AUGUSTA NATIONAL WOMEN'S AMATEUR

April 1, 2022

Amari Avery

Quick Quotes

Q. Got two holes to clean up today?

AMARI AVERY: Yes.

Q. How did you play them?

AMARI AVERY: I bogeyed 17, and I parred 18. I barely got anywhere near the green on 17, but it was cold. So I was just trying to keep it in play, to be quite honest.

Then 18, just played it like a classic par-5, laid up and tried to get it as close as I could. Hit a good putt, just missed. So it's good.

Q. All in all, how do you feel about your game, your position through 36?

AMARI AVERY: I feel really good actually. Compared to last year, I think I played obviously much better. I'm not in a playoff, and I'm sitting comfortably. So I can relax a little bit, head over to Augusta, do a practice round, and just get ready for tomorrow.

Q. What are your memories of last year not getting through the playoff? Like you have the ultimate consolation prize of still getting to play Augusta National. I'm sure you're probably a little pissed off too.

AMARI AVERY: Yeah, it was tough. I was a little nervous going into the playoff. I played pretty well, and obviously Maja won, but I think it took a little pressure off me playing at Augusta. I didn't have to prepare for anything. I was just there for the fun of it all and the experience. It was fun. We got that out of the way, so now it's go time tomorrow.

Q. Justin and Katie are very data driven.

AMARI AVERY: Yeah.

Q. Analytics. How has that helped you through these two days, do you think?

AMARI AVERY: Tremendously, I think. In junior golf, I didn't really do much data and not a lot of stats. I just kind of did whatever basically. Then I got to school, and I knew how they were and I knew how things worked for the most part. So when I got there, it was actually pretty nice doing something different for once. Obviously, it's done pretty good for my game.

Q. You've been working practically your whole life for this. Maybe not this specifically, but for these big moments. What does it mean to you and your family to be able to tee off in maybe the last group on Saturday at Augusta National with a chance to win on national television?

AMARI AVERY: That's a big one. I mean, honestly, I would say never saw it coming. Like you said, this has only been around for four years, so obviously this wasn't like a dream of mine or anything, but this is a huge event. It's probably the biggest amateur event in women's golf, I would say. This is really what dreams are made of.

So to have my family here with me and to play pretty well and have a spot at winning tomorrow is obviously great.

Q. How crucial has your dad been?

AMARI AVERY: He's been good. He was actually supposed to be on the bag this week, but we did a quick little switch up in the end and put Justin in. Even though he's not on the course, I'm still pulling experience from last year with him. Even though he's outside the ropes, he's still inside helping.

Q. What went into the decision to change caddies?

AMARI AVERY: It wasn't even me, to be quite honest. We were in Athens for a tournament, and I originally had my dad on the bag. Next thing I know, I got a call on the phone talking about Justin's on the bag. I'm like all right. You guys going to switch your credentials or something? Because I'm not going to do it.

Q. You've got some experience here. Does that kind of free you up at all going into tomorrow's round? Now that you don't have to worry about playing in the playoff? Does that help you at all and give you an advantage going into tomorrow?

AMARI AVERY: I think so. Coming into two days ago, I was a lot less nervous than I was last year. It also helps we had a tournament literally the day before we got here. I was already in tournament mode. It's just kind of like, oh, it's another tournament, not Augusta.

But it's nice. It's nice having to be able to relax a little bit and my game kind of firing on all cylinders. So just chilling, ready for tomorrow.

Q. How do you think you're a different player than you were this time last year?

AMARI AVERY: Game-wise, I don't think much changed. I mean, I think mentally and with confidence, I think everything gets better physically. So and then going to college and having the support from your teammates and your coaches always makes it easier to play. Yeah, it's been pretty easy.

Q. You're still a relative newbie in college, but how has that experience gone so far? How has that kind of helped you?

AMARI AVERY: It's been amazing. I love college. Like I've said multiple times, I never planned on going to college. So it was obviously a weird switch going from being home schooled and planning on going pro and going to school and actually going to class. I mean, that was like the main thing.

I knew the golf part would be fairly easy just because I knew everyone, and me and Justin and Katie had a pretty good connection, but the social life at school is nice. I've made a lot of friends. My life's been good. It's been very interesting at school. So golf's been just kind of easy.

Q. What's been the coolest college experience so far aside from golf?

AMARI AVERY: I think just meeting new people, meeting new athletes and getting to know them and what it's like. We're complaining that we're up at 7:00 in the morning for practice, and we don't even realize how bad some of these athletes got it. They're training three times a day. I'm like, oh, my God, I have workouts at 10:45. They're working out at 7:00 in the morning and 3:00 in the afternoon.

It's like I think we do so much, but there are some out there, they're killing it every day. They're beasts at SC, so yeah.

Q. How does it work there? Are you grouped or housed with other athletes?

AMARI AVERY: Right now I'm living in a dorm on campus. I'm rooming with a swimmer, and I have two suite mates that are in water polo. They're all super cool, and it's nice because it helps that they're all fall freshmen, so they already know some people. It's kind of nice I get to meet people through them.

Also with my teammates, they're all older. So it's nice meeting new people, and it's been fairly easy.

Q. Are they golf fans?

AMARI AVERY: Actually, yeah. They're actually turning into golf fans. They've all been texting me while I've been here, and they're like, oh, my gosh, you're on ESPN. Same, I feel. They're turning into golf fans and really starting to like it.

They're starting to get heavily involved in our tournaments and stuff. When I moved in, they're like what even is golf? I don't know, I just play it because I'm good at it. They're starting to get the hang of it. A lot of the athletes over there are learning the terms of golf and everything. So it's nice to hear from them and get a text saying, nice birdie on 18. So yeah.

Q. Now the big question is are you a water polo fan now?

AMARI AVERY: Oh, my God, I'm a fan of them. I'm just in awe of them as athletes. I haven't been to a meet yet, if that's the right term, a match, I don't know. I haven't been to any of those yet, but I've told them all I'll come out soon, once tournament schedule dies down a little bit.

Q. Have you been able to learn anything from them? I know you said they were fall semester freshmen. Have you learned anything from them about what it's like to be a college athlete or what it takes, the work ethic and the schedule, how to budget time maybe?

AMARI AVERY: Yeah, for sure. We're all basically on the same schedule. We're all up at 5:30 in the morning getting ready for practice.

They've been helping with school too and everything, just helping me try to balance school life and obviously athlete life. SC's not that bad, so we're not too academically hard. So it's not too bad.

Q. You've been playing great obviously this spring. What do you think your biggest advantage tomorrow will be against the rest of the field?

AMARI AVERY: I think just how calm I've been with college golf. I think when you're a part of a team, it's not even about you anymore. So I think my mindset when I've been playing has just kind of been like I'm out here just to play and hit the shots, and whatever counts for my team counts.

I know that obviously this is an individual event, but I still have that same kind of mentality going in, just taking one shot at a time and trying to make the best score and hit the best shots.