AUGUSTA NATIONAL WOMEN'S AMATEUR

April 4, 2025

Eila Galitsky

Quick Quotes

Q. Does it get more real every time you're out here?

EILA GALITSKY: Not really, no. It still feels a little fake to me.

Q. When you went off that 1st tee box, what was going through your head?

EILA GALITSKY: Today? Just how amazing this place is, the views, how green it is, and definitely trying to hit a good shot. I don't want to hit a bad tee shot for my first shot here at Augusta National.

Q. What's it like to do this with Louise?

EILA GALITSKY: It's amazing. I wish I could do it with Louise and Hannah, and I wish we were paired up together tomorrow. Unfortunately, we're not, but my whole team is coming to watch.

It's just really, really cool to be in this position.

Q. What was the biggest adjustment when you got to South Carolina in January?

EILA GALITSKY: How cold it was (laughter).

Q. Really?

EILA GALITSKY: It started snowing three days when I was there, and it was not fun. That was my first time seeing snow, and unfortunately, my suitcase and golf bag didn't come. So I had no clothes. I had to wear the same thing I did for like five days.

Luckily, my teammates let me borrow a couple jackets, but yeah.

Q. The equipment staff couldn't hook you up?

EILA GALITSKY: I mean, it got there eventually.

Q. What's it like -- I mean, obviously you travel around for golf so much, but do you like almost on your own a little bit, like in college, how has that transition been for you?

EILA GALITSKY: I hate to say it, but I love it. I love it so much.

I get to plan everything on my own schedule, you know. I love my parents to death, but sometimes they are a lot. I think it's been great getting to kind of find yourself, grow into an independent person.

So I've been really enjoying it.

Q. There's some people that would almost call back to their parents like, hey, how do we do this? When you started doing that, doing everything, were you always on time? Were you always early? Was it the same thing? Or now you're just like, I can do it my way?

EILA GALITSKY: I was never late to anything if I knew that thing was happening. I just never know what's going on. So if I know I have to be somewhere, I'll be there on time. I just have to know first, yeah.

Q. When you came to like the States and South Carolina, with all the wind and stuff, Kalen was talking that she was trying to get you to decrease your ball flight a little bit. What's that process been like the last couple months?

EILA GALITSKY: It was very annoying because I just like to pump it, like hit it as hard as I can. Coach told me to slow it down, hit it a little lower, add extra club, and just kind of forcing me to do it.

I didn't love doing it, but it ended up working pretty well for me in Florida. I guess she knows a thing or two.

Q. Does it help around here too?

EILA GALITSKY: Oh, yeah, definitely. Especially yesterday, the last, 16, 17, it was straight into the wind. It was long, and I hit like really nice flighted 6-iron next to the pin. So very, very useful.

Q. Did you have to change your swing, or just the club, just change your club?

EILA GALITSKY: I just club up and swing 80 percent of my normal speed, yeah.

Q. What do you remember about making that putt to win one of your first college golf tournaments, beat Lottie?

EILA GALITSKY: That was a very interesting putt actually. It was like a triple breaker, but in the actual round I had like a similar putt to -- and I missed it, so I kind of knew how it was going. Coach helped me read it in the round and also in the playoffs.

When I hit it, I kind of just like backed out a little bit. I just didn't know how that went in, but it did. It was great.

Q. When you kind of were deciding on your college, do you craft like a plan for yourself? Like, hey, I'm going to stay for all four years, or if I was playing well, I would only go for a couple years. Do you create any sort of plan like that?

EILA GALITSKY: I just kind of like to go with the flow. If I start playing well, who knows? I really don't know. I'm just enjoying it now, and I think that's all that matters.

Q. What was it about South Carolina that -- why did you commit there? I know this time last year you were down there kind of visiting. What did you like about it?

EILA GALITSKY: I love the team. I love the atmosphere. I love Coach. And I like our motto, Go Cocks.

(Laughter).

Yeah, that's about it.

Q. So you get to keep saying, Go Cocks?

EILA GALITSKY: Yeah.

Q. Just had a question for you. This week so far if you look back at all the memories (regarding outside the golf course.)

EILA GALITSKY: Definitely seeing my family after a while. I haven't seen them since I've been to college. It's nice to get the gang back together.

Q. Your coach said that your finesse is one of your best qualities. Where do you think that comes from? How have you developed that?

EILA GALITSKY: I don't know why he said that. I think my best quality is just hitting it very long. Lately I'm just trying to kind of tone it down, get the straightness more than the extra five yards.

I think it's just kind of growing and realizing that it doesn't really benefit if you just try to hit it really hard and it's offline.