AUGUSTA NATIONAL WOMEN'S AMATEUR

April 3, 2024

Anna Davis

Quick Quotes

Q. Kind of first of all, on the first tee, did you at all think about last year first hole?

ANNA DAVIS: No, not really. They were actually handing out little cards that said something about preferred lies this year. I could not help but laugh.

No I wasn't really thinking about it.

Q. You make birdie there, too. It wasn't like pushing anything in the past at that point. You had a good start.

ANNA DAVIS: Yeah, yeah, no, I just kind of ignored what happened last year. It's just kind of laughable now. That's all you can really do about it.

So, yeah, I wasn't really think about it on that first hole.

Q. Coming in to this year after that, missing the cut last year, did you have time to focus, feel any pressure from the standpoint of you won and missed the cut? Is there a point you want to prove?

ANNA DAVIS: No, not really. I don't think so. I think just trying not to focus on those things just makes you play a little bit freer golf.

When you put all those certain things in your head and you're not focusing on just the golf part, it gets harder to play.

So I think just focusing on trying to play a good round of golf and stay level headed throughout the whole round be especially on this golf course is kind of what I'm focused on.

Q. Seemed like kind of the best stretch of your round came I guess starting on your second shot on the third hole. From that point on, did you feel like something clicked at that point?

ANNA DAVIS: I mean, especially that stretch of holes, 3 through 8, honestly, is a pretty rough stretch of holes.

So I think just going into those few holes just staying level headed as I said and just focusing on the next shot in front of you is pretty important.

Yeah, just hit a lot of good shots coming in and had a lot of birdie putts.

Q. What was the craziest thing that happened today in your round?

ANNA DAVIS: Nothing compared to last year, so...

It was actually pretty boring. Yeah, it was a good round. Just I hit a lot of good shots, hit a lot of good putts.

Yeah, nothing crazy though.

Q. What are you most proud of today that you did?

ANNA DAVIS: I feel like mentally I was in a good place. Even if I hit a bad shot, just move on to the next hole. Yeah, I feel like mentally I was pretty good and pretty consistent.

Q. Did you find anything in Athens this past week, your best college finish? Did you notice something click?

ANNA DAVIS: Yeah, nothing crazy. I think just playing smarter golf honestly. Not making too many mistakes out there. Trying to hit fairways, greens, two-putt. Yeah, nothing crazy. Game is just finally coming together, yeah.

Q. Is was there technically something that you found? You said your game is coming together.

ANNA DAVIS: Not really, no. I mean, I just started college. Can be crazy this first, you know, couple weeks to few months, so having a lot more to juggle.

I think just kind of finding the flow now and managing my time and just all that kind of stuff, yeah.

Q. How many hours are you taking?

ANNA DAVIS: Like...

Q. (Indiscernible.)

ANNA DAVIS: Five; two are online. I have class Tuesday, Thursday, three classes. It's pretty easy actually. Like I'm not doing too much work so I'm happy.

Get to golf a lot still, so, yeah.

Q. What's the longest iron you carry in your bag?

ANNA DAVIS: 5-iron.

Q. I've heard Chiara has a 3-iron in her bag.

ANNA DAVIS: She does.

Q. How impressive is that the way she's able to hit it?

ANNA DAVIS: Yeah, it is pretty impressive. I have the same 3-iron and I don't think I would put it in my bag every.

Q. Why?

ANNA DAVIS: I don't know. Just kind of a scary club to carry in your bag. You got a hybrid, flies nice and high, lands on the greens soft, can't miss it too bad.

Q. You're one of her best friends, if not her best friend. How do you sum up her as a golfer and a person?

ANNA DAVIS: I feel like we are very similar in the way we act and the way we carry ourselves on the golf course. Just very chill. Like, yeah, I don't know. She's very like chill, laid back. She is a good golfer and I think she's doing really well in college now.

Yeah, I think she played well today, right? I didn't see. Yeah, so she's is a pretty good golfer obviously.

Q. ...play any other sports? She's like an athlete.

ANNA DAVIS: Yeah, I haven't, so I don't know.

Q. What were your first impressions of Champions Retreat this week?

ANNA DAVIS: This week, I think the greens are more receptive. I think I was playing to yesterday and it felt more scorable than compared to the last two years.

I think with the greens being more receptive it makes a huge difference. I remember the first year we played and it was like, okay, we're going to land this 58 degree 30 feet short of the pin and hope it stays short.

So just things like that. I think it kind of frees up the mental a little bit, too. Yeah, I think that's been the main difference I want to say is that.

Q. (Regarding chasing than protect for certain players in the field.)

ANNA DAVIS: Yeah, I would say so. Me and Megha were laughing because we say we're always playing defense on this course. It's like, okay, don't do anything crazy. Hit it on the fairway, green, make the two-putt, and get out of there.

It feels a little more gettable. Yeah, so I think chasing the leaders is definitely in play tomorrow.

Q. If I can ask one more. You spent a little time with the local high school team. When did the gravity of winning the Augusta Women's Amateur hit you?

ANNA DAVIS: I feel like it hits me more and more every year honestly. Like that right there, I haven't experienced that. Didn't experience that last year. Just the gravity of is, is it's crazy. I think it first hit though when -- I mean to hit pretty quickly, when I won two years ago the next day I went to the Drive, Chip, and Putt. All the little kids were going crazy.

I think it's cool that I can make an impact on kids that young. I used to be that person. Just being in this position is very special, yeah.

Q. So that was a high school team?

ANNA DAVIS: Yes.

Q. Any older than you?

ANNA DAVIS: No, no. No, I think the oldest was a junior, so...

Q. Does how much do you feel like you've grown up in those two years?

ANNA DAVIS: I feel like a good amount, yeah. I mean, it's been two years so I would hope I've been growing up a little bit.

Yeah, but I think just outside of golf I have, yeah. I mean, I'm in college now so you kind of have to.

But, yeah, I don't know how else to put it. I feel like I have in some ways, yeah.