AUGUSTA NATIONAL WOMEN'S AMATEUR

March 29, 2022

Emilia Migliaccio

Quick Quotes

Q. Third time back, playing a practice round with Erica. She's been here, and then you had a new player. What do you think was the most important piece of advice you give to a player playing in this for the first time?

EMILIA MIGLIACCIO: I think a great piece of advice is, if your irons are good, you're going to play well. I think that's really key on this golf course, especially because the greens are firm. Just being able to manage that, like course management, okay, if it's 150 to the back, maybe you're looking at a 140-yard shot, and if it's downwind, maybe 135. Really strategizing is probably an advice I would give, but also just to soak it all in.

It's such a special event, don't stress out too much about the golf and needing to make the cut because we all want to do that, I want to do that. But you'll really play well if you just cherish everything about the tournament.

Q. How are the new greens playing?

EMILIA MIGLIACCIO: They're firm. I was riding out how far they were rolling out, and I think my 6-iron on the 1st hole rolled out 15 yards, 5-iron 15 yards, pitching wedge 7 to 10 yards, but it's consistent rollout. Wedges stop relatively good.

If you kind of are aware of that, it will be okay. It will be hard to get some close consistently, but then you may have some that will hit and kind of trek to the hole. So you'll get some close ones if you manage it well.

Q. Is there anything you've learned today that you might not have picked up on the first two years playing?

EMILIA MIGLIACCIO: Yeah, I think so. I think, if you hit your drive a long way, it's a big advantage because the greens are firm. So if you're able to get an 8-iron instead of a 6-iron, I think that makes a big difference. I would say I'm like an average driver, so I'm not like super long. I noticed like Phoebe Brinker hits it a really long way, and it helps.

Q. You've accomplished a lot over the last couple of years. You've been bouncing around between your amateur game and doing your work as a journalist on the side and all that. What does it mean to be one of the few three-time competitors here? What will you take away from this weekend?

EMILIA MIGLIACCIO: It means so much. I think just hearing that, it's another reason not to get too fixated on your golf swing or your putting, just to really appreciate the moments of the event, like being here for the third time. Like it's so cool, and I'm so excited and just being here with all my friends.

I haven't played a lot of tournament golf or college golf, so I haven't seen a lot of my competitors in a while. We're all really good friends, and we all support each other. We all want to beat each other at our best, and we all want to play well.

It's a really good atmosphere. Everything that Augusta National does and Champions Retreat makes it even better.

Q. How different do you feel today as opposed to maybe the practice round last year, just as a person, as a player?

EMILIA MIGLIACCIO: I think I'm a lot more mature emotionally. Last year I was playing a lot of competitive golf. I think the biggest challenge for me is just remembering I've played a lot of competitive golf. I play a lot of really good competitive golf and just kind of channeling that.

I'm just a lot more positive, a lot more grateful, and just not as hard on myself. Obviously have high expectations and want to hit good shots but know that I'm human. Bad shots happen here or there, and that's okay.

Q. Do you feel like you have an advantage on the rest of the field because of the perspective you've gained this past year?

EMILIA MIGLIACCIO: Yeah, I think maybe it is an advantage. I think when you're playing a difficult golf course, you can't get too hard on yourself. You can't be so fixated on, oh, man, I three-putted because everyone, a lot of people are going to three-putt. A lot of people are going to hit shots over the green or think they had a good shot but it's either short or long just because it's difficult to manage.

But I think anyone who's played the course before is going to have an advantage, and I think that's a pretty equal advantage. Like if you've played it before, played it two times, like it's going to help.

Q. You've gone further in this event than anyone else. Is it hard not to look ahead to the weekend knowing you have two rounds of stroke play to go through?

EMILIA MIGLIACCIO: Yeah, of course. I really want to be in the same position I was last year, but if I want to be in that position, I can't focus on that. So just really trying to focus on each hole.

I mean, Nelly Korda always says one shot at a time, and it's so key because, if you just get too ahead of yourself, even on one hole, like already thinking about where you want to be on the green, well, if you haven't hit your tee shot, that's going to determine how you're going to play the next one.

So I think just really focusing that it's a long week and to really enjoy each hole, and then the rest will take care of itself.