CPKC WOMEN'S OPEN

August 23, 2025

Aphrodite Deng

Mississaugua Golf & Country Club

Quick Quotes

Q. You're right in the hunt of this tournament. How does it feel?

APHRODITE DENG: Yeah, it feels really great. Today played pretty tough because of the wind.

Q. What was working for you today? What was your best club in the bag?

APHRODITE DENG: Probably my putting, but just like trying to save every shot that I didn't hit good.

Q. Did it take you a long time to feel comfortable out there today or right from the first tee?

APHRODITE DENG: Probably just right from the first tee.

Q. What is it about this golf course that you're able to play so well?

APHRODITE DENG: The greens. The speed I get really nice and my pitching here is good, so any time I get in a bad spot I just have to get out in the fairway.

Q. Did you notice the crowd getting bigger and bigger throughout the day?

APHRODITE DENG: Yeah, there was quite a few people out there.

Q. Did that make you nervous or help you?

APHRODITE DENG: No, it is really nice to have so many people supporting me.

Q. At one point there was a leaderboard up there that had Brooke Henderson first and Aphrodite Deng second. I don't know if you had a chance to see that. What would it mean for you to be in the hunt alongside Brooke Henderson tomorrow, on Sunday?

APHRODITE DENG: That would be really cool and means a lot.

Q. Is Brooke Henderson your idol?

APHRODITE DENG: Yeah, one of them.

Q. What are you going to do tomorrow? Got a game plan or just come out and play look you did today?

APHRODITE DENG: Probably just hit more fairways and greens.

Q. Okay, here with Aphrodite Deng after the third round at the CPKC Women's Open. Just talk about how today went for you and what you saw went well in your game.

APHRODITE DENG: Today was pretty solid. Just like whenever I hit it out of position I tried to get it back into position. My putting was pretty good.

Q. Congrats on another great round. What's the past three days been like for you? Has it been exciting? Overwhelming?

APHRODITE DENG: Yeah, it's been incredible with all the people out here supporting me and it's been really fun.

Q. Curious, what is some of the best advice you've gotten over the course of this week, whether from your mom, coach, caddie, or maybe some of the other golfers?

APHRODITE DENG: Probably play my own game and play to my standards.

Q. Wondering, after yesterday's round did you change anything in your approach that made you successful today?

APHRODITE DENG: Yeah. I tried to hit more fairways because yesterday I missed a lot of fairways. So, yeah.

Q. After you have a round like you did yesterday, is it -- do you go right to the range and work on something sore take a break and figure out what you need to improve?

APHRODITE DENG: Yeah, I went right to the rank yesterday because I knew it was my driver that was putting me in bad spots.

Q. As you look forward to tomorrow, what are you going to do tonight? How will you prepare for the final round?

APHRODITE DENG: Probably putt and hit a few and just rest.

Q. I wonder how old you were when you first picked up a golf club; like how old were you. Do you remember?

APHRODITE DENG: Yeah, I was nine and a half.

Q. What did you love about golf? Why did you stick with it?

APHRODITE DENG: I just thought it was pretty cool. It's outdoors and nice.

Q. You were a figure skater first?

APHRODITE DENG: Yeah.

Q. Why was it golf drew you in from figure skating?

APHRODITE DENG: Well, COVID hit so I had to find a sport outdoors.

Q. Aphrodite, another excellent round out there at Mississaugua. What was the best part of your game today do you think?

APHRODITE DENG: Probably my putting and just trying to save up and down.

Q. I heard you worked on your driver a little bit yesterday into today. What was the thing you were trying to work on with the driver?

APHRODITE DENG: My driver plane was getting a little flat so I was trying to get a little higher.

Q. Hitting fairways, is that one of your strengths usually as you try to approach the green to make more birdies? Is that a strong part of your game?

APHRODITE DENG: Yeah, usually it's good, but this week it hasn't been as good.

Q. Still scoring well. What's been the key to making the birdies on the scorecard out there?

APHRODITE DENG: Probably just making putts. If I got into a bad spot I would just get it out on the fairway.

Q. Is there something about the greens that really agree with you and the speed of the greens out here?

APHRODITE DENG: Yeah, my distance control here is pretty good. Yeah.

Q. Are you having fun out here?

APHRODITE DENG: Yeah, I'm having a lot of the if you know.

Q. The summertime has been so great for you with a lot of really, really good results. What would it mean to have another awesome result here at Canada's national open?

APHRODITE DENG: Yeah, it would be so fun to add on to my summer.

Q. I understand you were a figure skater growing up.

APHRODITE DENG: Yeah.

Q. Anything about figure skating that you applied to your golf swing now?

APHRODITE DENG: Not really. I kind of stopped a long time ago and haven't really figure skated in a while.