AUGUSTA NATIONAL WOMEN'S AMATEUR

April 4, 2024

Rachel Heck

Quick Quotes

Q. You were pretty emotional coming out of scoring. What's going through your head right now?

RACHEL HECK: Yeah, I mean, it's not the way you want to see it end. Got super windy out there and I just didn't play super well in that.

I felt really confident with my game the whole time. Felt good over every shot. Just wasn't quite working out there, so tough to see it end like that.

Q. Did you feel like kind of a weight lifted off you writing that essay and telling everyone that you were not planning to play professional? Was it a noticeable feeling?

RACHEL HECK: Yeah definitely, because I think I definitely known for a little bit now. It was hard to come to terms with that on my own. Once I decided it took a little bit, a little while for me to be ready to say it publically.

It's kind of hard giving cryptic answers when I was pretty sure what I was doing. It was definitely a big weight off my shoulders to get that out there.

Q. Can you describe what it's been like with your dad the last few days? What it's meant to you?

RACHEL HECK: Yeah, it's meant the world to me to have him on the bag. We know he was caddieing for me since I was three years old, and he's been by my side every major event since then.

So super special. I don't get that much -- I don't really see him that often. This is the one week I get to see him. The just for catching up we had fun out there. Even though I'm still planning on playing amateur golf, we were walking on the fairways and he was like, this kind of feels like the end of something even though I'm going to keep playing.

It'll be different. Yeah, it was special to share this with him.

Q. Following up on your dad, I know he played such an integral part of your career. What was his reaction and the conversation like when he told him the first time that you weren't going to play professional?

RACHEL HECK: Yeah, it's been ongoing conversations the past few years. It wasn't something I came to and I just announced it to him. It's been a discussion we've had.

I think in the fall is when we both kind of realized that it's not for me. He knows me better than anyone else so he could tell. He knows it wasn't what I want to do.

They couldn't be more supportive and excited for me as I head into the next chapter.

Q. Did you know where you stood in relation to the cut line coming up the 18th hole?

RACHEL HECK: No, I don't look at leaderboards. I kept my head down. I don't even know what it's on the right now. I try not to worry about that. Just focus on the shot at hand.

Like I said before, I felt good over every shot I hit. Hit most of them how I wanted to hit them; things just didn't go my way.

Q. What's your first memory of your dad caddieing for you?

RACHEL HECK: Probably these little -- the Tennessee Junior Golf Six-Hole tournaments at the par-3 course. He would caddie for me every time and I would just hold his hand walking down the fairway.

We had a bunch of those. I mean, I just had fun with him always. Like we just -- he always kept it lighthearted, fun. It's really crazy to look back on those pictures now and compare them to where we are today.

Yeah, I'm grateful to have had him by my side throughout all these moments.

Q. What are your expectations as far as the rest of the semester in college golf?

RACHEL HECK: Yeah, so first of all, hopefully I'll get to play. I'm feeling better, so hopefully that's the case. Excited for really just one last po season with my team.

It's been a crazy few years, so I'll just feel really fortunate if I'm able to see it three with them.

Q. Has it been mostly the health keeping you out or just kind of rust from that?

RACHEL HECK: Yeah, health. I didn't play this winter to try to just save my shoulder and my neck for poa season. We knew if I pushed it too hard in the winter I would just be done.

Yeah, kind of starting to get back into it now. That's kind of been the plan.

Q. Was the hope with the timing of your announcement, was that hope that it would free you up for this run?

RACHEL HECK: Yeah. A little bit. I think part of it was just me not -- like I come here and I know I'm going to talk to people, do some interviews, and I just was so tired of being like, oh, I don't know, we'll see.

So, yeah, I guess freeing me up a little bit golf-wise, but more like okay I'm just -- this is the time where I'm going to be asked a bunch of questions and I'm ready to tell everyone.

Q. Have you had many peers come up to you and say anything about wanting to talk to you about this decision, they might be walking down a similar path?

RACHEL HECK: Yeah, I definitely had a lot of people come talk to me about what I wrote. It's been like just incredibly heartwarming. Some girls will ask a little bit about the decision. They might be thinking the same thing.

Some of them who know they don't want to play are like, thank you for being a voice for us that golf isn't everything. I've had parents say this is incredibly helpful as I raise my junior golfer and my college golfer.

All that has meant the world and makes me more happy their decided to share my story in my own words.

Q. That a rose ball marker on your hat?

RACHEL HECK: No, it's a Stanford. Maybe I should get one.