AUGUSTA NATIONAL WOMEN'S AMATEUR

April 2, 2021

Olivia Mehaffey

Press Conference

How did you find the course?

OLIVIA MEHAFFEY: I thought it was very different to 2019, a lot from around the greens. Obviously we had wind and it was cold and I thought it was playing longer, too. I think it's going to be pretty different.

Q. Did you go for any of the par 5s?

OLIVIA MEHAFFEY: Yes, I went for 13, 15. 2 was short. They are there. Depends on the wind.

13 we laid up and we threw 1-up where we think it will be with we don't have wind and I hit hybrid into 15.

I don't think we're going to see 67s unless things change overnight or the weather is perfect. I think the greens are really firm and I think it's playing really tough.

Q. What would this title mean to you?

OLIVIA MEHAFFEY: I think it would be everything, and I think that's the same for every girl competing this week. I think after seeing what Jennifer and Maria did last year, you want to be in their shoes and you want to experience what they experience, so I think to anybody it would mean a lot.

Q. What's the best part of your game right now?

OLIVIA MEHAFFEY: I've been putting quite nicely. I changed to a blade putter and it's been working well the last few weeks. Putted well at Champions Retreat and I think probably right now my putting.

Q. What make and model?

OLIVIA MEHAFFEY: Okay, funny, it's not actually mine. It's one of the guys on the men's team. I ordered one and it arrived yesterday. It's a Newport 2 I think. Blake, one of the guy as team bought it. Tim Mickelson gave it to him. It's his.

Q. If you win, do you get to to keep the club?

OLIVIA MEHAFFEY: He wants to switch with me but I have a brand new one that just arrived. He's like can I have the brand new one? I'm like, I want the new one.

Q. How aggressive do you think you can be tomorrow?

OLIVIA MEHAFFEY: I think aggressive to smart targets. I think it really helps having Brian, he's a caddie here and it's quite nice today because I felt like we could play because I can't really stressed about trying to gain as much information as possible because I know I'm going to have him there with me.

Having him is definitely huge and I look back to 2019 and I think it would be -- I understand why Jennifer had a local caddie for the final round and makes total sense. You can't learn this course in two days. I think you need to play here probably 20 times and you still don't even know the course to know all the breaks. There's times out there where he's like hit it here and I'm like, are you crazing. That's craic. I think having him is going to be a great help.

Q. Are surprised more players aren't using local caddies?

OLIVIA MEHAFFEY: It's tough. You want to come here and experience this experience because it's incredible and it's a tough thing to do to have somebody experience it with you the first two days and you get to Augusta National and you're like, no, I don't want you anymore. That definitely takes a toll. For me in 2019 I had my old coach with me and I wanted to experience that with him. That played a big part in my decision to have him here. I think the experience is probably why players keep who they have had. Obviously if they made the cut, they are playing well. I think also that.

Q. But that makes it all the better playing a second time?

OLIVIA MEHAFFEY: Yeah, definitely, I think today, I was like, I've seen Augusta before and it's incredible and I had that on every single hole, this is incredible. Today I was more focused on my golf preparing what to expect, where to be, some of the putts. I think having that experience allows to you kind of focus a little bit more on the golf course and where you want to be tomorrow.

Q. Do you think some of that distracted you last time you competed out here in the tournament round?

OLIVIA MEHAFFEY: Yeah, I mean, I was never in contention so I think I was tabling it all in, enjoying the experience and having a great time and obviously it's a little bit different this time where I'm one shot back and I feel I'm in contention but the thing is tomorrow, whoever wins, there's so many players in contention. I mean somebody who is five shots back I believe could win because that's how difficult it's playing. I don't think you're going to see anyone run away with it unless they go low, which I think is exciting but whoever wins tomorrow is going to have to play great golf because it's a tough test right now.

Q. Did you specifically ask for Jennifer's caddie?

OLIVIA MEHAFFEY: Jorge is great. He asked what my thoughts were and I said I was leaning towards a local caddie and he said that's a great idea. He said let me talk to Derek who caddies for one of the girls on the LPGA and he recommended Brian and that's how it happened. I've really enjoyed my time with him the past two days.

Q. How long had you been with him?

OLIVIA MEHAFFEY: I've been with him since ANA, so September, August.

I think the nice thing is I've spent with three days with Brian and he knows how I like to play and how I see things and that's definitely an advantage and I also trust him a lot. Also being with him the last three days I've trusted him and we know how each other work. That's definitely nice. I trust him 100 percent, he knows this place like the back of his hand so I'm going to lean pretty heavily on him tomorrow.

Q. How would you describe Augusta National?

OLIVIA MEHAFFEY: In one word, magical. Exceeds all expectations.

Q. What is your favorite Augusta moment?

OLIVIA MEHAFFEY: Tiger Woods, 16.

Q. What would it mean to win?

OLIVIA MEHAFFEY: It would mean everything, it's what you work hard for and you want to inspire in the next generation and that's the girls that are watching this now and that would be huge.