AUGUSTA NATIONAL WOMEN'S AMATEUR

April 2, 2021

Rose Zhang

Press Conference

Q. How did you find it out there.

ROSE ZHANG: It was great. I love the course obviously. It's in its purest condition. It's been quite chilly out here but I enjoyed every moment.

Q. How did it play differently compared to 2019?

ROSE ZHANG: The greens have definitely gotten a little quicker. It's been a little more firmer and with the conditions, it's a little more cooler. So some shots aren't going to go as far but in general I think it's still playing extremely tough and I think these conditions are actually tougher than two years ago.

Q. How would you compare what you think tomorrow is going to be like compared to a weekend in a major championship?

ROSE ZHANG: How do I think tomorrow --

Q. Nervous-wise.

ROSE ZHANG: I think it's going to be pretty similar. Obviously this is a big event and tomorrow is the final round at Augusta National. I think there's definitely nerves to it but just going to try to stay composed.

Q. What's it going to take? What do you have to do tomorrow?

ROSE ZHANG: I think just being able to execute the things that I wrote down on the course today. Definitely Augusta National, you can't really have any mistakes or afford anything on this course and just playing as steady as you can under pressure, I think that's what's going to take a champion on this course.

Q. What types of things did you write down today?

ROSE ZHANG: Mostly the shots on the green, knowing the slopes and with the greens being extremely quick, I noted some extra slopes that I kept in mind from two years ago but that's about it.

Q. Are these the quickest greens you've played?

ROSE ZHANG: I think one of the quickest, yes, especially with the wind drying out the greens a little bit, it's definitely playing difficult.

Q. Any course or tournament you've played where the greens were comparable?

ROSE ZHANG: Did play the PING Invitational in Karsten Creek in Oklahoma and I think those greens are just as fast, so when they roll them out it's very difficult. I think that's pretty comparable.

Q. Is it hard to sleep on a lead for 48 hours?

ROSE ZHANG: It is but I haven't really thought about the leaderboard recently. It's just knowing I'm in the final group and then just playing shot by shot. I mean, everyone still has 18 holes to go. So I mean, you can't really -- with the leaderboard being very close, I think everyone has a shot at it. So you just have to come out here and execute as much as you can.

Q. What if you haven't been thinking about your position on the leaderboard, what you have been thinking about?

ROSE ZHANG: I think I've just been thinking about how to -- I don't know, actually. I think I've just been thinking about just going through my daily routine and finding what else to eat and keep on practicing, I don't know.

Q. What would it mean for you to win this event, especially having already won the Women's Amateur?

ROSE ZHANG: It would mean the world, honestly. Anyone who can have a title at Augusta National, I mean, it's just a dream come true. But yeah, it's just surreal.

Q. Do you feel like you have a score to settle against Ingrid ago going 0-1-2 in Ryder Cup?

ROSE ZHANG: I did go up against her in Junior Ryder Cup. We did have a really good match coming in. I know she's a competitive player and great player and bombs it off the tee, so I'm definitely looking forward to playing with her.

Q. This is going to be televised on Saturday. What do you want viewers to learn and take away from women's golf?

ROSE ZHANG: I think for women's golf, I just want them to know that every single one of these playing competitors, they are super competitive and just as competitive as men and we are able to play golf at the greatest stage. I just want them to know that we are capable and we can still be at the best along with men.

Q. Will you be trying to reach any of the par 5s in two tomorrow?

ROSE ZHANG: I'm not exactly sure. But I'm definitely going to take advantage of whatever I can. Sometimes I won't be able to get it there in terms of strategy and course -- or how the course is playing. So we'll see.

Q. When do you graduate from high school?

ROSE ZHANG: I graduate this -- this end of May. So I'll be going to Stanford in the fall.

Q. What do you like to study?

ROSE ZHANG: I'm enjoying English and history a lot. I'm not one for math or science. Yeah, anything but math.

Q. Are you having to study now or is it spring break?

ROSE ZHANG: I have spring break this week but I did miss a week prior. So I do have a lot of work to catch up on.

Q. Are you doing that throughout this week?

ROSE ZHANG: I've kind of slowed down a little bit but I'm trying to catch up.

Q. Do you think your classmates are going to watch tomorrow?

ROSE ZHANG: I'm not exactly sure. Maybe? Our school is very small but I definitely know that some people are going to watch.

Q. How small is small?

ROSE ZHANG: Well, my school from K-12, we had like 130 people. Our class of 2021 is like 30.

Q. What's the most nervous you've ever been?

ROSE ZHANG: Most nervous, I would say last -- or two years ago at this event, the ANWA, I was definitely the most nervous, especially teeing off on that tee shot with everyone watching in their green jackets.

But I would say this is the first event that I saw such a big crowd and that's when nerves kind of kicked in. It was still enjoyable. Just pretty nerve-wracking.

Q. How would you describe Augusta National?

ROSE ZHANG: Prestigious and pure.

Q. What would becoming a champion at Augusta National mean to you?

ROSE ZHANG: It would mean the world to me. I mean, it's something that one can only dream of. So just I think that it's -- there's no words to describe it.

Q. What's your favorite Masters memory?

ROSE ZHANG: Watching Jordan Spieth win the 2014 Masters, and I was just watching on TV eating something, pretty good. So it really inspired me, that moment.

Q. What do you think the feeling will be on the first tee tomorrow?

ROSE ZHANG: It will be very anticipating, nerve-wracking and pretty good, pretty good feeling.