AUGUSTA NATIONAL WOMEN'S AMATEUR

April 2, 2025

Caterina Don

Quick Quotes

Q. Just some different changes in the course from Hurricane Helene coming around, no Broccoli Tree this time. How does that impact your game today? How did you react to that when you saw some of those changes?

CATERINA DON: I haven't been here since 2021, so there's a lot that has changed for sure, but I think the course was in awesome shape for how bad the hurricane was just in September.

I'm glad the Broccoli Tree is gone because I hit a 5-wood into 4 this morning, and I'm glad I didn't have to go over a massive tree.

Sad for all the rest, but the 4th tree was a good idea to just knock it down.

Q. How do you feel like you played overall in your first round today?

CATERINA DON: Considering this is my first competitive round since May of last year, I think it was all right. I hit some solid shots.

I got an unlucky bounce on 11. I hit a sprinkler. I think it was overall solid. I just need to make more putts tomorrow.

But I think I still have a chance to make the final round. All I need is a chance tomorrow morning, and I have it. So I'm excited to go back tomorrow and hopefully make a few more putts.

Q. You mentioned it's been about a year since you've had a competitive round. Were you chomping at the bit to get back at it, and how good did it feel for you to get back to competition like this?

CATERINA DON: I was definitely nervous this morning because you usually hit so many shots and prepare so differently than I was able to for this week.

So on the 1st tee, I was a little nervous, and I just said, well, it just needs to get airborne, and we'll hit it from there and figure it out.

Definitely a little more nerves than usual, but those are good nerves. I think I was happy out there the whole day, just happy to be out here.

Q. You had quite an experience out here, but it has been four years. Did your prior knowledge -- was that something you thought about coming into this week, or did you want to just try to block that out and experience it as a new course as much as possible?

CATERINA DON: I think I tried to remember, especially like the few times I was able to practice and not hit many shots, but just trying to visualize the golf course and coming out here.

Yesterday actually, I thought it was pretty short, and this morning when I teed off at 8:00 a.m., it played as I remember, pretty long. The greens are soft, but it's still pretty long.

To see Megha being 9-under, that's some pretty good golf she's playing out there.

Q. You were in that first group that teed off this morning. Talk a little bit about that experience and kind of being the first ones off the tee. A pretty big crowd out there.

CATERINA DON: It's an honor, and it also speaks about how important this tournament has become. There's probably the most people I've seen, apart from Augusta National in 2019 because 2021 was COVID. But there's a lot of people out there.

To have Chairman Ridley and Diana Murphy is just unbelievable because all they have done for women's golf. It was an honor for sure.