AUGUSTA NATIONAL WOMEN'S AMATEUR

March 31, 2026

Bailey Shoemaker

Quick Quotes

Q. Obviously it was warm and humid last year and it's warm and humid this year, too. How is that going to affect the flight of the ball? What features do you look at?

BAILEY SHOEMAKER: Yeah, ball usually goes a little bit further when it's warm, but humidity definitely makes it go a bit shorter. The denser the air, the shorter the ball goes.

I know, it's tough; we just came from Arizona as a team where the ball is going a mile because it's so dry and hot, but today there was a little bit of an adjustment. We all just had to dial back a little bit. Ball is going a bit shorter.

Q. Can you speak to the condition of the golf course? You've seen it for several years. Looks like it's the best I've seen it. Can you talk about the quality of Champions Retreat?

BAILEY SHOEMAKER: Yeah, I think all around this is by far the best I've seen it. My first year was when there was all the flooding and hail and freezing and all that jazz, so it's definitely changed a little bit. It's perfect through and through. Everything is perfect right now. Greens are rolling well. A little bit more receptive, which is nice.

Yeah, fairways are amazing. This is perfect prime golf.

Q. Is it a golf course that separates the different players from the rest of the field, or do you feel like anyone can compete here?

BAILEY SHOEMAKER: I think it separates a little bit. I think long hitters historically have done well here. I just think having shorter irons in where you have a little bit more spin is pretty ideal. I mean, shorter you are, the longer clubs you have in, it gets pretty tough out here. You're kind of counting on and praying for a good bounce and stuff.

Definitely higher spinners and just longer hitters in general do well.

Q. What was the exact surgery that you had?

BAILEY SHOEMAKER: I had cubital tunnel syndrome, so I had cubital tunnel release surgery.

Q. What was the recovery like from that?

BAILEY SHOEMAKER: It was six weeks of nothing, which was crazy. I wasn't used to it. So yeah, six weeks of nothing, and started rehab up again about two hours a day basically every day.

Then started gradually back. I was able to putt for five minutes on Thanksgiving Day, which was pretty cool, and then Christmas Day was my first nine holes. That was fun to go out there with Dad and have my first nine back.

Then from there, from Christmas Day, it was kind of a full sprint back. I was really aggressive with rehab, aggressive with training and to get back here.

Q. How much do events like this inspire you when you're recovering from something like that?

BAILEY SHOEMAKER: Yeah, I mean, this is always a target on the calendar for sure, to get in prime gear and come out here and compete at the highest level I can and put as much work in as I can to be where I want to be.

This is kind of my goal is to be 100 percent by now, and I am, so it's really exciting and also relieving to see that all my work paid off.

Q. We're talking growth a lot this year. You've grown a lot in the last year. Obviously you've grown in the last five years since your first time here. How do you feel like you've grown? How do you quantify your growth over the last five years?

BAILEY SHOEMAKER: Exponentially. It's insane. I talk to my head coach, Justin Silverstein, all the time about it. I talked to Brentley before, too. I was a punk kid, like even a year ago.

But I've changed so much as a golfer, as a person, dealing with a lot of adversity in the last year especially. But my game is transformed. I'm a lot longer now, which is nice. Yeah, just so much more of a well-rounded person and golfer.

It's kind of nice to come back here and see how I've grown. This is an annual event, so coming back here you can really reevaluate yourself and see where you are now.