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U.S. WOMEN'S AMATEUR FOUR-BALL CHAMPIONSHIPApril 30, 2019Whitney FrenchAvery FrenchJacksonville, Florida Q. So obviously a really good run. First two times you made it to match play you lost in round one. Probably feel like you maybe could have done -- let me get the sun out of your eyes. Is that better? So, yeah, just sum it up a little bit. Obviously you've gotten farther than you have, but at the same time you're probably somewhat disappointed with the afternoon. WHITNEY FRENCH: Yeah. AVERY FRENCH: Yeah. WHITNEY FRENCH: I'm a little disappointed in my performance this afternoon. Got a little tired and I wasn't used to being tired. But trying to stay focused, trying to stay in there, trying to just hit the shots, hit the green, and make a putt. They didn't miss a shot, so it was tough. AVERY FRENCH: They played really well, and we did not. (Laughter.) But, no, they played really well. I mean, we were just talking about this. We're weekend golfers now. Q. Uh-huh. AVERY FRENCH: The fact that we... WHITNEY FRENCH: ...got the opportunity to get (talking over each other.) AVERY FRENCH: Yeah, the fact that we just made it here we were so excited. And then the fact that we made it into match play, we were super excited. WHITNEY FRENCH: Then each rounds was just like... AVERY FRENCH: Each round was just fun. WHITNEY FRENCH: Cherry on top. AVERY FRENCH: One more day we didn't have to work. WHITNEY FRENCH: Yeah. AVERY FRENCH: We have a very different mindset now. CADDIE: And a really good caddie. AVERY FRENCH: And it's fun because it's a family event for us. Our whole family gets to come out, watch us, be on the bag with us. We were just so excited to be here because it's our vacation really. We take vacation days to play these tournaments. I mean, we put in a couple hours a week for practice, like a handful maybe. WHITNEY FRENCH: Yeah. AVERY FRENCH: Not even a handful. WHITNEY FRENCH: Maybe four, five. AVERY FRENCH: We have a different mindset now. It's just really a family affair for us. WHITNEY FRENCH: We love USGA events. They're like the nicest put on, they're fun to play, you're with great golfers, always on a great golf course. AVERY FRENCH: They do an amazing job. WHITNEY FRENCH: Yeah. From sun up to sun down, you have all the volunteers out here. I mean, the people, the town, everyone is rooting for and you it's so amazing. We're still leaving happy even though we lost. AVERY FRENCH: Yeah. WHITNEY FRENCH: We were excited to be here, and the fact that we made it this far, we're just happy. AVERY FRENCH: Yeah. WHITNEY FRENCH: We're appreciative. I couldn't imagine playing with anyone other than my sister because she loves me, even when I do bad. We're pretty much forced to love each other after a bad shot. Q. Forced to? Wow. WHITNEY FRENCH: Yeah. Q. I love you even when I don't. WHITNEY FRENCH: Yeah, exactly. AVERY FRENCH: Exactly, exactly. Q. So that is a special thing, a sister act. You're four years apart. Have you always been close? WHITNEY FRENCH: No. AVERY FRENCH: No. We're five years in school so we never went to school together. WHITNEY FRENCH: Never played on a team together. AVERY FRENCH: Never competed in the same tournaments. WHITNEY FRENCH: Never practiced together because she didn't start playing golf until I left for college. AVERY FRENCH: Yeah. I picked it up in eighth grade and she was a freshman in college. It was kind of cool though, because she had time with our dad just to play the two of them, and then when it was my turn and I decided to play it was just the two of us. So that was pretty cool. And then after college, or maybe after I graduated with my undergraduate degree, that's when we started talking and hanging out and playing golf together, and it just became more... WHITNEY FRENCH: Because she moved back home to ECI, and I had moved back already and I was working in Orange County. So we get to see each other more and play a little, but the first time we ever competed with each other was three years ago in this event. AVERY FRENCH: Yeah. Q. So it wasn't until you really started bonding and playing a lot of golf together was when you finished college and you were already four years out? WHITNEY FRENCH: Exactly. AVERY FRENCH: Yeah. Q. How did the fourball come about? Did you just hear about it? Did you know of friends playing in it? AVERY FRENCH: It was her. All her. WHITNEY FRENCH: I really enjoy competing. AVERY FRENCH: She's very competitive. WHITNEY FRENCH: I'm very competitive. And like I said, I don't practice very much, but I think my competitiveness keeps me in tournament shape. I only play in USGA events. Those are the only ones I try to qualify. I don't play in anything local or small or one dayers or anything. Literally only try for USGA events. So I wanted to compete with this one and in this one, and so I -- and I asked her and she luckily said yes a few years ago and we made it and we played well. I think we actually won our qualifier. AVERY FRENCH: The first year. Q. The one to get to The Dunes? AVERY FRENCH: Yes, to get to The Dunes. WHITNEY FRENCH: Or we tied. AVERY FRENCH: We tied. WHITNEY FRENCH: And so she was still competing in college golf, so she was still... AVERY FRENCH: I was in graduate school but playing on their... Q. And you were Oregon State? WHITNEY FRENCH: I was Oregon State and I graduated in 2012. AVERY FRENCH: And I did graduate school at UC Irvine, so when I moved home to UC Irvine, I was going to graduate school and playing on their golf team because I had eligibility left, and that's when we decided to play, because we started hanging out more together and playing more together and whatnot. Q. Last question: You talked about couple hours here. How hard is it to -- I mean, obviously for you especially being competitive, you got that USGA -- you know, so that makes you