AUGUSTA NATIONAL WOMEN'S AMATEUR

March 30, 2022

Ellie Slama

Quick Quotes

Q. Good start to the day. How was the front nine?

ELLIE SLAMA: I think the front nine went well. I was making a lot of good par saves and just had a good mentality going into it. I think I carried that through until hole 7 I had a little hiccup there, but I got one back on 8.

Overall, I think it went well.

Q. What happened on 8?

ELLIE SLAMA: I hit my tee shot a little right and put myself in a really hard position to get up and down from. Chipped right in front of me and then just got on the green and two-putted. It wasn't a bad double, but definitely could have been better.

Q. Can you talk about the conditions today, how fast the greens were running.

ELLIE SLAMA: The greens are really fast, and they're also extremely firm. I had like a 58 degree wedge into one hole, and it landed like two short of the pin and still went over the green. I think it's just going to get more and more firm as the day goes on. So it's going to be tricky for sure.

Q. Talk about your brother a little bit being on the caddie or being on the bag caddying for you. What's it like to have him out there in an event like this? It's the third time out there. It's a bit different for you this time.

ELLIE SLAMA: It was super fun having my brother out there. We worked really well together today. I think just going forward, it's fun to have family members, people you know, familiar faces out there. It makes it a little bit more calm and easy, and there's a little less pressure going into it.

Q. I assume you grew up playing together. Has he caddied for you before at an event?

ELLIE SLAMA: He's caddied for me at a few USGA events and junior golf stuff. It's been a couple years, so yesterday was a little slow to get back into it, but we definitely got our groove today.

Q. Golf broadcasts always like to say he's a good player in his own right. Is he a good player in his own right?

ELLIE SLAMA: He is for sure. He's really good at reading putts for me. He knows what to say and when to say it.

Q. Will he be with you on Saturday if you make it through the cut?

ELLIE SLAMA: I think so. We'll have to see what my Augusta caddie is like, but yeah, that would be super fun to have him out there at Augusta.