AUGUSTA NATIONAL WOMEN'S AMATEUR

April 1, 2022

Jensen Castle

Quick Quotes

Q. It wasn't even a chip-in. It was a hole-out?

JENSEN CASTLE: I mean, two different things. Not even comparable.

Q. What was the yardage and the club?

JENSEN CASTLE: I wish I knew that actually. I think it was 145.

Q. That's definitely a hole-out.

JENSEN CASTLE: I mean, it wasn't a chip-in.

Q. That's an 8-iron, 9-iron?

JENSEN CASTLE: I wish. It was a 7. I mean, it was into the wind as well.

Q. Besides the hole-out, how did you find your first stint around here?

JENSEN CASTLE: I mean amazing. That's the only word I can describe. It's so pretty out here. Especially the weather. I'm not going to lie.

Q. Do you have to pinch yourself sometimes with all that's happened for you in the past however many months?

JENSEN CASTLE: Yeah, but I don't think about it as much as -- it happened, and it's a new day. I mean, people remind me, don't get me wrong. The whole Cinderella story at the Am, that's something I'll never forget.

Moving forward, you can't bring that with you. It's a whole different event.

Q. If that was a Cinderella story, what would the story be tomorrow if you win?

JENSEN CASTLE: I mean, Snow White. I don't know how that story went. Rapunzel, I don't know.

Q. They all find a prince.

JENSEN CASTLE: That's facts. There you go.

Q. What was the most challenging hole?

JENSEN CASTLE: 18. That tee shot's tough.

Q. Why?

JENSEN CASTLE: It's a fade, and it's tight. And the wind.

Q. Just give me your reasoning, come on.

JENSEN CASTLE: The same as everyone else's. And the wind today when we played it was going right.

Q. You made a triple, I think, the first day. Not to bring it up, but I'm getting to a larger point. You've had maybe two holes where you gave away a lot of shots, but by far you've made the most birdies in the field. Do you feel like you're playing better than anyone right now?

JENSEN CASTLE: I mean, I wouldn't say all that. I'm giving myself a lot of opportunities to make birdies. That's big. With golf, you have up and downs. You're going to make high numbers. You're going to get bad breaks. But as long as you give yourself opportunities and you're able to make it up elsewhere, that's the most important.

Q. What was the most important thing you learned today on the course?

JENSEN CASTLE: On hole 9, maybe give myself that 145.

Q. What do you hope little girls watching you learn from your experience here?

JENSEN CASTLE: I hope they know that they too can do this as well. It is a dream for everyone, but if they work hard enough, like they can achieve this as well.

Q. Based on what you saw out there, what do you think a great score tomorrow would be?

JENSEN CASTLE: I don't know the wind or the pin positions. I think anything around even out here is solid, I really do.

Q. What's your kind of goals for the rest of this year? I mean, obviously finishing out the college season, but do you have -- what are your pro aspirations or anything like that?

JENSEN CASTLE: Honestly, I'm just taking it one step at a time right now, enjoying my time at Kentucky and with my teammates. Whatever happens happens.

I'm playing in the Evian, the U.S. Women's Open. So I'm getting like a toe in the sand basically playing in pro events.

I will play golf as long as it's fun for me. As long as it's fun, I'll play golf as long as I can.

Q. What are your nerves like? Does this feel like a major? You said you're playing in majors later this year, but does this have similar nerves?

JENSEN CASTLE: It's hard to say right now when there's not that many people out here. When you're standing in like 13 or 14 and you can just picture everyone, that will be a whole different ballgame, like a whole different ballgame.

Q. What's your sense of history playing here? I think people on this side of the ropes may have a little bit more knowledge of the history of the Masters. What about you approaching this golf course? Do you look back on maybe previous Masters you've watched, or are you coming in with a blank slate?

JENSEN CASTLE: A little bit of a blank slate, I'm not going to lie. I mean, I love the Masters, don't get me wrong, but I'm not like diehard watching every shot.

There's a few shots I remember, like Bubba Watson, I think he hit the snap hook or something. Dustin Johnson one year did something like that. Of course a lot of Tiger's highlights I remember.

But I don't really remember those when I'm playing myself, like, oh, that's where he was standing or something like that.