WOMEN’S AMATEUR CHAMPIONSHIP

June 21, 2022

Ami Yamashita

Quick Quotes

Q. How satisfied are you to be now top qualifier?

AMI YAMASHITA: I wasn't really thinking about that but I really enjoyed myself playing, and I'm very happy.

Q. Talk to us about the two eagles. That must have been a huge highlight.

AMI YAMASHITA: On the second hole, it was a par 5. I got on in two but had a long putt that went in.

On the third hole, the second shot went in the hole directly which very lucky. But I enjoyed it.

Q. Second shot went in, that must have been cool. Have you had many eagle-2s like that before?

AMI YAMASHITA: No.

Q. Have you played much golf here in the U.K. before?

AMI YAMASHITA: First time.

Q. Why are you here? How did you get to the Amateur? What's the process?

AMI YAMASHITA: I won the Royal Junior. It's a tournament held by the Nippon Kabaya Oyaho Holdings and supported by the R&A, and they gave us the privilege to send the winner to England, and that's how I came out. A boy and a girl came out.

Q. Have you played in the Women's Amateur Asia-Pacific before?

AMI YAMASHITA: No.

Q. So you must be very proud of your effort, first time here and now you're leading after two rounds?

AMI YAMASHITA: Yes, I'm very proud.

Q. Could you give us a bit of background about your age, where you're from and where you started golf and how you got to where you are today.

AMI YAMASHITA: I'm 17 and I was born in Kyoto Prefecture which is close to Osaka, and I go to Kyoto Gaidai Nishi, second junior high school at the moment. I started golf when I was 7.

Q. So there's been a lot of success in Japanese golf in the last couple of years, amazing few years for both the Amateur and professional. Who are some of your golfing heros?

AMI YAMASHITA: Ayaka Furue, a lady pro in Japan. That's my target.

Q. What are your aspirations from here on in, how do you visualise your career going?

AMI YAMASHITA: I want to turn pro and I want to play overseas.

Q. And talk us through this logo.

AMI YAMASHITA: This stamp is a Japan High School Association. Below is one of the sponsors. ECC is a school, English school. This is Kose is a cosmetic companies that support the Royal Junior -- inaudible -- is a cosmetic company and this is Nippon Kabaya Oyaho Housing is the main organiser. That's a WAAP sponsor, and the World Golf Club belongs to the Nippon Kabaya Oyaho Holdings, so I have a lot of sponsors.

Q. Is this the high school you go to?

AMI YAMASHITA: No, this is a high school association of golf.

Q. Do you attend?

AMI YAMASHITA: My school belongs to the association. It's like the Japanese Golf Association.

Q. Are you in the Japanese golf, the GJA program or anything like that? So you would know Joon and Gareth Jones?

AMI YAMASHITA: No.

Q. And finally have you played much match-play golf? Do you like match-play versus stroke play?

AMI YAMASHITA: I enjoy match play.