AUGUSTA NATIONAL WOMEN'S AMATEUR

April 2, 2026

Chloe Kovelesky

Quick Quotes

Q. We'll start with, first, thoughts on today's round. How did it go?

CHLOE KOVELESKY: Yeah. It was really fun being out there. Honestly, everything about this event is just so fun to me. Like it's my first year here, so I was really just enjoying the moment.

But it was really good. It was a nice day out, made a few putts, had a couple interesting situations, but it was really good, overall really good.

Q. And you mentioned this is your first time here. Has it been like what you imagined it to be? Has it been better? Talk to me about that.

CHLOE KOVELESKY: Yeah. I think it's been what I imagined and much more. I think obviously Augusta does incredible with everything they do, but this has just been so fun and so enjoyable. I have Coach Ryan on the bag for me this week, and it's been really nice having him out there and with me every second. It's been really great.

But this event is really just truly once in a lifetime and like truly incredible just to be a part of, and I'm so grateful for it.

Q. I'm curious, since this is year 7, Augusta National has become one of the most premier tournaments for Women's Amateur golf. I'm curious, did you have any preconceptions coming in about the tournament that maybe got dispelled, maybe changed since you started here?

CHLOE KOVELESKY: I mean, not really. Something I told myself coming into this week is I think in the past, like the first time you get into an event, it's really easy to say, I want to take the experience and go with it, but this year I said, one, I'm going to really enjoy this experience; it's going to be incredible, but I really want to put myself in contention for the week and know that obviously everyone here is one of the best players in the world, and so everyone here has a chance to win it. And I wanted to give myself that opportunity. It's been incredible.

Q. And obviously playing golf is the same everywhere, but with the Augusta National logo behind you and you see it all around, maybe a little bit different than some of the college venues that you've been at in the last couple of years. I'm just curious for you, has it felt different?

CHLOE KOVELESKY: Yeah. I mean, we play some really awesome tournaments during the year, and I've only been at Wake for a year, so I'm still kind of going into my second like spring season with them.

It is a little bit different, I think, just in terms of, one, how the tournament is set up and all of the logistical things around it. So I think that's really cool. And obviously it's Augusta National. So it's something that's super unique and super cool to just even be a part of.

So I think it's definitely different in a unique way, but I honestly really enjoy playing all of our collegiate events still. So it's still really cool.

Q. Did you learn anything, whether it's about yourself, whether it's about Augusta National and this tournament, your coach on the bag during these two days so far at Champions Retreat?

CHLOE KOVELESKY: Yeah, I think, honestly, I've learned it over the past year, but just continuing to stay patient and know that things will come. It's easy to get ahead of yourself, especially when you have greens that are pretty quick and things like that. Some of the pins are in some tough spots and you have to know, like, okay, I want to look at birdie, but let's not bring something else into play and just being really diligent with that, and that's something I learned kind of coming into college for the past year, but it's definitely very obvious this week that that's something you need to be good at. So I think that's been the one thing I've really learned.

Q. (Indiscernible). Do you have those? Do you feel those?

CHLOE KOVELESKY: Yeah. Honestly, they came up to me on the range, and they kind of showed me a video, and I thought it was so cool just to kind of have that background. It's been nine years since I've been back. So I'm really excited to be here and really excited to kind of get to go back there the next two days. So it's been really awesome just even having that.

I think Drive, Chip & Putt is an awesome opportunity for kids to even just have a chance to, one, step foot on Augusta National, compete there, and honestly, just getting into golf, because I think growing the game of golf is so important. So it's really nice to have that background, know that I was a part of that.

Q. Do you remember what that experience did for you, how it kind of catapulted you maybe?

CHLOE KOVELESKY: Yeah. I mean, I remember doing it, and I had my dad with me on the bag there. So I think it was just a really, again, like really cool way to just kind of be -- at that point I was already like competing and doing everything, but I thought I just remember being there and thinking it was so awesome to be out there. Super cool to be on the 18th green. And I think it really prepared me to just know, hey, you know what, this is something I could do long-term.

I met a lot of people actually. I did Drive, Chip & Putt, which I didn't notice it now, but one of my current teammates was in my age group there. So we have like photos from it together.

So it's just really cool just to look back on the memories from that.

Q. Who was that former teammate?

CHLOE KOVELESKY: Sarah Lydic. She's actually my roommate. We live together.

Q. Full-circle moment.

CHLOE KOVELESKY: Yeah, it was really cool.

Q. So you're five back. Do you think you can be aggressive tomorrow with your length, or Saturday, with your length?

CHLOE KOVELESKY: I'm hopeful. Honestly, I think I'm just going to go out there and I'm going to give myself a chance and do what I can. I'm so excited to go out there tomorrow and get the practice round in and take that all in and then get back out there Saturday and try and give myself chance.

Q. What's the plan on how (inaudible)?

CHLOE KOVELESKY: Yeah. One, I'm going to get some rest tonight and just kind of recover a little bit and then go and obviously enjoy Augusta National, which is going to be really cool. And my practice round I'm playing with my teammate Macy Pate and Amelie Zalsman.

So we're really excited to kind of be doing that, and I think we're just going to approach it kind of the same way I do all the time, just same process. Hopefully good outcome.