KROGER QUEEN CITY CHAMPIONSHIP PRESENTED BY P&G

September 6, 2023

Mia Hammond

Kenwood Country Club

Press Conference

THE MODERATOR: All right, I'm here with Mia Hammond at the Kroger Queen City Championship, one of the sponsor invites this week. Just first off, have you ever played Kenwood Country Club before?

MIA HAMMOND: I have not. I played a practice round two weeks before this week just to kind of see what the course was like, but it was playing completely different. Fairways were super soft. Greens were releasing maybe two feet.

So it was good to know what was out there, but it's just playing so much different.

Q. Any other thoughts about the layout or anything about the course?

MIA HAMMOND: I love the course. It's definitely a challenge. Tee shots are going to be the big thing for this week, just putting it in play.

There is a lot of bunkers like right where I hit my driver, so it's just managing those and hitting around them and avoiding them.

Q. You said you live about two hours away from here, correct?

MIA HAMMOND: Yeah.

Q. What does it feel like to be so close to home, be in Ohio this week?

MIA HAMMOND: Yeah, it's really good to know that my friends and family are close. We have a lot of relatives here in Cincinnati, so I know they're be out for this week. Good just to see everyone. I know a lot people are coming back from our hometown to watch me play.

It's so important to me that they get to be here. I'm so happy they'll be able to share this week with me.

Q. Sounds like you have a lot of the support heading into this week. Both your parents are here; dad will be on the bag. Why are you so thankful to be a sponsor invite this week?

MIA HAMMOND: It just means so much to me to be able to understand -- obviously I want to make this a career of mine in the future. It's my ultimate goal.

So just to get a feel of what it's like out here on the tour and competing, it's really an experience unlike any other.

I played in the Dana Open in Toledo in July and that was just an amazing experience. I'm so excited to do it again.

It was so great the last couple holes seeing everyone out there cheering my name. It's an experience unlike any other.

Q. That is what I was going to ask next. Not only did you play there, you made the cut, had a great finish out there. What are you hoping to bring from that week into this week?

MIA HAMMOND: Yeah, so my goal remains the same: Just make the cut after the first two rounds and go from there.

I'm just trying to take this experience all in and just enjoy it as much as possible. I don't really have very high expectations for myself going into this week. Just to go out and have fun and just soak it all up.

Q. And what does it feel like to be competing next to LPGA players, especially warming up on the range and things like that, being in the same spaces with them?

MIA HAMMOND: Yeah, it's so crazy. I watched them all on TV when I was little and I've always looked up to this especially. To know that I'm out here this week, it's a insane.

Q. One last question from me. You've had a really remarkable junior career, AJGA wins, Drive, Chip & Putt champion I saw as well. You were announced to be in the World Junior Golf Championships, correct?

MIA HAMMOND: Yeah.

Q. And you will be coached with LPGA veteran Mo Martin. Has she given you any advice heading into this week?

MIA HAMMOND: I haven't actually talked to her a lot yet. I've had a couple emails with her, but I believe we're having a Zoom meeting as a team pretty soon just to introduce everyone together.

A couple friends are on the team as well, so will be a really great environment and I can't wait. I'm so excited.

THE MODERATOR: Awesome. Best of luck this week.

MIA HAMMOND: Thank you so much.