AUGUSTA NATIONAL WOMEN'S AMATEUR

April 2, 2022

Anna Davis

Quick Quotes

THE MODERATOR: Good afternoon, everyone. On behalf of Augusta National, I'm honored to welcome to the interview room our 2022 Augusta National Women's Amateur Champion, Anna Davis.

16 years old, one of the youngest players in the field, and our youngest champion to date. Anna, after holding a share of the 18-hole lead, you were two strokes back going into today's final round. You navigated Augusta National with such confidence today with four birdies, including two back-to-back at number 12 and 13. You posted an impressive 3 under 69 to become the third Augusta National Women's Amateur Champion.

Congratulations to you on your fantastic play this week. We're so proud to have you as part of the growing legacy of this championship. Could you try to put into words what winning this event means to you?

ANNA DAVIS: I'm still a little shocked. I don't think it's processed yet that I've won here, but it's pretty surreal, to be honest. I literally -- I'm speechless. I can't even fathom what just happened. It all happened very quickly, but yeah. (Laughing).

Q. Anna, at the risk of not really wanting to hear the answer to this question, what is your earliest memory of this club and the Masters?

ANNA DAVIS: I don't think I have one, to be honest. I think I've never really watched the Masters on TV, which is a little weird, but I think a vivid memory that I have is sitting in the clubhouse watching Tiger two-putt on the last hole in 2019 to win the Masters. I think that's the only vivid memory I have of Augusta, to be honest.

Q. Are you at least going to watch this week?

ANNA DAVIS: I will, yes. I will. (Laughing).

Q. I wanted to ask you when you made that really nice attempt at birdie on 18 and missed in your heart of hearts, did you think that was your last chance?

ANNA DAVIS: Anything can happen, but I knew that I felt like I needed to make that to have a pretty good chance at winning without having Latanna make a -- not make, like, a dumb mistake. She obviously struggled a little bit towards the end, but I think on the last putt I was hoping it would drop for sure.

Q. Congratulations, Anna. Have you always been this composed, or maybe you didn't think you were composed?

ANNA DAVIS: Yeah, usually I am. I try to keep my emotions kind of to myself on the golf course. I don't know. I think showing emotions on the golf course, showing anger, sadness, it kind of makes the other player have an advantage when they see that, so I try to keep it to myself.

Q. Anna, can you tell us who was caddying? And then also, what you did to learn the golf course, get to know it, anything you picked up in the practice round to prepare for today?

ANNA DAVIS: The past three days I had a family friend, Randy Kirby, he caddied for me. He has caddied for my brother in previous events, and my brother really liked him as a caddie, so I decided that we would give him a try. (Laughing).

The last three days just kind of getting used to not being able to use a range finder. That's for sure. That was a big thing. I've never done that before. Just learning the speed of the greens. Knowing where not to miss it that will really get you in trouble, but I think mainly here it was -- it's pretty straight forward tee to green, so it was just kind of getting the speed of the greens, learning the slopes, like where you can hit it, where to feed down to the hole. That was mainly it.

Q. Where did you spend the moments kind of after you finished and before the final group came in, and did you watch what Latanna did and what was going through your head once you realized that she had bogeyed the last?

ANNA DAVIS: Yes. I was watching on a monitor inside. I wasn't expecting it, but I was more nervous watching her than playing my round out there, so yeah.

Q. You said you try to keep your composure when you are on the course. How tough was that to do today?

ANNA DAVIS: It was actually quite easy. I didn't really feel the nerves. I think towards the end for sure, like on that last hole. I knew I had to make a par or better to have a chance at winning, so I think I was pretty composed throughout the round, though.

Q. Anna, we had a winner who was 17 years old last year. You are 16 years old. It looks like you have plenty of experience. Do you feel like a 16-year-old veteran? What does it mean for the level of girl's golf right now and the future of women's golf?

ANNA DAVIS: What was the question? I'm a little --

Q. Do you feel like a 16-year-old veteran after winning this, and what does it mean the level of golf for girls your age right now? What does it mean for the future of women's golf?

ANNA DAVIS: I think I've always felt a little bit older than 16. I've always hung out with older girls. I've played golf with older girls pretty high-level. Especially this event, you're playing with a bunch of college girls, and I haven't met half the girls in this field, so I think, I don't know, a lot of the girls my age are very mature, and golf helps you mature when you are traveling so much and playing all these tournaments. It helps you mature a little; and that's, I don't know, a good thing.

