Q. Megan Khang is with us now at the 2026 KPMG Women's PGA Championship. Megan, a really solid start for you today. How would you summarize your opening round?
MEGAN KHANG: It was great. Honestly, never know what to expect coming into a major. I think nerves are running pretty high, so happy to stay steady out there. Bogey-free is a great accomplishment whether it's a major or not.
Had a nervy par putt at the last, but was really happy to make it.
Q. I mean, going bogey-free at a major championship, like you said, is a feat in and of itself. How you did you manage that around what's kind of a tricky Hazeltine today?
MEGAN KHANG: I guess I kind of I guess, quote-unquote, played smart. I tend to be a little bit more of an aggressive player. I think I've missed it to the right places when I did happen to be out of position, and so I think that's a nod to my caddie kind of telling me we don't need to be the hero here.
And so, again, just trying to play smart. Majors are tough. It's going to be hard. It's going to be a long week. Can't win it in the first day, but you can surely lose it.
So just really trying to stay positive, play smart, and not get ahead of myself.
Q. I know it's been a frustrating few weeks for you.
MEGAN KHANG: Thanks.
Q. How have you managed to -- like what does this do for your confidence heading into the next 54 holes? It's got to feel good.
MEGAN KHANG: Yeah, now, 100%. It's been a frustrating last couple weeks or I guess few weeks from U.S. Open, and it always sucks missing the cut, but missing the cut by one is I guess a real dagger to the heart because you never know which one it was.
Taking what I learned from those I guess missed putts and learning from what did well and what I didn't. Sometimes it's just I guess bad course management from me trying to hit a good shot when I didn't really need to.
And, so just, again, just taking those lessons learn and really focusing on the positives and kind of putting the icing on the cake with fine tuning my golf.
Q. Did you call back at all to 2019 when you were prepping for here? If you did, what did you do? If you didn't, what did you see today that was different?
MEGAN KHANG: I've got the worst memory, except when it comes to like hitting bad shots. I think every golfer almost has this same memory.
No, honestly the only shot I remember is watching I think Hannah chip in on TV and like Nate with a towel on his head. That's the only image I remember from Hazeltine 2019.
Played a practice round on Monday and I was like, oh, that's where Hannah chipped in. Other than that I couldn't remember anything.
It's a pure golf course. Conditions are amazing. I'm excited to see what the rest of the week holds.
Q. After all these years, a lot of majors, do you still prepare for them the same way? Have you learned, you know, how to be better at them? Learned what works for you more than it did when you were -- hate to say younger because you're young -- what have you learned after all these years?
MEGAN KHANG: I definitely learned to practice smarter and not just long hours. If I'm going to be at the golf course I try to do it kind of in a timely manner. Try to be what's it called, specific with my time. I like to focus and really kind of be here and then leave. I don't want to dillydally around. I don't want to waste my time and caddie's time. I come to get my work done a little more. Do a little more focus in practice.
I think for anyone who knows me I'm a yapper, and so I try not to yap as much. But, no, I think it's just emphasizing bad shots will happen. It's kind of how you recover. For me, like majors, again, are going to be tough, and so how you handle those missed shots in those situations is what you need to focus on rather than doing I guess a poor-me kind of mindset.
So being a little more positive and giving myself a little more grace out here.
Q. Curious too, after a couple practice days did you think the scores might be there good? Are you a little surprised? Is that owed to softer greens, whatever it might be?
MEGAN KHANG: I didn't see a 9-under, but I did when I made the turn. So, you know, obviously with the rain we got on Tuesday it softened the greens up. I'm expecting the PGA to make this course a little tougher, greens a little more firm, and probably not water them as much.
Overall the greens are still rolling pretty fast. I think you get on the wrong side of the hole it can easily -- the putt can get by you and the rough is pretty penalizing.
And so fairways are premium; greens are great. You know, the PGA Championship is going to look at the leaderboard and go, we don't really I guess want to see that. So you expect it from the major though. You take on the challenge head on.
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