AUGUSTA NATIONAL WOMEN'S AMATEUR

April 2, 2021

Maja Stark

Press Conference

Q. The test, did it happen, did it not happen?

MAJA STARK: One minute before it was starting, I got back.

Q. You got back to your room? And?

MAJA STARK: I don't know yet. They haven't graded it. I think I did well. It felt good, anyway.

Q. Did you try to get out of it?

MAJA STARK: I thought, well, now that I'm here, I have some adrenaline, so it helped my focus. I just did it.

Q. Last night, still more excited after that was over?

MAJA STARK: Yeah, I for sure had trouble sleeping and I woke up at 3:50 this morning. So I didn't get a lot of sleep but, anyway, I think I'm just running on adrenaline right now.

Q. More about the pressure yesterday and feeling good not to be the left-out Swede in the top 30. How does that feel?

MAJA STARK: That just feels so good. Just getting to play here, competitive round, is reward enough by itself but to get to do it with my teammates, that's just the best feeling. After the first day, I was kind of getting ready for -- well, this is a bad situation and I was just getting ready. Well, what can I talk to my coach about for four hours when we were walking around watching the other Swedes? But it was fine. I did it.

Q. What was the difference playing today compared with two years ago in your first experience?

MAJA STARK: I think that I focused way more on the attention, the media. I think that it surprised me a lot more. So I think that I'm more calm now and I know what to expect. So at least that's not something that is draining energy or, that's not something I had to focus on anymore.

Q. The shots you played --

MAJA STARK: All of them. Mostly the bad ones, sadly. I mean, sometimes.

Q. The experience -- what did you notice, and did you play the course differently?

MAJA STARK: I think it's not as difficult as I remember it, but I think that's on the holes where I messed up. So yeah, I just think it's a bit easier than I thought it was. So that's good I think. I had the same feeling at Champions Retreat. I think, yeah, when you just focus on the bad things and the bad places you've been, the course just gets a lot smaller.

Q. How did you feel it played today?

MAJA STARK: Pretty tough. I think they had some pin positions that they probably can't play with in a tournament, but it was of course fun. It was pretty long, I felt. I don't know, it was kind of cold this morning. So I think I hit it a bit shorter, too.

Q. Strange out there without the grandstands? How much different was it playing the practice round this time?

MAJA STARK: Well, I didn't really notice it because I was comparing it to the practice round we had two years ago where I just felt like, oh, it's so wide, I can hit it anywhere. And then 20,000 people came and I was like, oh, I'm going to kill someone if I hit it anywhere. So let's not do that.

But yeah, for sure, 15 was weird, just seeing the bridge and not the grandstands on the side. Yeah, that was weird.

Q. So what was the worst experience out there last time?

MAJA STARK: Well, I think I made a triple on 10. I think that was it. I mean, so that was kind of where I thought that -- I hit it into the bushes on the left of the pin, or the green, and -- yeah, exactly, and I thought that the bushes were way closer to the green than they actually are. So I was pleasantly surprised, well, this shouldn't be a problem anymore, technically, but we'll see. Anything can happen.

Q. How many par 5s can you reach?

MAJA STARK: 2 should be. 8 should be. I mean, 13 if you're brave. I don't know if I'll be that brave. I couldn't reach it today. 15, I couldn't reach it today. We'll see how the course plays and if I hit it a little bit further tomorrow and if it's a little bit warmer.

Q. Do you have any good memories from '19?

MAJA STARK: Yeah, I sure do. I just have to think -- I made four birdies. That was pretty nice.

On 1, I hit it into the right. I didn't even see the ball from the tee because I was so nervous. I just couldn't even see it. But I was right of the bunker but then I managed to hit it under a couple branches, roll up on the green and have -- I had a 5-footer for birdie and I made it. So that was a pretty good memory.

Q. How did you do today?

MAJA STARK: That was catastrophe but it's fine. It's just the practice round. I hit it in the bunker, hit the lip. Hit it short of the green. I did everything.