AUGUSTA NATIONAL WOMEN'S AMATEUR

April 4, 2024

Amanda Sambach

Quick Quotes

Q. Multiple range of emotions today. You're in the lead at some point, fall a few shots back, but you're clear, you're in. How have you processed the last two hours?

AMANDA SAMBACH: It's a lot for sure. I was coming down 18 kind of thinking about that, too, like the first couple days you're here, you're trying, and it's like so much attention and focus on trying to make the cut, and now I feel like I can finally relax a little bit, which is nice.

Yeah, the last two hours been hunting for those scoreboards just to see where I was at all day. It was a tough day out there, so I think I was in good position pretty much all day.

Q. How do you get your mindset back on the task at hand when you glance up, you see a leaderboard, expecting to see yourself maybe tied for seventh and you see you're tied for 15th? How do you snap back into it?

AMANDA SAMBACH: It's hard. I have a difficult time doing it, but I think just staying present, taking one shot at a time, trying to hit your fairway, trying to hit your green.

Q. How would you compare the difficulty of today compared to all the other rounds you've played around here?

AMANDA SAMBACH: Definitely one of the harder days. The wind was gusting a ton today, which made it play really difficult. It's a lot of concentration and focus trying to get the right numbers. So that was most of it.

But the greens being this receptive this year, it made it a lot more manageable this year.

Q. Could you take us through the double and how you rebounded?

AMANDA SAMBACH: Yeah. I was 2-under going into that hole for the day, and then hit a really solid drive. I'm not sure what happened on my second shot honestly. I hit a 3-wood. I think some of it was wind. Just kind of ballooned out to the right in the pine straw.

I thought I had a pretty good number, felt good standing over it. Just didn't play it enough. It was straight into the wind, and then plugged in the face of the bunker. That's always tough. Hit it to like 40 feet. The putt was a lot slower than anticipated, three-putted.

Honestly, it's just really important to stay level-headed out here, and I think I did a really good job of that after that hole. I made bogey on 10, so I was 3-over on those two holes. But after that just kind of realizing that everyone is playing in the tough conditions. If I can just scratch out pars coming in, I'd be fine.

Q. You had the experience of making the cut last year, finished T14. What is one thing you'll take from last year's competitive round and remind yourself of that before you start this year's competitive round?

AMANDA SAMBACH: Yeah, I think I have higher expectations for myself this year, so just reminding myself of what it felt like just having the privilege to play a competitive round there and not take it for granted. Just kind of take it all in and enjoy it.

Q. Were you in a playoff here? Which year was that?

AMANDA SAMBACH: It was the second year I played it, which was '21.

Q. Can you go back in time and describe how difficult it is, what it means to get through?

AMANDA SAMBACH: Yeah. I'm on the verge of tears every time. This year and last year, just making it and being able to play the final day. It means a lot. I know they changed the rule actually to allow ties, which I think is great.

But yeah, it was heartbreaking to be that close and then have it taken away.

Q. You mean tears of joy --

AMANDA SAMBACH: Tears of joy, yeah. It's an emotional week for sure.

Q. Your coach is here outside the gallery ropes, of course, but she's always walking through rounds in the collegiate season. What's one thing you think she might have told you today if she was allowed to walk with you?

AMANDA SAMBACH: Just to stay patient and that I'm prepared, because we actually got a good amount of wind in Charlottesville the last couple weeks, which I think prepared me really well for today. Just her telling me that I've got this, which she does all the time.