AUGUSTA NATIONAL WOMEN'S AMATEUR

April 3, 2021

Emilia Migliaccio

Quick Quotes - Playoff

Q. Better drive on 18.

EMILIA MIGLIACCIO: Yeah. It's hard to lose to a bogey -- or it's hard to bogey and lose to a par. If they birdie, it's like, well, did everything I could. But I wanted to hit a better shot and felt good over the club and was happy to be in the fairway but just didn't work out.

Yeah, just kind of rode up the face a little bit on that shot. I was too worried about it going over the green. Hit a good bunker shot closer than her so that was sort of important. If she missed it, I was going to make that putt and we go on to 10. I did everything I could even though it wasn't what I wanted but I did my best and that's all I can ask for.

Q. What did you have?

EMILIA MIGLIACCIO: I had 167 yards. So I gripped down a 5 instead of hitting a 6 and just blocked it out to the right.

Q. The second shot --

EMILIA MIGLIACCIO: Well, I was more concerned about my first shot than the second shot. I'm pretty good out of the bunker so I was like, would have been nice to be in the bunker the first time. I wasn't too worried about the bunker shot, actually.

Q. But the second shot?

EMILIA MIGLIACCIO: My iron shot. Yeah, I had like a little pine straw behind my ball. I probably had a little too short of a backswing. Didn't complete my transition. Was just a little quick, which is important for the long clubs to stay in your posture. I got out of it a little.

Q. How long was your wait?

EMILIA MIGLIACCIO: About an hour. I had about an hour wait. A lot of different emotions like surprise that I was in contention and then excited and ready to go and I was glad to tee it up.

Q. Did you get to hit balls?

EMILIA MIGLIACCIO: Yes, I hit about ten drives.

Q. When you finished, did you think that your number had a chance to stand?

EMILIA MIGLIACCIO: I thought even was going to have a chance for a playoff. I didn't think 1-over would. But you know, pleasantly surprised that I was able to be in contention for a playoff.

Q. How do you flip the switch mentally from being really pleased with the round that you shot to then seeing playing come back to you?

EMILIA MIGLIACCIO: It was very interesting. I mean, I did have a lot of, like I said, emotions during that time, and I was kind of just shocked because I didn't think I would have a chance and I think I was just -- I needed to hit balls, kind of get back in the groove and just think this is match play, sudden death and pretty good at that. Yeah, unfortunately didn't come out with the result I wanted, but just taking some time to think about it and get in the groove and like turn into match-play mode.

Q. At what point were you looking at a leaderboard and thinking you're in it?

EMILIA MIGLIACCIO: All day. I birdied the first hole and I was like, let's go. I made five birdies today, so I was pretty confident in my game and a lot of my birdies are pretty close. Made a long one on 3 off the fringe. I was looking at the leaderboard the whole time. My coach told me to be aggressive all day out there and if you get in the lead just play more conservatively and see what happens.

But yeah, I was trying to attack -- you can't attack the pins. You have to attack certain spots on the green so it can go close to the pin, but that's what I was doing and I was executing pretty well.

Q. So you never went to conservative?

EMILIA MIGLIACCIO: No, always aggressive mode. So, worked out.

Q. The experience with your caddie?

EMILIA MIGLIACCIO: It was so special, it's probably the last tournament she's going to caddie and having it at this elite tournament was special for me. She has really good IQ and she understands me so well and it's a privilege.

Q. She went and got you a snack and water. You weren't thinking about that --

EMILIA MIGLIACCIO: No, I wasn't. Yeah, her and my coaches were telling me to eat. Good advice.

Q. The way it ended, going into the playoff, does it change your mind about your decision not turn pro and what you take away from this tournament?

EMILIA MIGLIACCIO: No, it doesn't. I think I played so well because of my decision. I mean, so many good things have happened to me since making the decision in January that I wasn't going to turn professional. I started looking for a job and had two opportunities, one with Operation 36 and one with Golf Channel, and I went with Golf Channel, both great companies.

Midterm week was tough but I got really good grades, so my grades are doing well and I know what I'm doing this summer. My golf has gotten a lot better. I think because of my decision not to turn pro I was able to perform so well.

Q. So anything could change your mind --

EMILIA MIGLIACCIO: I could still play in the U.S. Open but I will keep my decision and I'm very happy with that and I'm very excited for a new chapter. It wasn't about -- even though I wasn't playing well in January, it wasn't about, I'm not playing well so I am not turning professional. It was about I'm ready for something new. I'm ready for a new chapter. I see a lot of opportunities for myself still in the golf industry but not as a professional golfer and I'm so happy with that decision.

Q. Did you know that if you had won, you would have an exemption for five years --

EMILIA MIGLIACCIO: Someone told me that I think today, actually, I don't know, but I didn't really register it. I was like, oh, yeah, sure.

