AIG WOMEN'S OPEN

July 31, 2025

Auston Kim

Mixed Zone

Q. Lots of birdies on the front.

AUSTON KIM: Yeah, it was fun.

Q. What was the reason for the success there?

AUSTON KIM: Hit the fairway, hit the green, made birdie.

Q. That's pretty simple. Did you hit it close?

AUSTON KIM: Somewhat, yeah. Yeah, I can't even remember the round. It's been a long day.

Q. I believe it. I believe it.

AUSTON KIM: Yeah.

Q. But then the back nine, birdie on 13 and then bogey on 16.

AUSTON KIM: Yeah.

Q. Pretty solid though.

AUSTON KIM: Yeah, it was a good day.

Q. Were you hitting irons off the tee a lot with the wind changes?

AUSTON KIM: There were definitely a couple.

Q. Tees were up?

AUSTON KIM: There were definitely a couple holes where I hit irons off the tee. The wind was just getting really strong.

Felt like it started off really strong, kind of died down as we moved away from the ocean, and then, yeah, got strong again for the last six-ish holes.

Q. We talk a lot about the wind and your approach shots and tee shots, but you still got to make putts. How are you adjusting to the greens here? Are you feeling pretty good about that?

AUSTON KIM: Yeah, thankfully I played last week. I played the Scottish. I shot a million, but I feel like I got all the bad shots out of the way and it was really helpful getting the green speed down.

And then beginning of the week I was making sure to calibrate as much as I can and get the speeds down. I mean, here it just feels like you're smashing a putt and praying it gets close or and gets in just because of how slow it is.

Q. Any correlation to KPMG? You had a good finish there. The golf course a little bit like this at all in terms of the way it rolls?

AUSTON KIM: I think the level of the challenge and what's demanded of your game, it's, again, very high. I mean, we're playing links golf this week. The ball definitely rolls out a lot like it did at Frisco, but I just feel like it's on another level. It's hard for different reasons. Wind is different. The way the ball is reacting on grass is different.

It's just a completely different style and approach this week. It was definitely helpful getting the mental practice and experience, just playing gritty.

But overall, like they're two different challenges. I'm glad to have played both.

Q. 2-under for the first day. Got to be satisfying as well.

AUSTON KIM: Yeah, a little upset about the bogey on 16, but I made a lot of great birdies today. I also made a couple really good par saves. Like I can't remember which hole, but there was one where I cleared a green by like 30 yards and hit it to about 15 feet and I made -- I saved par.

So I had a couple really good clutch par saves today and felt like that really kept me in it.