AUGUSTA NATIONAL WOMEN'S AMATEUR

March 31, 2023

Savannah de Bock

Quick Quotes

Q. What was it like being on the course today? You're all smiles. It seems like you're having a great time.

SAVANNAH DE BOCK: It was amazing. I love the course. I think it's one of my favorites now. It was so much fun. I hope to come back next year to play it in the tournament.

Q. Coming to Georgia, is this your first time physically in Georgia? Have you visited before?

SAVANNAH DE BOCK: It's my second time as I went here before to visit the University of Georgia, but I'm so glad to be able to play here. It's just so fun.

Q. What's it like being here, kind of the capital of golf in Georgia?

SAVANNAH DE BOCK: It's amazing because everyone is so nice. Everyone is thinking golf, everyone is living golf. It just feels so good. The place is amazing. All of the golf courses I've been to are just tough. It's amazing.

Q. When you go back home, people say, what's Augusta really like, Augusta National, what will you say?

SAVANNAH DE BOCK: I will say that it's not as hard as we think. It's just hard if you hit a bad shot or miss on the wrong side. If you miss on the wrong side, it's awful. That place is the worst ever. But if you miss on the right side, it's actually fine. We don't have tournament greens yet. Tomorrow the greens are going to be faster and firmer, so I don't know how it will be tomorrow, but I feel like we can make a lot of birdies here if we play the course correctly like it's intended to.

Q. Did you have some birdies today?

SAVANNAH DE BOCK: I did. It was fun.

Q. Which holes?

SAVANNAH DE BOCK: 1, 2, then I got -- let me check. 1, 2, 9, and I didn't have any on the back nine because I missed my putts, but I got easy pars, so that was nice.

Q. You've had a pretty busy last couple weeks, Sage Valley, now down here. Can you talk about what it's been like to make this trip and play some of these incredible golf courses against these incredible fields?

SAVANNAH DE BOCK: It's been just amazing, one of my best experiences because I'm here playing on wonderful courses that are better than I ever played in my life. I played against wonderful players, super nice people over here, and I'm just having so much fun and learning so much playing in those really hard course. Yeah, it's just -- I'm so glad to be here.

Q. How much does it make you look forward to going to Georgia and starting your college career?

SAVANNAH DE BOCK: Yeah, I'm just even more excited than I was before, and I didn't think it was possible. Only nine more months to go; let's go.

Q. I know Coach is out here; did you have any conversations with him?

SAVANNAH DE BOCK: I could talk a little bit, but we never had really the chance to talk about the university or anything. But I could like take some news from him, so that was nice.

Q. What's been the highlight of your trip?

SAVANNAH DE BOCK: There's a lot of good stuff. Oh, it's hard. I think the really best thing was able to play here and like the players' nights when we went here for the first time was also amazing. It was great also to be able to paint on that giant painting. That was so fun. Then at Sage Valley it was so fun, too. Everyone was so nice. Everyone is so good, I can't choose.

Q. I know you were having a good time telling some jokes with your caddie back at Sage Valley. What was your experience like with your caddie this week?

SAVANNAH DE BOCK: It was really great. I really had fun with Cat. He was really nice. Yeah, we were talking between each shot, but I was able to get back in my game for the shots, and he was really helping me. I know what I had to do. It's all on me if I miss my shot. That's really nice, and I had a really good feeling with him. Today my caddie of the day was really nice, too, so it was really fun.

Q. Did you tell any jokes?

SAVANNAH DE BOCK: We didn't tell jokes. We talked about singing. We talked about music, about fashion a little bit today. That was weird, but it was nice. With Cat I talked about my stories, all the things I invent and stuff. I talk about school, I talk about a lot of stuff.

Q. How much would you like to come back this next year?

SAVANNAH DE BOCK: More than possible. I want to be here already. I want to be next year right now because -- I didn't play as good as I wish I had this week, and I'm a little bit frustrated because I know I have to work hard to get better, and I want to do this, but I also want to play again. Just I know I can do better.

Q. What's one thing you've learned about yourself this week?

SAVANNAH DE BOCK: I think that I thought I was a good player, and I've learned that I am, but I'm not enough. It's good to have a little reminder that you have so much more to do to become one of the best amateurs, and even more to do before becoming one of the best golfers in the world, and I knew that, but now I have actually the road in front of me. I know how much I have to improve, when before it was just, I have to improve, but how much, I don't know. Just aim for the goal and see. Now it's more clear.

Q. What surprised you most stepping foot on this property this week?

SAVANNAH DE BOCK: The greens are hard, but I am able to read them. I thought it would be so much firm and so hard to read and I would totally die with my putting this week. It hasn't been as good as I wish it has, but it was fine. I know I'm able to play this course well if I just train more and more. It's not some real place where the putting is impossible.

Q. When was the last time you were on a podium?

SAVANNAH DE BOCK: I have been three times. The Solheim Cup Junior and the Solheim Cup when I was playing and supporting the girls. It was so fun. It was amazing. My first LET in Belgium because there were so many people following me. It was just the best week. And then at the Muirfield where it was just so cool being able to play in a professional major. It was so fun. And here I'm playing with the best European American from all over the world, the best amateurs. It's so fun again.

Q. Is there anything more exciting?

SAVANNAH DE BOCK: I think it's going to be even more exciting the day I'm good enough to play the Solheim Cup with the adults and I make the last putt for victory. That's my goal.

Q. We'd all like to see you do that.

SAVANNAH DE BOCK: I'm going to do everything in my power to achieve that goal, and then we'll see what happens, but I just need to get training now. I have so much to do.