THE MODERATOR: Joined by Aphrodite, winner of the AJGA portion of the 2025 Mizuho Americas Open. Aphrodite, take us through the round today and what were your thoughts coming down 18?
APHRODITE DENG: Yeah, today was really scary at the end because I made three bogeys in a row, but I just tried to stay calm and it ended up working out.
Q. Outside of winning, what were some of the highlights of this week?
APHRODITE DENG: The highlights were I got to play alongside Nelly Korda for both days, and it was really fun.
Q. You were in a tight battle all week, tied for first after round 2 and then were in second after round 3 and really fought hard today to come back for this win. What was going through your mind during the final round?
APHRODITE DENG: During the final round, I was just trying to hit each shot and play my own game.
Q. You got to play alongside Nelly Korda the past two days, who is someone I'm sure you've looked up to and you actually won her event last year. What was that experience like?
APHRODITE DENG: It was really special being able to play alongside her and learn how she plays on the course and her game.
Q. Do you feel like watching her play kind of impacted your game, as well, throughout the week?
APHRODITE DENG: Yeah, she motivated me. When she made a putt, I tried to make it, too.
Q. Did it bring back any memories from winning her invitational last year?
APHRODITE DENG: Yeah, although she wasn't there last year when I won.
Q. As a New Jersey native, how special was it for you to perform at such a high level in your home state?
APHRODITE DENG: Yeah, it was really special with a lot of people coming out to watch, my friends and family.
Q. Was it fun to play in front of a crowd the last two days?
APHRODITE DENG: Yeah, it was actually really fun and I wasn't that nervous.
Q. Were there any familiar faces that you saw out here cheering you on this week?
APHRODITE DENG: Yeah, my family.
Q. Did you have any friends come out?
APHRODITE DENG: Yeah, a few.
Q. What does that support mean to you and how does that help you maybe play better and stay focused in your game?
APHRODITE DENG: Yeah, it means a lot that they were supporting me and cheering me on.
Q. You've now won four AJGA events; how do you feel your game has gotten better over the last year?
APHRODITE DENG: It's definitely improved a lot. My distance has gotten longer, and yeah.
Q. After trailing heading into the final round, what motivated you to make that push to go on and win this tournament?
APHRODITE DENG: Yeah, I really wanted to win. I was only one behind, so yeah.
Q. Overall there's a lot of fun aspects to this event. You had the welcome party with Michelle; we went into New York City. What does it mean to be a part of that outside of golf? How was that experience for you?
APHRODITE DENG: Yeah, it means a lot. It was really fun. This tournament is really special.
Q. Do you hope to come back next year and compete?
APHRODITE DENG: Yeah, I do hope to come back next year.
Q. This tournament kind of unlike any other in its format. Do you feel that you as a player have changed in any way having played alongside the people also going for the professional side?
APHRODITE DENG: Yeah, I think my game has been more matured after playing alongside the LPGA.
Q. You have the world No. 2 golfer in the world saying, so happy to be here because of the food and the sights, but you're from here. You said it's extra special, but do you have a sense of pride representing New Jersey golf playing and winning this tournament?
APHRODITE DENG: Yeah, definitely.
Q. What were some of the key moments for you out there today? Any key birdies or moments that really helped your round?
APHRODITE DENG: Yeah, on 18 my bunker shot on to the green, that secured my win.
Q. What were your thoughts on that bunker shot?
APHRODITE DENG: I was trying not to top it and hit the lip. I was just trying to get it close to the green so I could get up-and-down, but it ended up rolling pretty close.
Q. How does this win help you into the next few events? What do you take away from this win?
APHRODITE DENG: Yeah, I definitely learned a lot playing with the LPGA, and it gives me a lot of confidence going into my next events.
Q. Were there any nuggets or advice that any of the LPGA players told you, anything that particularly sticks out that maybe an LPGA golfer said to you this week?
APHRODITE DENG: Not really because I think we were all really locked in.
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