THE G4D OPEN

May 16, 2025

Daphne van Houten

Mixed Zone

Q. Daphne, how did you play today? How was your form?

DAPHNE VAN HOUTEN: I didn't play very well. Just like yesterday. I didn't feel very confident hitting my shots. It's a very tight course, so not feeling confident on this course can get you in trouble. The putting is not the best. Chipping is not the best. Not very sharp.

Near the finish of my round, I felt myself getting confident as I'm playing more. The chipping was getting better and the putting was getting better. Sadly on 18, I just crashed with the energy and made a double which was not necessary and that makes your score a bit higher again.

It felt better than yesterday, only one shot better but it felt like a lot better already which has potential for tomorrow. I hope to have a good night's sleep.

Q. So you're very experienced in golf now. Do you feel that you can process all the information from today and come back tomorrow and actually use your experience to your benefit maybe?

DAPHNE VAN HOUTEN: I think so. I do know how it feels to be under pressure. Jenny and me are the same score now, as I heard. I'm not sure but I heard that. But we at least were quite close, and I know how it feels to be in the lead, be in the first group, and it can put you under some pressure because there's going to be people watching.

It's going to be a tight match. Also the ones behind us are not very far behind. In that part, I think experience helps. For me the only problem is going to be the third day playing a tournament round which for me is going to be a very tough day physically with my energy.

So I really need to go rest today and take as much energy as I can for tomorrow. Hopefully take the confidence over the last few holes on to tomorrow straightaway, and get some good scores on 1 and 2 would help because they are tough holes, and you struggle there, and then the confidence goes a little bit.

So I hope that that will help a bit, and I take the confidence from the last few holes today to tomorrow.

Q. What about the course conditions? Is it playing quite tough with the dry ground and everything? Is it quite challenging?

DAPHNE VAN HOUTEN: It is. Because of the dry ground for me, the fairways don't have a lot of grass. I prefer to have a bit more grass which for me is a bit of a struggle. Also hitting your drive it can bounce left of the fairway, right in the fairway when you're in the middle of the fairway.

And something that mostly the ladies have difficulties with is approaching the green. Most of the time, there's a bunker in front and we hit it quite low and with the bouncy fairways, we need to hit it very short and just hope it bounces right on to the green.

So it's a very different kind of game than just hitting it high and it lands on the green and spins. For us, I think it's a big struggle that it's now more bouncy but also gives you more distance which helps. So it has two sides.

Q. When you're playing well, you have a magic short game. Can you bring your magic short game tomorrow, do you think?

DAPHNE VAN HOUTEN: I saw a glimpse of that the last few holes. So I haven't been good at chipping or putting at all. Because I don't practise much, and then the short game is the first part that really gets worse.

I saw a glimpse of the short game that I'm used to; so the confidence that I have, I chip it like that, it comes back. So I think that's a good start for tomorrow that I feel like that again.

Q. And you must have played with Jennifer before as well. Do you respect her as a player and do you know her well?

DAPHNE VAN HOUTEN: I know her very well and I respect her for sure. She doesn't hit it as far as we do, but it is like an example how easy golf can be. She just hits it on the fairway, and then does another shot. Her short game is phenomenal. Her.

Chipping and putting, you know she's going to hole the putt and you know she's going to chip it close. I have a lot of respect because she needs to be so good in the short game, and I can see she put a lot of hours into getting her short game like that. And it's the main reason why she is shooting good scores. I have a lot of respect for her, and it's very fun playing with her.

Q. Do you expect to have a bit of fun tomorrow?

DAPHNE VAN HOUTEN: Yeah, I hope the sun is going to be out again. For me in the cold, it's not that much fun. But with the sun out, there was a little breeze today which is niece because it keeps you sharp because you need to pay attention.

And I'm going to play with Jenny again, I guess, and we see who is going to be the other one, probably Fiona or Amy. It's been amazing to play with Amy as well. Very kind person. She does a lot for women's golf. She cheers for you all the time. It would be very fun to play with Amy again. Fiona is nice, as well. I have a lot of love for Amy, so I'd like to play with her again, as well.