AUGUSTA NATIONAL WOMEN'S AMATEUR

April 2, 2025

Kiara Romero

Quick Quotes

Q. Kiara, what a great round for you. Can you just take us through today for you on the course?

KIARA ROMERO: I was just in a pretty good mood all day. Just high attitude the whole round. I'm just really proud of that for just sticking with it the entire time. I was hitting some really good approach shots the entire day. So I felt like I was within 10 feet on almost every hole.

Q. You've had a pretty good run of golf the last few months. I'm interested, how do you -- like what's your perspective on kind of how many second place finishes you've had? Is it positive because you've come close, or can it be kind of a negative because you have come so close?

KIARA ROMERO: Yeah, it's always a good thing to be in contention all the time, but it is a little rough, not the easiest feeling to come out of every tournament second place.

But I've been patient with it, just kind of trusting the process and building confidence in my game and just trusting that it will come when it's my time.

Q. Have you tried to take a little bit of levity with it and kind of turn it into a joke a little bit?

KIARA ROMERO: Yeah, for sure. It's definitely turning into a joke with a lot of people, a lot of friends.

Q. Coach Radley?

KIARA ROMERO: Yeah, I told him if I was in the mix for another second place going into the final round, I'd give him a ticket to come out.

Q. You're on good pace for that.

KIARA ROMERO: Yeah.

Q. When's the last time your sister caddied for you?

KIARA ROMERO: She caddied for me at the Women's Open this last year.

Q. Any times before that?

KIARA ROMERO: A bunch like in junior golf when I was little. She was probably like my first caddie I've ever had out there, but yeah.

Q. Kind of forced you when she went on to college, right?

KIARA ROMERO: Yeah.

Q. What's your earliest memory of her caddieing for you?

KIARA ROMERO: I would say the U.S. Kids -- I think it's the U.S. Kids World at Pinehurst when I was like 7 years old or something.

Q. What are the memories from that week?

KIARA ROMERO: I just remember us always having good vibes out there. So that's why I wanted to have her on the bag this week just to have some good vibes and just keep everything going smoothly.

Q. Did you win that week?

KIARA ROMERO: No, I did not.

Q. Did you come in second?

KIARA ROMERO: Probably (laughter).

Q. Then lastly, she's an assistant now. What's that dynamic like, and how has that been good for you?

KIARA ROMERO: She's been working on getting her Masters at Oregon, and she's been our grad assistant.

Our actual assistant coach can't be traveling right now because she's having a baby, so Kaleiya's kind of taken up the role of an assistant coach. We absolutely love her as our mentor out there. She's been helping a lot. So it's been great.

Q. Is she a good cop or bad cop in terms of is she hard on you?

KIARA ROMERO: I think both my coaches are good cops, yeah.

Q. Kiara, most of the leaders are veterans of this tournament, including you. How useful is it to have competed here, to have known the course, to know the nerves on the 1st tee?

KIARA ROMERO: Yeah, I think the biggest takeaway I had from last year is just to understand just to never get too comfortable out there. Just to stay on your toes. This course can kind of sneak up on you every now and then, especially the back nine.

So I just try to stay pretty positive out there regardless of what happened. I had two little silly bogeys out there and just kind of brush it off and head to the next hole.

Q. Do you think having played this course in tough conditions like the wind last year, you were able to really take advantage today knowing how hard it can be and now here was lying down a little for you?

KIARA ROMERO: Yeah, definitely. I feel like the greens were a little bit more receptive than last year, so I kind of took the opportunity to go after a lot of pins out there and kind of went for the target a lot.

Q. And are the nerves a little less the second time around here?

KIARA ROMERO: Yeah, for sure. I feel like I'm a lot more comfortable out there and I have a lot more confidence in myself. Just kind of growing up and getting more experience, that kind of just happens along the way.