Q. I saw after you found out that you won Megha, Alexa, some of your Junior Solheim Cup teammates came out. What does that camaraderie and friendship with the other girls out here mean to you?

ANNA DAVIS: It's good to have friends like that who are always really supportive of you, and we always feed off of each other, and we learn things from each other, and they're just really good friends, and I'm really glad to have them by my side.

Q. You've talked a lot and there's been a lot of talk about the word composure, and you clearly do look very composed here. Are you composed in other aspects of your life as well? Would you describe yourself as a composed person? If so, does it come from your father or your mother?

ANNA DAVIS: I don't think either of them, to be honest. They're not very composed people. (Laughing).

Q. Who does it come from? Where does it come from?

ANNA DAVIS: I think just from experience and having to be very independent at an early age. I think that's helped a lot. I think also learning from them and what to do and what not to do sometimes. (Laughing).

Q. You had a nice break on Wednesday on your last hole that allowed you to walk off the golf course with a share of the lead. When something like that happens at a moment like that, do you sort of think that, hey, maybe this is a chance that it might be my week?

ANNA DAVIS: You see things like that happen, and you are, like, okay, well, that's a sign that there's a good chance that I'm going to win this week. Yeah, you just have to take advantage of those moments.

Q. You may or may not know that you have earned a spot into the U.S. Women's Open with this win. Can you talk a little --

ANNA DAVIS: Oh, I did not know that.

Q. Talk about what that will mean teeing it up with the best in the world.

ANNA DAVIS: That's insane. I did not know that. I was looking forward to a qualifier soon, but that's incredible.

It's exciting. My friend Megha, she played in that last year and, obviously, did really well. I've learned quite a few things from her, and that's going to be really fun. Wow, I did not know that. (Laughing).

Q. A little bit of biographical background on you: I was curious where you are in your schooling, what grade, and also, if whatever school you attend, if they have a girl's golf team, and if you are on it.

ANNA DAVIS: I am a sophomore in high school. I've not committed to a college. I'm not allowed to talk to colleges until --

Q. I was talking about your high school golf team.

ANNA DAVIS: Oh, that makes sense. (Laughing).

I don't play high school golf. In my area it's kind of hard. There aren't as many experienced golfers in my area who play, so it's kind of hard. And then with scheduling for Junior Golf and stuff like that, I couldn't play this year.

Q. I just want to ask a very funny question because I have a Chinese background. Back in China, Korea a lot of player's parents are preparing their kids for college for golf. Obviously, we see a lot of Koreans that play on tours, but in Mainland China a lot of parents are preparing their kids to play golf for colleges. What do you play golf for?

ANNA DAVIS: I want to be the best in the world, so I think playing in a tournament like this and playing Junior Golf from such a young age, my main goal has always been to be the best in the world.

Q. Anna, I know you've gotten a lot of questions about Masters history, but how do you feel kind of charting your own course and writing in these history books yourself?

ANNA DAVIS: I didn't know. I just learned this has been the third year they've done this event, so to be able to win this event, win at Augusta at such a young age, it's pretty amazing.

Q. When the rounds started, did you have a score in mind? I need to shoot this to make this happen?

ANNA DAVIS: No. I went into the day just thinking to play consistent because I saw at Champions, like, the cut just kept going farther and farther down, so I think it was 6 over, so I just kind of went into the day just trying to stay consistent, make pars, and not get ahead of myself.

Q. I see your bucket hat fan club over here.

ANNA DAVIS: Oh, God.

Q. Is that a trademark of yours, and how did you come to wear it?

ANNA DAVIS: It is. Back a few months ago in July I wore a bucket hat at Valhalla because my dad told me to. (Laughing). Ever since that's kind of become a thing, I guess. I try to wear it at least once a tournament just to please everybody, but they went to the shop while I was on the driving range, and I saw them come back with a bunch of bucket hats, and I was, like, uh-oh, oh, no. Yeah.

Q. Why did he tell you to wear a bucket hat?

ANNA DAVIS: Because it was very hot, and I was getting very sunburned, so he said I had to wear a bucket hat. (Laughing).

