Quotes from Thursday morning's Round of 32 matches in the 69th U.S. Girls' Junior Championship at Boone Valley Golf Club:
Medalist Lucy Li, who lost, 2 and 1, to Yu-Sang Hou, on some of her difficulties: “I hit a really good wedge shot [on No. 9] and it hit the flagstick and flew about 20 feet away. And I missed a 3-footer on No. 11 for birdie, which was one of my bad efforts. I had 180 yards into the flag on the 17th hole and I was in casual water. I took a drop, but it was still pretty wet. I hit my 4-hybrid and I thought I hit it pretty well, but there must have been some grass behind it and I just chunked my shot and I had a lost ball.”
Li, on the positives from the Round of 32: “I made a 15-footer for par on 15. And then I drained a 20-footer for birdie on No. 16 to keep myself to only 1 down. I will remember those two clutch putts I made. Next time, if I’m under pressure, I’ll definitely look back to those two putts and find something positive in it.”
No. 33 seed Yu-Sang Hou, who defeated medalist Lucy Li, 2 and 1: “My caddie told me, hang in there, just do your job, you're good. I was 2 up until 16, and Lucy birdied that. On 17, she hit it into a bush on her second shot, and I hit it on the green, so I won the match. She's young, but she's really good and a lot of news about her. It's kind of a lot of pressure, and I was texting to my sister, hey, I'm nervous. She said, you've got this.”
No. 60 seed Annick Haczkiewicz, who defeated Smith Knaffle, 3 and 2: “I love match play and I’ve been playing my best the last two days. I have to go to the next 18 and play the same as I’ve been playing because it’s been working. I just need to keep my head in the game and not overthink about what’s happening.”
Haczkiewicz, on playing a fast-paced round: “I love to play fast. Usually when I’m waiting, I get a little iffy. So far, I’ve been really good with pace. I feel like it helps me with my game because you don’t have to go up to your shot and wait around and overthink things.”
No. 29 seed Celeste Dao, of Canada, who won in 19 holes over Izzy Pellot: “On the 19th hole, I put my 7-iron to 7 feet, and I put it in for birdie. I'm very confident from my putting. It really went well on the back nine, so I'm excited to start another match.”
No. 13 seed Brianna Navarrosa, who defeated close friend Brooke Seay, 2 and 1: “I've known her for like eight years, even more. I started off good, but then she came back on the back nine. It was a tough match, probably the toughest I've played so far. I've played with her in so many tournaments that it would even be an honor losing to her as a friend.”
No. 35 seed Erica Shepherd, who defeated No. 3 seed Nicole Whiston, 3 and 1: “I just hit the ball really solid. I didn't make as many putts as I'd like to. We were all square at the turn, and I just tried to keep my head on straight, and it worked out. My ball-striking was really good today. I was just hitting everything solid and nothing can go that bad when you're hitting it solid.”
No. 7 seed Alexa Pano, age 12, who defeated Hsin Yu Lu with a birdie on the first extra hole: “I played well basically the whole day, and she played well, so I knew something was going to come positively towards me. I felt my putting was a little shaky in the beginning, not bad in any way, but I feel like if I played the same way that I did in that match, I'll still pull through. I'd just like to see a few more putts go in, so it's not as tight of a match.”
No 27 seed Haylin Harris, who defeated No. 6 Mika Liu, a member of the 2016 USA Curtis Cup Team: “We kind of went back and forth. Mika was making so many great up-and-downs, and she probably has the best short game I've ever seen, so I knew it was definitely going to be a tough match. I just knew if I came in and just didn't get frustrated and just kept playing the way I was playing, I would have a chance.”