But no, I didn't know that, really, but I mean, I probably still would have hit the green right of the green and made bogey.

Q. Seeing all these college players coming through --

EMILIA MIGLIACCIO: Who knows, if my ranking stays up I could come back.

Q. Did your play this week surprise you at all?

EMILIA MIGLIACCIO: So people, players impressed me so much who regardless of what happens, they just always believe they are the best. Unfortunately I'm kind of the opposite. I need to hype myself up, like, "Emelia, your irons are so good, remember that."

So I wasn't surprised with my game, but it's just I need to continue remembering how good of a player I am and being confident in that. Sometimes I just get too wrapped up in just one bad shot or one missed putt. Yeah, it's just continuing to remind myself that I have great potential and yeah, I'm a great player.

Q. Who is that unfailingly optimistic player who you were talking about? Is there someone who comes to mind?

EMILIA MIGLIACCIO: I don't know specifically but I hear a lot of stories about any professional athlete and a lot of them, their sport is all they have and regardless they just believe and they go, go, go, and that just inspires me to do the same thing. I'm the opposite, there are so many good players here, whatever. But I think it's probably pretty normal. I guess a lot of people probably feel that way, too.

But yeah, I have a great support system and people that -- I don't need other people's validation but I need it work on just having validation for myself. But yeah, I have a great support system who just is there with me, my mental game and everything.

Q. Do you think you've helped him with his game a little bit -- do you ever see yourself getting into coaching?

EMILIA MIGLIACCIO: I don't know about coaching. I don't know much about coaching. I mean, I think he just probably kind of watches me and then plays good. I mean, I don't really know. I haven't -- yeah, he used to hit a big slice and now we're getting these baby draws. I feel pretty proud of myself. I feel pretty proud of myself but it wasn't like structural things and you're going to aim right and close the clubface and this thing isn't going to slice and it went straight.

I'm open to anything and I'm just excited for a new chapter, but I'm looking forward to these last few tournaments with my teammates with Wake Forest.

Q. When did you start at Golf Channel?

EMILIA MIGLIACCIO: May 31.

Q. What position?

EMILIA MIGLIACCIO: I'll be working with Ryan Lavner on their editorial staff. I'm excited.

Q. Do you think you can turn a story around on yourself?

EMILIA MIGLIACCIO: No.

Q. What shots were you most proud of today?

EMILIA MIGLIACCIO: I think it was key to have good momentum on Hole 1. I hit it in the fairway and that was really important. Hole 1, I think it's a stressful tee shot with everyone watching, it's your first tee shot at Augusta, and then I hit my second shot close and made birdie. I made a 25-footer on 3 for birdie off the fringe and that also was like, okay, the birdies are rolling. And then I think another momentum swing was I bogeyed 13 but then I hit my grip-down 8-iron to about two feet on 14. So then it was like, all right, back in it. And then I almost birdied 17 and had a great par on 18.

Q. How do you stay level through such big swings especially around Augusta?

EMILIA MIGLIACCIO: I know when I hit a good iron or a good shot it's going right at my target, so it's just believing that and even if I don't, it's not the outcome I want, knowing that it's okay because I'm playing well. People are going to make bogeys out there and I know I'm going to make a couple bogeys, but if I just keep remembering how I've been trending, I've been hitting great iron shots and going to keep doing the same thing, put it in the fairway and then I'm good to go.

So that's kind of how I stayed level-headed throughout round.

Q. Mind-blowing that a 17-year-old won?

EMILIA MIGLIACCIO: No, everyone is so good. When it comes to age I'm expecting our freshmen to play well on the team and I'm not like, how are you playing well, you're just a freshman. Age doesn't matter. We had so many good players here that were in high school and it's just not really about age. It's about just how good you are, and I respect her. We actually played together the first two rounds at Champions Retreat, so it was about and I'm very happy for her.

Q. What did you guys say to each other on the green?

EMILIA MIGLIACCIO: Good playing. Good job. Yeah, just, you know, very happy for her and I know she'll remember it forever.

Q. What had impressed you in the first two rounds about her?

EMILIA MIGLIACCIO: She's really good at working the ball with her driver. She can hit a draw or a cut off the tee, so that was good. She kind of just takes a practice swing and then hits it, so yeah, pretty fast. She made a lot of really good putts in Champions Retreat, they are like, hit the flagstick and it went in. She had a lot of really good bombs. It was fun to watch.

Q. Did she have quite a few?

EMILIA MIGLIACCIO: Yeah, coming down the stretch on the second day. Actually she did putt with the flagstick in and her caddie would put it back in most of the time.

Q. Is he an Augusta National caddie?

EMILIA MIGLIACCIO: I probably should know that. I think he is -- oh, wait. I think he caddies for other girls either on Symetra, LPGA, not quite sure. He speaks a little bit of Japanese I think. I think that's why he was able to -- I think they had a pretty special relationship on the course which was nice.