LOTTE CHAMPIONSHIP PRESENTED BY HOAKALEI

October 3, 2026

Carolina Melgarati

Hoakalei Country Club

Quick Quotes

Q. Okay, we are here with Carolina Melgrati after her third round at the 2026 LOTTE Championship. You had the birdie on 18 to put yourself a T3 finish. Talk us through that hole a little bit.

CAROLINA MELGRATI: Well, I mean, it's a lovely hole because it's as you -- well, most of the time downwind and reachable par-5, so you can give everything you have from the tee box and then just go from there basically.

So I was like, okay, let's just hit a bomb and then figure it out from there. Yeah, I had a 4-iron in so I was like, okay, let's try our best to get it on the green. Didn't work, but it's okay.

And then I -- I was kind of like shaking on that chip, but, I mean, managed to keep it on the green. And then I wanted to make that putt because I missed like three today on the edge, like just barely didn't make them. I was like oh, my God, please get this one.

So that was -- that felt pretty good there.

Q. You talk about the nerves. What is your mental just flush before that putt or chip in that case for to you feel good with that hole?

CAROLINA MELGRATI: I don't know. I just try to hit the ball really, because sometimes I'm like shaking and, I mean, that's when you chunk it, you know.

So I'm like, okay, just hit the ball and concentrating on that takes my head away from the nerves a little bit. So I guess that sometimes works.

Q. You've had 18 birdies through 54 holes now. Really impressive; T3 for that as well. Plenty of birdie opportunities. What's been the key to scoring low on this course?

CAROLINA MELGRATI: I think the long game is key, like the approach shots mainly. You kind of want to hit it close enough to give you the chance.

And I've been doing it pretty well, like better than usual more than anything. So I'm just like that takes a lot of pressure off the putting part of the game. So that's when like you go on the putt a little more calm and try to make it basically so it's good.

Q. Last question: Headed into the final round tomorrow obviously chasing the leaders. What's just your mentality in kind of like that chasing mode?

CAROLINA MELGRATI: I think I -- I mean, what I want to do is basically not change anything of what I have done so far, so I'm just going to try to literally like play golf and hit every shot the way -- like the best I can.

But I don't want to put any pressure on whatever like getting to the top or anything because that's when I lose it a little bit. So I'll try my best not to do that, but it's difficult because I'm pretty competitive in anything I do, so I'm like Cara, please don't do that.

Anyway...