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ANA INSPIRATION

March 31, 2018

Amy Olson

Rancho Mirage, California

Q. I'm usually intimidated by interviewing these players because of how well they play golf, but then Amy comes up, and she's passed everything to become a CPA, a 3.97 GPA in college. Let's talk about those college years and how it affected you. You won 20 times at North Dakota State. I don't talk to too many players out here in the LPGA Tour who actually go through and get their degree and excel the way you do. How much can you rely on that experience and that success even in a major championship?
AMY OLSON: I think the big thing is just about perseverance and just finishing what you start and never giving up. So I think those are probably things that I take away mostly. Obviously, it was a lot of fun to win 20 times in the collegiate level. You have to learn to win on every level. So I'm excited to be in the position that I'm in and just give myself a learning opportunity.

Q. It's fun watching you after this round, you seemed jovial, light-hearted. I talked to Karen Stupples. She said it was the same thing out there watching you as she was analyzing every shot. One thing she did tell me was that your caddie, you picked her up in the Bahamas. She was just a local caddie. How has that dynamic been in terms of helping you stay relaxed out there?
AMY OLSON: That has been huge. Yeah, Taneka and I met last year in the Bahamas. She was a local for me, and we just really clicked. She has such a great demeanor out there. We joke around and talk about pretty much everything except golf. It's a lot of fun. It's like we were sitting down to dinner and just joking back and forth, and that helps me stay relaxed. I think that's important.

Q. When were you aware of where you stood on the leaderboard? Were you aware coming down the back nine?
AMY OLSON: No, not at all. It was really quiet out there. Both Charley and I had a little bit of a lull, so there weren't a lot of cheers in the beginning of the back nine. So it got very comfortable out there. Then I saw it on 18, and it was kind of fun to make that putt and to finish in solo second, I think. There might be another one out there, but, yeah, it was a lot of fun.

Q. Can you talk about also is that good for you that you think you didn't know that coming in?
AMY OLSON: I think there's benefits both ways. But, yeah, it doesn't affect a whole lot. There weren't a lot of big decisions to make out there. So, yeah, just staying in my game was probably the best thing for me.

Q. What was the best highlight out there for you today?
AMY OLSON: You know what actually might be is my par putt on 14. That was really important. I just three-putted the previous hole, and just to be able to come in there and have a solid putt and save par there was really big.

Q. You mentioned you've basically overhauled your swing of late. Can you take us through what you've been working on and what those changes were?
AMY OLSON: Yeah, well, it's still a work in process. I tended to swing a lot with my arms and my upper body before, and I'm trying to get my lower body more timed up, I guess. And so I used to have a huge dip in my swing with my head. I still do, but it's a lot better than it was. I've just seen a lot more consistency especially with my starting lines and that really helps, especially in a major championship where the rough is really long. You got to keep it in the fairway and I think that's starting to really pay dividends.

Q. Can you project to tomorrow? Do you think you'll be feeling any nerves on the tee?
AMY OLSON: I'm sure I will, absolutely. I've never been in this position before, but I'm excited about it. I definitely look at it as an awesome learning experience. You can't really learn until you've been there. So I'm really excited about that. Yeah, I'm just looking forward to it.

Q. Will you let yourself think at all about the jump into Poppie's Pond?
AMY OLSON: Oh, goodness, no. I do hate getting wet, but I won't let that stop me if I have to (laughing).

Q. You mentioned yesterday that you spent a lot of time here this year getting used to the course. Were there instances out there where you said to yourself, oh, I've seen this putt before? I know what this looks like.
AMY OLSON: Yeah there were a couple. I think like hole 10, I felt like I knew the green slipped away from me, and I still hit it a little bit past. But I was sitting there like I know this, and I was actually proud of myself for making an aggressive putt.

But, yeah, there were a couple times it crossed my mind like I've been here, I've hit this putt, and I know what this does.

Q. You really haven't been in this position before on the leaderboard in a major after three rounds. How do you feel you're going to sleep on it and think about it going into tomorrow?
AMY OLSON: I'm really tired after today, so I think I'll sleep pretty good. But ideally, like I don't want to treat it any different from any other day, so that's going to be the goal. If there is something that I do, I'll learn from it. But the goal is to treat it like any other day.

Q. All the times that you were out here working on your game and getting used to the greens, you didn't even put your toe in the pond just to see what it feels like?
AMY OLSON: No, I did not. I feel like that's jinxing it (laughing).

Q. You've won a ton of titles over the course of your life, a little bit different than this. But how much does learning how to close a tournament and knowing how to win come into play for you tomorrow?
AMY OLSON: Well, I think that's huge. No matter what level it is, there are nerves. You really have to learn to settle yourself down, how you perform best, and I know for me just being able to stay relaxed is going to be a huge key.

And I definitely can draw from the Junior Am when I won that in New Jersey. I had never been in a position like that before, so I think just sticking to my game plan and just trying to stay relaxed and enjoy the moment, I think that's going to be my goal.

Q. Is your husband out here watching you this week?
AMY OLSON: No, he isn't. They have recruits in for football, so he'll be watching from afar.

Q. He won't fly in and surprise you tomorrow?
AMY OLSON: It would be a surprise (laughing).

Q. There are a number of players at the top of the board seeking their first victory to make in a major. How do you think that affects tomorrow?
AMY OLSON: I think it's going to be interesting. I really think that anybody can win. There are so many names actually bunched up there, right at probably second place to be honest. But, yeah, I think you're just going to have to go out and shoot a low number and whoever does that is going to walk away with the trophy.

Q. Did the fact that it was kind of quiet out here today make it less pressurized?
AMY OLSON: I think it probably did. I did have some fun fans that I've met when I've been out here that were pretty rambunctious. But as far as just like the huge crowds and all of that, that wasn't there yet today. I'm sure it will be -- I'm expecting it to be a lot different tomorrow.

FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports

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