AUGUSTA NATIONAL WOMEN'S AMATEUR

April 4, 2025

Megha Ganne

Quick Quotes

Q. Megha, you've played this course probably more than anybody else out in this field. What's it like to have that experience and come back and continue to play this course?

MEGHA GANNE: It definitely doesn't make it any less intimidating. I definitely have more layers of knowledge than I do from prior years, so that's cool.

But still going to go into it with kind of the same eyes as usual tomorrow.

Q. Does it help, though, at all? I know Lottie also has experience playing here, but knowing your background, just knowing the greens and how much they change, does that help?

MEGHA GANNE: Yeah, definitely. I think it's nice to just walk up to a tee box and know exactly where a drive's supposed to go. So it's like a little bit less of that new feeling is nice.

Q. Is Brooke going to caddie for you tomorrow again?

MEGHA GANNE: Yeah, she is.

Q. Do you think her hand is sore from all the writing she had to do today taking notes? I saw her taking notes out there.

MEGHA GANNE: No, she'll be fine. She's trained in this from our college tournaments. She's like a practice round, always like right away.

Q. What's the calculus in terms of was it ever a consideration to take a local caddie tomorrow, or was it always going to be Brooke?

MEGHA GANNE: I think I was pretty set on having Brooke on the bag.

Q. Why is that?

MEGHA GANNE: I think that the local caddies are really good and they have a lot of knowledge, but tomorrow's just like a really like overstimulating day or it can be because you can come here and everything is happening all at once.

I think having a familiar face is a lot more valuable for me personally than maybe a few extra tidbits that the caddie could give.

Q. What would it mean to win?

MEGHA GANNE: It would mean so much to me. It's been definitely my number one golf goal since this tournament was created.

So it would mean a lot.

Q. You mentioned everything going on tomorrow. What do you think that 1st hole will feel like, even though you've done that shot before? Just how different is it over here?

MEGHA GANNE: I think it's really special every year. It's nerve-racking, but in the best way. That's kind of what you look forward to when you know you're going to play this tournament. It will be a lot, but in a good way.

Q. What is your mindset going tomorrow's round tomorrow? Do you make it bigger than it is or try to treat it like any other round?

MEGHA GANNE: I think a little bit make it the big thing it is. If not, it will hit me tomorrow. If I don't do that, it's all going to hit me at once tomorrow. It is a really big deal. I am going to be nervous. I'm okay with that. I've been nervous before. Just embracing the feeling I think will help a lot.

Q. Are you someone that visualizes holding the trophy, or are you trying to block it out?

MEGHA GANNE: I don't know if I visualize holding the trophy. I visualize like hitting really good shots and coming down the stretch and hitting fairways and greens. I guess I visualize the golf that would lead to that.

Q. How do you deal with pressure like this on such a huge stage? What are the processes that you go through?

MEGHA GANNE: I generally really like playing under pressure. I think in general I play better under higher adrenaline instead of lower adrenaline.

Sometimes when I'm not feeling super pumped up in other tournaments, I'll try to create pressure for myself. So it's not a feeling that I shy away from. I think it helps me, and experience definitely helps a lot with those feelings.

Q. How do you try to create pressure for yourself?

MEGHA GANNE: I guess like before the tee, like you -- like I can do a couple breathing exercises to get my heart rate up or listening to music that will get me more excited. Just small stuff like that to get me feeling something before the round.

But I will have no problem with that tomorrow.

Q. Don't most golfers try to lower their heart rate?

MEGHA GANNE: Yeah, I guess -- I think there's people who do both. I think I lean towards the people who try to create more of that, yeah.

Q. Obviously you've seen the course a lot. Did you notice any changes this year from the storm damage or anything, different sight lines from trees being down or anything like that?

MEGHA GANNE: Not too much. The only thing I noticed is that the trees look different on 3. I was like, oh, are there trees gone? The caddie was like yes, but they put ones in to make it harder. I was like, oh, okay.

Other than that, I didn't notice too much. It looks pretty identical to me.

Q. You were so animated after making your final putt yesterday. I got the feeling that was as much a stroke that you picked up, but maybe more important than for attitude going into the final round?

MEGHA GANNE: Yeah, I don't think the putt actually mattered that much. I think a stroke here or there on that final round wouldn't have made a big difference. But I just wanted to create a good feeling in my own head, in my own body, and just my last memory on that green to be a really positive one that I could maybe carry into Saturday.

That's why I guess I tried to hype myself up after. The putt itself, it would have been fine if I didn't make it.

Q. There's still one more night, but any dreams you had last night?

MEGHA GANNE: No, no dreams, just eight solid hours of sleep.

Q. How about the success of all of your teammates? How does that demand you to be a better player?

MEGHA GANNE: It inspires me to be a better player. It's competitive in the best way. We're all really genuinely happy for each other. I think we also do want to beat each other. So I think it's a healthy balance. I'm excited to see what they do on Saturday.

Q. Out of curiosity, who will be here watching you tomorrow?

MEGHA GANNE: I'm very lucky, like quite a few people. My family, a couple of my friends from home, a couple of my parents' friends; one of my teammates, Caroline, who's not playing; Rachel said she'll watch me tomorrow, and our other assistant coach will also be out here. She'll have a lot of ground to cover with our whole team playing.

Q. This is such a great platform for women's golf. Can you maybe just reflect on for you what it means to be a role model for that next generation?

MEGHA GANNE: I don't take it lightly, and I know how special it is, and I know what a privilege it is to have this spotlight for all of us playing this tournament. I keep that in mind. Maybe if a shot doesn't go my way, I try to hold the bigger perspective in.

People are just so excited to be watching this event. I just try to keep a good attitude out there.

Q. Across all of your events, do you ever notice any of the younger fans? What does it mean to have girls that were in your shoes at one point watching it?

MEGHA GANNE: Yeah, I do. It's definitely my favorite part of like after weeks like this is seeing little kids who really do remember you from those moments. I've been there where for me I was -- I was not young, but I was probably 14 when I watched Maria Fassi in that first year, and like I still get like goosebumps thinking about her coming down the stretch. She was my favorite player for so long.

Yeah, that's pretty cool to think that girls are going to be looking up to this year's ANWA and just thinking the same thing about, yeah, our players here.

Q. Maybe that's the moment, is remembering Maria Fassi. But when you think of all the memories you've collected at Augusta National, maybe watching something on screen, is there something that really captures the essence of this event for you?

MEGHA GANNE: I think that inaugural event captures it for me. I got to walk outside the ropes when Rose won and went into that playoff. That was a roller coaster of a day. That also captures it for me.

I think being a spectator here when I missed the cut was a really cool experience, and I've also been inside. You get a different insight from playing and a different insight from watching. So I feel like I have both.