work at it. Realistically how much time do you get to work on your game? You're in California, so that helps. WHITNEY FRENCH: So we practice, what, Tuesday, Thursday, Friday? AVERY FRENCH: We try to practice at least twice a week for an hour. Q. Okay. WHITNEY FRENCH: So two hours. AVERY FRENCH: Two hours. WHITNEY FRENCH: Yeah, sometimes we get... (laughing.) AVERY FRENCH: We usually play every weekend. WHITNEY FRENCH: Yeah, at least one day on the weekend. Q. Okay. AVERY FRENCH: But practice-wise it's about a couple hours a week. WHITNEY FRENCH: Two hours. AVERY FRENCH: We can count it on one hand. Q. Weekend warriors. AVERY FRENCH: Exactly. WHITNEY FRENCH: We are. AVERY FRENCH: For me, a typical weekday schedule is we wake up at 5:00, work out and shower, go to our golf course, practice. We're there between 6: 30 and 7:00 before work starts, so we're there. Q. Oh, it's morning. WHITNEY FRENCH: Yeah, and then we have to leave at 8:00 because both of us, we don't get off work until 8:00 or 9:00 at night. AVERY FRENCH: Yeah, so January and February I didn't get off until midnight. Q. This is a sacrifice just to get that short amount of time to do that. WHITNEY FRENCH: Exactly. AVERY FRENCH: Yeah. That's why we do it in the morning so we're sure to get it in. Q. Is it hitting balls or actually playing? It's just hitting balls? WHITNEY FRENCH: It's just -- because we only have about an hour, hour and a half. Q. You go to different stations, hit different clubs, boom, boom, boom? WHITNEY FRENCH: Yeah. AVERY FRENCH: Driving range, putting. Because our driving range isn't open until 7:00 a.m., so we get there, we putt, we do some short game, and then right at like 6:50 we're walking to the driving range, and then we're there for like half hour. It helps that our dad loves this game. Like he literally lives and breathes for this game, so he's out there practicing with us in the morning. WHITNEY FRENCH: He practices more than us, I think. AVERY FRENCH: I think he does. Q. Is he retired? AVERY FRENCH: No. He puts it in before work, too. WHITNEY FRENCH: It's just a family affair. It was fun though. I mean, golf has been such a big impact in our entire life. I mean, I've been playing -- I didn't really start golf until I was 14, but we have been playing competitively since we were 14, so it's been a good 14 years -- AVERY FRENCH: Oh, my gosh, you're old. Mine is only ten. Q. Yeah, obviously it's important to both of you, and it's also something that the Women's Mid Am came along at a really good time for the two of you. WHITNEY FRENCH: Yeah, I won't be able to compete in 2019, but 2020. AVERY FRENCH: So one more year. WHITNEY FRENCH: One more year I don't have to go against her for the qualifier. Q. You could split it up and both win elsewhere. WHITNEY FRENCH: Exactly. Can't take another day of travel? Are you kidding me? Q. I know it's difficult when the kids are killing it. WHITNEY FRENCH: Yeah. Q. For you is it more a consistency thing, just playing so much and it's not necessarily they're hitting it that much farther than you? WHITNEY FRENCH: So they do bomb it. AVERY FRENCH: Yeah. WHITNEY FRENCH: They do bomb it, but they're very consistent. It's not like -- like they threw up a few birdies, but it's just we bogeyed. AVERY FRENCH: Yeah, they didn't make bogeys. WHITNEY FRENCH: Yeah. Q. And you don't go out and play 36 holes in a day. When was the last time did you that? AVERY FRENCH: We were talking about that. I said a year ago. WHITNEY FRENCH: In the 2015 Mid Am I made it to semis. AVERY FRENCH: So four years ago. WHITNEY FRENCH: Yeah, that was the last time I went 36. It was Squire Creek. Q. That's the one I missed. WHITNEY FRENCH: That was my first one and I made it to semis. Q. You're going to try again? WHITNEY FRENCH: Yeah, my qualifier I think is in the summer. I count the qualifiers as a tournament because it's another time for me to compete. Q. How many USGA championships for both of you now? WHITNEY FRENCH: This is ten. AVERY FRENCH: I think this is seven. Q. Double figures. Nice. And you're four years younger, so... AVERY FRENCH: Yeah. WHITNEY FRENCH: She's allowed to play in more, so... Q. She's had a jump on you. AVERY FRENCH: Yeah. WHITNEY FRENCH: Played in a couple pub links, but never have made it to the Am. Then I haven't really tried either because they always fall at a bad time for me now. Q. Plus trying to get into championship and vacations. WHITNEY FRENCH: Exactly. Q. There is only so much time. You don't want to get in and then have to bow out. AVERY FRENCH: Yeah. I played in the girl's junior. WHITNEY FRENCH: You did. That was your first one. AVERY FRENCH: It was the coolest event I had ever played. It's an honor. (Discussion about volunteers - all talking at the same time.) Q. I know how hard they work. AVERY FRENCH: Yeah, everything is so well thought out. It's immaculate. WHITNEY FRENCH: The huge scoreboard screen to all the lights. AVERY FRENCH: The details, the people out here. Q. The veterans. WHITNEY FRENCH: We got here a little bit before 6:00 and the people already have the lights going. AVERY FRENCH: I mean, it's amazing. It takes a village. The USGA does such a good job, but really it's the volunteers here that make it. If we don't have the volunteers, the tournament -- we couldn't have a tournament. Q. Yeah. WHITNEY FRENCH: I think we try to make an effort to thank you all of them, too. AVERY FRENCH: Oh, yeah. WHITNEY FRENCH: Because without them there is no tournament. AVERY FRENCH: I think people forget that, and so we try to do it extra. Q. That's great, and I know that they appreciate that, hearing that too. I'm sure they love that. Maybe see you a year from now in Flagstaff. WHITNEY FRENCH: Thank you so much. AVERY FRENCH: Thank you. FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports   |
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