you win, championship match. What are your thoughts going into the last day of a USGA championship?

NATALIE YEN: Just more golf. There is nothing else to it. You wake up -- we're going to go home and have a good dinner and go to sleep. It's just more golf. There is no change from either of us I think where we're like oh, it's a semifinal.

No, just another round of golf. Just the next opponent. Just the next shot.

ASIA YOUNG: I think our motto is always knowing we're a team, like we're in this together.

NATALIE YEN: Yeah.

Q. Anymore violin tonight?

ASIA YOUNG: Go to bed, please.

NATALIE YEN: If I have time.

Q. What did you play? Classical music or...

NATALIE YEN: Classical music, yeah.

Q. Any preferred composers?

NATALIE YEN: Not really. It's all over the place.

Q. And last question: Was your mom on the bag today?

NATALIE YEN: My dad was on the bag this morning and my mom this afternoon. They decided to tag team it. This morning they were like -- my mom was like, you're going to good deep so I want to tag team it so we don't wear ourselves out.

Q. How was the experience? Pretty different or kind of the same?

NATALIE YEN: They're different but I like them both, so yeah, they both work well. My dad's caddied for me a lot more, but my mom is a good player as well.

She has watched me play a lot of golf, and she's very involved with my practice as well. So she's aware of how I play. Which is good.

Q. You mentioned math homework yesterday. More today or...

ASIA YOUNG: Yeah, well, you know, I think while I'm here I might as well use it as an excuse to just go to bed.