AUGUSTA NATIONAL WOMEN'S AMATEUR

April 1, 2021

Rose Zhang

Quick Quotes

Q. Assess the round over there today. How was it different than round 1?

ROSE ZHANG: Today was definitely a lot more windy, and some of the pin locations were a lot tougher than yesterday, but I think that the wind really made the scores a lot higher, and it was a lot harder to play out there, especially hole by hole and shot by shot.

Q. Did you notice that right from the start?

ROSE ZHANG: Yes, right from the start. It was very cold, so everyone was having tight muscles, and swinging the ball wasn't exactly ideal. But I think that with these tough conditions, it was definitely very tough.

Q. How do you feel about your score today?

ROSE ZHANG: I feel all right with my score. I feel like I could have definitely done a lot better with some of the holes that I played, especially on the par 5s today, and there's some things that I think I need to work on in terms of course management again and club selection. But overall, I think it's a pretty solid day, just a lot of small mistakes out there.

Q. At least you don't have to play these par 5s again, which is good. How do you transition the course management aspect to a different golf course?

ROSE ZHANG: Yes, I know Augusta National is definitely known for its wind directions, especially with the swirling winds over there, and the slopes are definitely going to be essential in terms of knowing where you want to hit it. So I think that tomorrow's practice round is just knowing the course and really understanding what you need to do to make sure you have the most opportunities you can get.

Q. Did the strategy change at all from yesterday to today as you played this course because of the wind conditions? What did you do differently?

ROSE ZHANG: Yeah, there wasn't much change to how I was going to strategize with my game since I do have a pretty solid, like, understanding of what I should do and what my strengths are. But today with the wind, there's definitely a lot of different directions and club selections that differed a lot, and there were some tees that were moved up or moved back. So those definitely played a big role in today's round.

So I think overall it's just really knowing how to adjust on these courses is pretty essential for a good score.

Q. Do you think a strength of yours is being able to adjust on the fly?

ROSE ZHANG: Yes, I think that I've managed to adjust on the fly pretty well in every single event that I played. I do have a couple in there that weren't exactly the best, but I'm trying to adjust as best as I can.

Q. Can you talk about the practice round tomorrow? This tournament is so much different than anything else. What's it like sleeping on being near the top of the leaderboard for a full day and a half?

ROSE ZHANG: I think that, once you're out there on the course, you still have to execute every shot that you have. So for me, it's just being able to control my mindset and really allowing myself to adjust on the golf course is a pretty big deal, especially when you're on top of the leaderboard. You don't really know what to expect with the other people that are playing. So you just have to take care of your golf ball.

Q. It doesn't matter that there's an extra day? It's not going to feel any different?

ROSE ZHANG: I don't think it's going to feel that much different, personally.

Q. Besides having your coach from 2019, have you sought out any more people to get information on the golf course?

ROSE ZHANG: So I definitely remember a lot of the pin locations and the shots that I hit, especially with my caddie on the bag, Josh Loyo, he was my fitness trainer and caddied for me in 2019. So he definitely knows how I played the course two years ago. And my parents, my dad was also watching, so we really course strategize that way.

Q. Is there much difference in your game -- obviously, you're more mature, and you've got some experience under your belt. But in terms of your game, are you hitting it X yards longer, higher, shot shape, anything?

ROSE ZHANG: Yeah, I think I'm just able to hit the ball a lot farther than two years ago. I wasn't having as many birdie opportunities two years ago. This year I've been getting a couple more birdie opportunities in terms of ball striking.

So it really definitely helps me really have good looks at birdies and good looks at pars without having to stress too much. But it's still stressful, nonetheless.

Q. Is there anything you specifically worked on for this tournament that you knew was going to be at a premium coming in?

ROSE ZHANG: Well, I think that on these greens you definitely have to know how to putt, especially with how tricky it is. So I don't really have anything different that I've been working on, but I definitely have been working on a lot of fundamentals since on this course you really just have to know your game and execute every shot you can.

Q. How much longer are you than 2019?

ROSE ZHANG: I would say I'm about 20 yards. It's average, like 10, 20, something like that.

Q. I guess you were 15 back then, right?

ROSE ZHANG: Yes, I was. I was 15, yeah.

Q. Have you been hitting (inaudible)?

ROSE ZHANG: I've been trying. My trainer has been on top of me for training and stuff. So it's worked.

Q. Is he your caddie today?

ROSE ZHANG: Yes, he is my caddie.

Q. Josh?

ROSE ZHANG: Loyo.