Q. Two things: Will you continue to wear bucket caps now --

ANNA DAVIS: Yes. Yes.

Q. -- as part of your look?

ANNA DAVIS: Every golf course I go to I try to collect them. I have a few now.

Q. What's your home course?

ANNA DAVIS: Steel Canyon Golf Club.

Q. I'm just curious, when did you first hear about the Augusta National Women's Amateur?

ANNA DAVIS: Last year. I have to think about it. It was when Rose was in the lead. I had a friend back home who was playing in it, so I heard a lot about it from her, and so it made me very excited to try and compete in this event. When I won back in July at Valhalla, I was excited to learn that I was going to play here.

Q. Last thing, by the way, can you tell me about the 12th hole? I didn't see it. Your birdie there. 3 over the water.

ANNA DAVIS: It was 145. I hit a -- it was a nice little draw 8 iron. It landed inches from the hole and went about four feet away. It had a straight four-footer and made it. Yeah.

Q. People talk about this golf course setting up well for left-handers. I know you have only played two rounds here, but did you feel that was the case?

ANNA DAVIS: Yeah, I think so. On some of the drives it sets up like pretty well. On 18 it's like a perfect setup. You aim a little right of the bunkers and hit a draw, and it's perfect.

Yeah, there's quite a few holds holes where -- like hole 12, a draw is perfect. It feeds right into the hole, so...

Q. One quick question before my actual question, but did your dad give you the bucket hat before your round?

ANNA DAVIS: No, I wore a different one today. I wore my own, but he said -- oh, you mean -- wait.

Q. Before today's round.

ANNA DAVIS: Before today's round? No, no. I decided wear the bucket hat. I wore my own bucket hat, and then they all decided to come out in Augusta bucket hats.

Q. Then my actual question is, you have done a lot of solo travel the last few years to tournaments. We talked about composure earlier. Was there any kind of crazy travel story where you had to kind of act like an adult and deal with some adversity, like a missed flight or any kind of issues with Ubers or anything?

ANNA DAVIS: The only thing I've really dealt with is delayed flights. I don't have any crazy stories. Not yet anyway. I'm waiting for something to happen because I think traveling has been pretty easy so far.

Q. Have you gotten a chance to check your phone yet, and if so, how many messages, and any cool --

ANNA DAVIS: No. I don't want to check. I'm scared.

Q. Why not?

ANNA DAVIS: It's going to be so many. I don't want to respond. (Laughing).

Q. Can you talk about your coach and the impact that he has had on your game?

ANNA DAVIS: He was out here today. He has been a family friend for a really long time, and he taught my dad how to play, and so he has been in the family for a while, so it was nice to have him out here just watching and being there for me.

Q. How long have you worked with him, and what's his name?

ANNA DAVIS: Bill Barrett, and I've been working ever since I was small. Like, I don't know, 4 or 5.

THE MODERATOR: If you could before we close, we would like to go through your score card just in terms of the birdies and bogeys in terms of what you hit into the different holes.

ANNA DAVIS: Hole 2, that was a birdie hole. I hit a good drive. I kind of got a good break by the bunker. It hopped over the bunker on the right in the fairway.

I had downhill. It was 207 to the front. I pulled a 5 wood. I didn't hit it very well. It went into the right bunker. I hit a bunker shot, and I just kind of let it feed to the hole, and I had about a 10-, 15-footer down the hill. Pretty straight. Then made that one.

Then on the next hole I made a bogey. I hit a good drive. It was about 85. It was a tough pin today. I'm not very good at those shots having the 85-yarder hit and stop, so I kind of pulled out of the shot, and it went a little far over the green. Then I just chipped on and two-putted.

Hole 9. Oh, hole 9. Hit a good drive. My playing partner on her second shot, she rolled hers down the hill, so I was kind of just making sure that I would get it to the correct tier and get it over that false front. I did. It was an eight-foot putt, and I made that one.

Hole 12. Hole 12 we went over, right? Hit a good 7 iron. Had a straight four-footer. Made that one.

Then next hole, 13, hit a good drive. Hit a good 7 iron layup. Had 67 yards in, and I just hit kind of like a little draw, and it fed down to the hole perfectly and had about two feet.

Thank you.