AUGUSTA NATIONAL WOMEN'S AMATEUR

April 2, 2026

Anna Davis

Quick Quotes

Q. I felt like you were pretty happy walking off 18. Walk me through that last hole.

ANNA DAVIS: Yeah, it was just a lot of grinding on my back nine, but it was nice to just kind of -- I had a really comfortable wedge shot and with a good number that I liked. So I've hit that shot a million times, so it just felt pretty easy, and it was nice to walk off with a 3-foot birdie putt.

Q. 17, what was in your head when the ball was in the air, landed, and started its roll back?

ANNA DAVIS: Well, at first I was a little bit annoyed. Me and my caddie were screaming at the ball. I don't know if you could hear that on TV.

But, yeah, I just had a lot of shots today that just seemed to be a little bit too far, a little bit too short. So I needed one to go my way a little bit on that hole, but yeah, it was nice. It was a little lucky, but...

Q. You said it was a grind on the second nine. What was so grueling about it? I know a lot of people bogeyed on those holes today, so which ones gave you the most challenge?

ANNA DAVIS: The wind kind of picked up on that nine, kind of hit the afternoon. I mean, I hit a lot of good shots. I wasn't really placing myself well around the greens.

I mean, I stayed pretty steady, but it's just always kind of a grind when you know you're right on that cut line, you're trying to make a birdie. It's kind of why it was just a little bit scrappy, but yeah.

Q. You've been in this position before where you're either talking about just playing Augusta National for fun, but now you get to play for real again. Having been in that position, missing the cut, how great is your Thursday afternoon at Champions Retreat when are you going to be playing on Saturday?

ANNA DAVIS: Definitely just a little bit happier with yourself, for sure. I mean, the goal is to be able to play at Augusta. So, yeah, I just think it's always nice to be one of the 30 to play there. Just a little satisfying for sure. Just makes you feel a little bit better, so...

Q. How many years is this for you?

ANNA DAVIS: Five.

Q. And you've been able to play so many times, but you've already got a win at the start, does that make it harder or easier to enjoy it?

ANNA DAVIS: I set the bar a little high, for sure (smiling). I set the bar a little high my first year, but I think it's nice knowing that I can win there, and I've done it before, and I can do it again.

So, yeah, I think I definitely -- the expectations are a little high for me.

Q. Where is that bar now? Where is the bar, not just today, but when you come into the week? Do you manage to try to lower it? Is it just impossible?

ANNA DAVIS: I mean, I really try not to worry about the results, not set a goal based on results, because you just can't really control that. I think just my goal was really just to enjoy the experience and to embrace the challenge of it all, because it's not easy.

So, yeah, there's no real expectations. Maybe from other people, but I try not to put them on myself.

Q. Have you ever failed to meet your goal of having fun?

ANNA DAVIS: Maybe. Maybe the middle years there, if you know what happened (laughing). Other than that, I have a pretty good time out here, yeah.

Q. What does it say to you to be able to play the way you did down the stretch here and obviously making sure that you're playing at Augusta on Saturday?

ANNA DAVIS: Yeah, I think it's just -- I think it shows how mentally tough you have to be out here to play and trying to, you know, make a cut.

But, yeah, I think just I've grown in that aspect of my game being able to come down the stretch and make things happen and not really get ahead of myself. So I'm super excited to play on Saturday, see if I can shoot a low one.

Q. How have you evolved in that way over the year in terms of pressure being on and how you respond to it?

ANNA DAVIS: I think just not getting ahead of myself. Like really where my feet are and staying present and not thinking about, oh, what's coming up in the next few holes or anything like that. So just really staying focused on the shot at hand.

Q. What surprised you about Maria's game?

ANNA DAVIS: She's super solid. I mean, she made it look very easy the last two days. Her putting is very impressive. She makes a lot of good putts, especially out on these greens.

There's no easy pin position out here, truly. So she made a lot of really good putts and just never -- I mean, I think she only made one bogey in the last two days, and I think she only missed maybe two or three greens. I mean, it was just overall very solid across the board, so it was impressive.