First Round
Rich Harvest Farms, Sugar Grove, Illinois
Friday, May 19
POST ROUND QUOTES
 
PLAYERS
August Kim, Purdue – Tied for first after the first round
 
Thoughts on shooting even in the first round…
"I just did my best to stay present. I knew the conditions were going to be tough all day and I knew everyone would be dealing with the same thing. I tried to just take it shot by shot because there are some tough holes out there. I tried to grab birdies when I could, saved pars when I could and even some of the bogies were good bogies. It was just a grind."
 
Thoughts on today's conditions…
"Last week we were practicing and it was pretty much the same thing with a little less rain. Freezing cold, windy and I honestly think it was great training for today. It was meant to be."
 
 
Elodie Van Dievoet, Michigan – Tied for first after the first round
 
Thoughts on playing in the NCAA Championship with her team…
"With a team, we're so happy (we're here for a) second year, so we're more used to the setting and how things go. We're (angrier) this year and we really want to do well."
 
Thoughts on finishing the back nine under par…
"I hit every green on the back nine which helped a lot… I made some really good putts that didn't go in, but pars today are really good so I was pretty happy."
 

Karoline Stormo, Kent State – Tied for third after the first round
 
Thoughts on today's conditions…
"It was tough in the beginning. It was raining and it was cold but we were prepared for the tough conditions and playing the course in these conditions. We prepared well for the tournament."
 
Thoughts on what gave her confidence on the course…
"The tee shots were probably the biggest thing for me today. I hit a lot of fairways. The rough is very thick so if you're not in the fairway, you'll have a hard time hitting on the green."
 
 
Jennifer Kupcho, Wake Forest – Tied for fifth after the first round
 
Thoughts on her opening round…
"I thought I played pretty well. I obviously blew up on the last two holes and that was kind of sad. I am ready to come out tomorrow and get it back. I think I just need to play to what the course is giving me. Everyone is turning in high scores so it's not a big deal. I need to pay attention to the wind and everything around me."
 
 
Janet Mao, Northwestern – Tied for third after the first round
 
Thoughts on starting the tournament strong…
"I think coming into the round we had a lot of really good energy… We have a lot of support out here between some of the coaches, parents, and the boy's team, and the rest of our team came out so we just had a lot of really good energy and I think that really helped us out."
 
Thoughts on maintaining momentum as a team…
"We're really comfortable playing in conditions like this… If we can just keep doing what we're doing, it will go well."
 
COACHES
Emily Fletcher, Northwestern Head Coach – Team is in first place after the first round
 
Thoughts on what it means to be in first place and the preparations…
"It felt like a day of survival out there. It was a long day. It's close to 8:30 right now and [we] teed off at 2:20… It really was just a battle out there. Our kids did such a good job today of just putting their head down, playing each hole as a team. We really tried to make sure they were prepared clothing wise, extra socks, keeping their feet dry… just the little things that we can try and do for them. I'm so proud of their efforts today, they just really kept the golf course in front of them and didn't compound any mistakes and got over things when they did make mistakes."
 
Thoughts on the rain and its effect on the team…
"The first nine, ten holes were hard… we played in the rain too and it was cold, it was gusty. It was just hard all day long. I know it was raining this morning and they had a few brief spells where they didn't have rain, but it was equally hard all day long. I think the weather won today, I think we survived, and I'm just really pleased with our effort."
 
 
Greg Robinson, Kent State Head Coach – Team is in second place after the first round
 
Thoughts on what worked for the team today…
"Today was just one of those days where you have to grind it out. It was tough, pars were good scores and we talked about that before the round; it was going to come down to guts and some mental toughness and I think ultimately that's what they did well today. There's a lot of golf left and we got to keep it going."
 
Thoughts on sticking to the game plan moving forward…
"That is the key. The preparation we did in the practice round, then obviously what they learned today about the course, we have to continue learning. They have to take care of themselves, take care of their games and see where we end up in another couple days."
 
 
Anne Walker, Stanford Head Coach – Team is tied for third after the first round
 
Thoughts on the team's opening round performance…
"It was really tough. Teeing off the back nine, the wind and the rain were really challenging. We did OK and then we really hung in there for the back nine. I think if we can come out of here in the top-five, that would be huge for us. We can't ask for much more than that. It's day one and there is a lot of golf left. We just have to take it one day at a time."
 
Takeaways from Stanford's opening round…
"We played pretty decent and we put up some big numbers. In our counting scores, we had three doubles and a triple. That's a major takeaway. There are definitely a couple doubles to be had out there, but triples? No. We just need to clean up some of that moving forward and we have to remind these guys that a bogie on a lot of these holes is a good score."