AUGUSTA NATIONAL WOMEN'S AMATEUR

March 30, 2023

Gianna Clemente

Quick Quotes

Q. Heck of a last nine there. Just talk about the final nine holes and were you aware of where the cut line was?

GIANNA CLEMENTE: I was pretty aware, yeah. I knew I needed to make a couple birdies. Maybe not a couple, but I knew I needed to make at least one. I needed to get putts going. I didn't get much to fall on the front, so knew I needed to get something going, and I did.

I dropped a probably a 50-footer on 2 and after that just kept going. Definitely didn't expect to shoot 32 on the back, but we had some good pin positions and I aimed at every pin and it worked.

Q. How was the pressure today different than other tournaments that you've played in?

GIANNA CLEMENTE: I think I have the same mindset towards it, which is just playing my own game. Obviously it's a very big stage with a lot of people. Obviously it's Augusta Women's Amateur. It's a big deal.

But I had the same mindset, which was trying to play my game and take it shot by shot.

Q. You talked the other day about how excited you were to play Augusta National tomorrow. You're going to get to play it in prep for Saturday. Does that change anything for you tomorrow, or no?

GIANNA CLEMENTE: I think from a prep standpoint, yeah. I think if I had missed the cut it would be just for fun, and now it's I actually have to pay attention to what the caddie is saying and write down notes and all that stuff.

Yeah, it's definitely more prep, but that's a good thing. I would rather have it that way.

Q. Does it feel like a Monday qualifier, the fact that you have a practice round and 18 holes? Are you going to play a similar game plan, similar style?

GIANNA CLEMENTE: I mean, I think I just take every tournament that it's the same thing. It's just me out there playing golf. I think Mondays are a little different because there is really nothing at stake. If you make it, great. If you don't, onto the next one.

This one is a little bigger deal than that, and obviously a little more committed and determined. Yeah, I'm just going to go and try and listen to everything the caddie says and take it from there.

Q. What do you think about your game lends itself to the ability to get hot?

GIANNA CLEMENTE: I fully believe I have the ability. I mean, as -- I mean, I proved it to myself today on the back. I did not get anything to drop on the front. It was just not happening on the front. I turned that right around, so I fully believe I can do it again.

Q. As a newly turned 15 year old, what would be your first ever Augusta National memory on TV?

GIANNA CLEMENTE: Probably watching Maria Fassi and Jennifer Kupcho the first year. Obviously I watched the Masters my whole life. The first ANWA memory would be definitely watching them the first year and sitting on the couch and being like, yeah, I really want to do that.

Q. What was the first Masters memory?

GIANNA CLEMENTE: Oh, gosh. I don't know if I have a specific one. I remember every year since I've been five or six sitting by the TV and watching it for hours, especially on Sunday.

So probably watching it every single year.

Q. How big a deal has this become for you now that you played two rounds and really got the feel of it? How big does it feel?

GIANNA CLEMENTE: It's a big deal. I'm not shy -- it is a big deal. It means a lot to me. Every tournament means a lot to me. I've always been very competitive and I want to be the best and win all the time. Obviously it's not going to happen this week, but I'm playing really well.

I'm happy with where I am right now. Just taking it day by day.

Q. What age were you when you first knew who Rose Zhang was and was she an idol given that age...

GIANNA CLEMENTE: I played with her in a practice round at an AJGA before she graduated, and I remember stepping on the first tee and saying, oh, my gosh I'm playing with Rose Zhang, even though it was still a practice round. I was definitely watching her game close and comparing it to mine at the time.

Yeah, I'll never forget that practice round.

Q. How did your game compare then to hers?

GIANNA CLEMENTE: Then? I mean, I played pretty good that day but obviously she played better. She ended up winning that year. So, I mean, she's Rose Zhang. I can't really compare myself to her - yet. Yeah, obviously she's doing some really good things.

Q. You're going to have two very different experiences at Augusta. Nobody out there tomorrow and then Saturday will probably be more people than you've ever seen.

GIANNA CLEMENTE: Yeah.

Q. What do you expect and how do you react to maybe getting in that environment?

GIANNA CLEMENTE: I've always personally loved the people. I love the crowds, love the attention. I love the roars and the cheers. Yeah, it's definitely going to be different going from tomorrow, no people, to Saturday a lot.

But I expect myself to acclimate to that pretty easily. I do love it a lot, so I don't think it'll be an issue.

Q. What would be the biggest gallery you ever had?

GIANNA CLEMENTE: Probably one of the LPGA events I played last summer. There were some pretty big crowds at the third one I played, Kroger Queen City.

That had some -- there were some pretty big crowds around the first tee. Those are the biggest crowds I've seen so far.

Q. You say she's Rose Zhang like she is at a different level than anybody else. Does the amateur golf community kind of look at her that way? She's really set herself apart in many ways?

GIANNA CLEMENTE: I think for the most part, yeah. She's just accomplished so much you have much in her junior career, amateur career, and collegiate career. Not only has she won, but showed so much poise and so much experience. She is incredibly accomplished so I think most of us do, yeah.

Q. Who did most of the talking during that practice round?

GIANNA CLEMENTE: Her. Definitely her. She asked me some questions and I probably stuttered a couple times. Yeah, she did most of the talking.

Q. Was it cool she showed an interest in you, and did she seem down to earth and a nice person?

GIANNA CLEMENTE: Yeah, very supportive. Obviously knew how young was but she was very supportive and offered a lot of advice, which was awesome.

Q. Do you feel like she could potentially be to women's golf what Tiger was to...

GIANNA CLEMENTE: Absolutely. She's already amazing and she still has a lot more growing to do. Obviously still in college. Yeah, I think she's really amazing and I think she can do whatever she wants.

Q. Not sure if this came up, but heard you're a pretty big Taylor Swift fan.

GIANNA CLEMENTE: Yeah.

Q. Did you get tickets to her concert?

GIANNA CLEMENTE: I did.

Q. What's the story?

GIANNA CLEMENTE: It was a surprise. My mom hid it from me for three months because she wanted to surprise me for now birthday which was a week ago. It's in Tampa in about two weeks.

Yeah, I think she had trouble hiding it. Yeah, it was a good surprise.

Q. More excited for Taylor Swift or Saturday?

GIANNA CLEMENTE: Saturday. Yeah. Not even close.

Q. How much did your mom pay for the tickets, or did she get them through the original...

GIANNA CLEMENTE: I don't know. I don't think she'd tell me. That's okay. She doesn't have to tell me.

Q. I have one more kind of weird one. As you look back, how old were you when you felt like you were really good and how much longer until you hit peak level?

GIANNA CLEMENTE: Yeah, second one -- the first one probably at the U.S. Women's Am when I was 11. I got a lot of attention there. That was attention that I really wasn't used to.

I was obviously a really big stage for an 11 year old. Yeah, that's probably where I finally realized I was like okay I'm getting a lot attention so why don't I keep doing it.

Q. You must be okay at it.

GIANNA CLEMENTE: A little bit. As far as peak, I really don't know. That's just something that is way in the future. I think I still have a lot of growing to do obviously. Still 15.

So just kind of taking this tournament by tournament and just trying to get better every single day.

Q. What did you think the deficiencies are right now?

GIANNA CLEMENTE: Probably putting. Putting has always been a little bit of a struggle for me. When I get the putter hot it works, but when it's off, it's off. So it's just something that I'm working on to be more consistent with it.

That just takes constant work. After this probably going to go over to the putting green even though I played well today. I need to still work on a couple things.