AUGUSTA NATIONAL WOMEN'S AMATEUR

March 29, 2023

Jensen Castle

Quick Quotes

Q. Good round out there today. Can you just tell us about the conditions and how it played.

JENSEN CASTLE: It played a little wet. Very thankful we played it up. Wind was pretty aggressive early on too.

Luckily on the back nine I feel like it was a lot of downwind. Still it's hard to hold a green that way.

I think this year versus last year the course is a lot more gettable. A lot of the tees were moved up.

Q. Speaking of last year, (No microphone). How comfortable are you with this course?

JENSEN CASTLE: Like I said, I think it's pretty good that we played it up. That was very helpful, as well as the golf course this year is a lot more gettable.

I will say, obviously playing last year and this year, like having that experience -- like 18. This is a lot of chaos going on around 18 green. You know, knowing that going into the hole and whether or not you go for it plays a part.

I think a lot with the gettableness this year versus last year, and definitely the experience, very helpful for anyone.

Q. How are you feeling health-wise?

JENSEN CASTLE: I just told Steve I'm having a rib injury again. I just took the last five days off. I had to pull out of our last event at Clemson, unfortunately. It flared up, and all I've done is just get a lot of treatment. That's all I can do.

So I mean, that in itself, the mindset's been pretty tough because like everyone has expectations on me going into this week. Me personally, I just took five days off. Like I haven't touched a club, period.

So putting me and my body first is very important at this time. So that's my health situation, and I'm going to see the trainer after this.

Q. How does it impact you on your swing?

JENSEN CASTLE: It starts with walking, but like swing, it just depends. Like as the day goes on, I'll feel it more. It's just like going through.

In the moment, it's not as bad until after, you're like doggone, you know what I mean?

Q. I think at 14 you had like a 20-footer to save par. That was right after you had like two birdies. For me that was a game high moment. What was that like for you?

JENSEN CASTLE: It was definitely also a game high moment for sure. It was a long hole, especially into the wind. The back -- I guess my last 18, which happened to be the front, was straight downwind. But that first nine that I played, which was the back, there was a lot of into.

That hole played extremely long for a par-5. Especially with the start I had, I missed a nine-footer on the first hole for birdie, and then made birdie on the next two holes. Then to save par was huge, especially the fact that I wasn't on the green.

After that, I was like all right, we're good. We're calm. Let's go.

Q. You're a little more seasoned this year. How do you feel like this course specifically favors your game?

JENSEN CASTLE: I think the experience. Last year I probably would have gone for every par-5, whether or not that was the smartest thing to do. Whereas this year I'm laying up with 215 into a green knowing that green doesn't make any sense to go for it.

So experience-wise, especially with all the patrons, just knowing 18 is chaotic. There's certain points in the golf course where there's more people gathered around and just knowing that in advance.

Q. What are you doing this week for pain management between rounds?

JENSEN CASTLE: You get to know these trainers real well. You see them pretty often. I'm sure they'll be my best friend by the end of the week. Just taking time off and icing it and taking care of it.

Q. You've been the face of the Kentucky women's program for the last couple years, since your U.S. Women's Am win. How special is it to have a teammate here at ANWA this week?

JENSEN CASTLE: I get chills thinking about it. I'm so excited to have Laney here. She has worked her butt off this last year. Her whole time at Kentucky, she's worked her butt off.

To see it so rewarding for her. I don't know how she's playing today, but she's also two groups behind me. So that's even cooler knowing my coach is going to be able to go in between us.

But I'm really excited and so proud of her.

Q. Do you share a lot with her? Do you let her find her own way as she's doing this for the first time? How do you have that balance of helping her but also letting her have a fresh look at it?

JENSEN CASTLE: I am a mentor to her if she wants to ask me anything. I just don't want to be like here's everything you need to know. She has a huge team around her with Ted Scott and everyone else that she has, which is awesome.

So I let her, if she has any questions regarding the tournament, whether it's just the dinner, what do you wear, or whatever, of course I'd answer it. But I just don't go out of my way to say you need to know all of this.

I'll let her experience it because it's way more special to be told about it than experience it.

Q. Is there anything that caused the rib to flare up?

JENSEN CASTLE: I'd like to blame the U.S. Women's Open, the rough at Olympic, but it was also my eighth week in a row on the road. So there's a lot of fingers I could point it at.

Also, I probably could have strengthened my core a little bit more, but it's much easier to blame something else.

Q. As a Girls Golf, Peggy Kirk Bell alum, what does it mean on this global stage to represent all girls out there?

JENSEN CASTLE: I think it's very important. There's so many -- I think it's 20 countries represented here. In the U.S., PKB. But just to see that it doesn't matter what foundation you come from, you can be the best coming out of that foundation.

There's girls here from California. I'm sure they're representing SCA or whatever. South Carolina, PKB is up the East Coast. So I think just knowing, yeah, there's different strengths based on the foundations. Some are smaller and bigger.

But just knowing that it doesn't matter how strong a foundation is, the girls that play, you can come from it and still be the best and be on this stage. I think that's very important.

Q. I think it's such an inspiring week. What would you say to the next generation of girls who aspire to be competing at ANWA?

JENSEN CASTLE: Believe in yourself, and anyone can do it. If you put your mind to it, any girl can be out here. I think it's super cool seeing the younger generation looking up to us as role models.

Just knowing that was me one day looking up to the older generation thinking I just want to be there, and here I am now. I think that's super cool and really empowering.

Q. Speaking of empowering, obviously Girls Golf starts at age 6. If you had your 6-year-old self here, what would you tell her? Any advice. Whether it's golf, life.

JENSEN CASTLE: To have fun. Playing in front of these many people, like that's really cool. For me, that's my favorite part about golf is just playing in front of people. I play better that way, and I just love that.

I think just knowing that is what I would have told myself. When the cameras come on, it's a whole different person.