AUGUSTA NATIONAL WOMEN'S AMATEUR

April 1, 2023

Erica Shepherd

Quick Quotes

Q. Talk about your round today. It's your fourth ANWA, right?

ERICA SHEPHERD: Yes.

Q. Talk about it today.

ERICA SHEPHERD: I would just say my round today, I honestly got off to a pretty hot start. Both of the par-5s, I had a 5-iron in two. So just to be able to hit both of those greens and get some momentum going was great. Kind of the rain delay might have thrown me off a bit.

Overall just the experience here, I'm forever grateful for what I have here.

Q. We keep asking people here, if you learn from experience, it looks like the conditions on the course are different every year.

ERICA SHEPHERD: Especially this year. I never played with winds, for it to be like 30 miles per hour on the 1st tee, that definitely changed it up a lot.

Q. Was it hard to stop and then come back?

ERICA SHEPHERD: Yeah, it definitely could have been worse. It wasn't long. Then we were able to see all of my friends and hang out for a bit.

Definitely loosened everything up, and coming back out without the people kind of felt a little like a practice round.

So that was a little weird at first, but it was okay.

Q. After four rounds, what's the best part of this tournament for you?

ERICA SHEPHERD: After?

Q. Playing four times. The best part, the part that you enjoyed the most.

ERICA SHEPHERD: I would just say that overall being a part of it and seeing it evolve over the four years and seeing how much it's done for women's golf and seeing all the girls that come out here that are inspired; I think that has been the best part.

Q. How was it having your brother on the bag?

ERICA SHEPHERD: It was great. Ethan's caddied for me a few times, and each time it's gotten a little better. As we've gotten older I think we can get along better.

Ethan is a great player himself, so just having his knowledge, and he gets me, which is rare. So it was awesome out there to have him there.

Q. And there was quite a few people out there cheering for you today. Was there a lot of Duke fans?

ERICA SHEPHERD: Yes. I have some family out here that made the trip from Indiana. Obviously some Duke fans. They're not too far. Got a lot of, go Dukes out there, which felt great.

Just having such a big support system every year that I've played here, and not just here, but all the time, just means the world to me. For them to show up here was awesome.

Q. Rain delays can be kind of nerve-racking. Who do you gravitate to here at Augusta National during a rain delay to keep the mood light? Of all the friends you have in the field that made the cut, trapped in a room, trying to kill time, who's your go-to to keep things light?

ERICA SHEPHERD: It's funny because my go-to is Emilia, and I actually played with her. She's just the most calming, peaceful, relaxed person ever. Any time you're around her, you definitely get a little less stressed and more grateful. So she's who I gravitated towards.

It was a group of about me -- Rachel Heck was there, Megha, of course. So it was a good time.

Q. Both of you are four-timers. How was it playing alongside Emilia today?

ERICA SHEPHERD: It was awesome. I was crying going up the last hole because the tournament has meant so much over the four years, so just to play with Emilia my final one was awesome.