AUGUSTA NATIONAL WOMEN'S AMATEUR

April 2, 2026

Ava Merrill

Quick Quotes

Q. How are you feeling? Another round under par, and it looks like you're going to make the cut and be able to play at Augusta. Talk about that a little bit.

AVA MERRILL: I feel like I can take a deep breath now. I'm excited to go talk to my parents and everything, but yeah, just relieved, I guess.

Q. On the second nine, 12 and 13, two straight bogeys, but then you responded on 14 with an eagle that almost went in, and you had a chip-in or just a tap-in for birdie. Talk about how you were able to rebound from those two bogeys and get your mind right.

AVA MERRILL: Yeah, I was a little mad after those, so I was just -- I guess I wasn't -- they were a little sloppy bogeys, and so I was just, like, I'm not going to do that anymore, and then I made birdie.

Q. Talk about the aspect of Johns Creek, just representing Georgia in this event on the women's side?

AVA MERRILL: I think I'm the only Georgian in the field, which is kind of cool. Kind of representing my home state.

Like I said yesterday, I think this course kind of feels like a home course to me. Just same feel as my home course, but yeah, it's great to be here.

Q. What's going to be the mindset moving forward into the next few days to the final round?

AVA MERRILL: Just take it all in, enjoy it, have fun. I'm so excited to play Augusta tomorrow and Saturday, and I'm just happy, yeah.

Q. What are you most excited for to be able to be there?

AVA MERRILL: Most excited for? Probably the look on my caddie's face when he walks into Augusta for the first time, yeah.

Q. First off, congrats on another good round. Looks like you'll be making the cut. Making it out of Champions Retreat. First time here in this tournament, talk to me, what has it been like for you being here?

AVA MERRILL: It's an honor to be here. I'm having so much fun. My game feels good, which is always a plus. Makes it even more fun.

I like this course a lot. It sets up well for my golf game. Hopefully I can be here next year and get to play next year and kind of add onto the experience. But, yeah, I'm having a great time.

Q. Over this tournament's seven-year history, it's become the standard for women's amateur golf in a lot of respects. Did you have any preconceived notions coming in that have maybe been changed since you have played in it now?

AVA MERRILL: Preconceived notions that have been changed? I've only heard great things about this tournament, and I think that everything great has happened and maybe even more.

This tournament is awesome. They do such a good job of the tournament staff taking care of us and making sure everything is in order, and the golf course is in great shape. Yeah, it's great.

Q. Is that a little bit different than what you are used to at other college tournaments or something like that, just the professionalism, but also just how neat everything seems to be?

AVA MERRILL: Yeah, absolutely. This is an elevated tournament. Everything is bigger and better here. You know, college tournaments, they're good tournaments, but they aren't on courses like this. They don't have crowds like this. It's just really cool experience this week.

Q. Did you learn anything from this experience at Champions Retreat? I know you still got a round on Saturday to go, but something you learned that you can maybe take going into not only the next potential time you're here, but also for future tournaments and your collegiate career?

AVA MERRILL: Yeah, I think it's interesting. I think I get more nervous talking to the media than I do playing golf (laughing). I would say that's something I've learned about myself, but yeah, makes the golf easier.

Q. Ava, first of all, you're about three shots inside the cut line. Were you ever relaxed out there today?

AVA MERRILL: Well, I think I really like being on the course, and thinking about talking to media is way scarier than having to hit a golf ball.

Q. Why? We're all nice people.

AVA MERRILL: It freaks me out. Yeah, I'm standing over a golf ball, and I can just think about how much easier it is to hit a golf ball than talk to the media, so...

Q. Saturday you're playing for all those crowds. Can you maybe share what your teammates would be doing if they were there on Saturday?

AVA MERRILL: Barking probably. Yeah, they bark. They bark.

Q. Actual barking?

AVA MERRILL: Yeah, actual barking. A lot of hooping and hollering. They would be loud.

I know they're going to be watching from home. I actually got a video from one of my teammates yesterday. She was watching me on her computer, but yeah, they're super supportive. I think one of my teammates might be out here. So, yeah, they're awesome.

Q. Everyone has the skill to hit the shots and be successful out here, but how does your experience playing collegiate golf help you when you get to a stage like this?

AVA MERRILL: I actually think it's really unique, because women's college golf right now is so competitive.

So a bunch of the tournaments that we play in, especially in the spring, are highly competitive tournaments. The girls there are really good at golf, and so I play against the girls in this field pretty consistently. So it's not necessarily like a new thing to be playing against these girls.

Some of the international girls we don't see as much. Some of the junior girls we don't see as much. A bunch of these girls are college golfers that I see every week. I actually saw a bunch of them this weekend.

So it's almost comforting to know that I can compete against a bunch of these girls, and they're the best. I feel like knowing that and having that experience in college golf tournaments has helped me here.

Q. Are you aware that typically the champion does get interviewed after the final round?

AVA MERRILL: Don't even. Please don't. I'm not even, yeah (laughing) -- stay here.