AUGUSTA NATIONAL WOMEN'S AMATEUR

April 3, 2026

Meja Ortengren

Press Conference

THE MODERATOR: Please join me in welcoming Meja Örtengren to the interview room here at Augusta National.

Meja, this is your fifth appearance in the Augusta National women's amateur. You're currently one stroke back of the lead entering tomorrow's final round. What would you say has been the key to your success this week, and can you describe what it's like playing alongside so many of your Stanford teammates?

MEJA ÖRTENGREN: As you said, I think a big part of my success is playing alongside the Stanford Cardinals, and so many of my teammates push me every single day to become a little bit better. So I don't think that this week is something special. It's a product of what we've been doing the whole year.

Q. Looking at tomorrow, your third time competing in the final round, are there any learnings that you're going to be applying?

MEJA ÖRTENGREN: Yeah, I think from the two rounds that I've had before here at Augusta National I really learned that it's important to be a little bit disciplined into the greens. They are very, very firm and fast, so if you hit the right spots, it's going to funnel towards the hole, and you're going to have a good look at birdie, but if you miss those, it's going to be instead a thing to try and make par from there.

Q. Following up on the experience and things you've learned before, the leaderboard seems to be filled with players who have experience in this event, who played a couple of different times. How important do you think it is overall in terms of just understanding the atmosphere here so when you're in the position that you're in now that you've got that experience? Is it an important part now, do you think, in playing well in this tournament?

MEJA ÖRTENGREN: I really think so. I think the first time you get to play Augusta National is very intimidating, and there's a lot of things going around outside of just the golf part. So I think you need maybe at least a year to get to go around Augusta twice and see how it's really like in competitive settings.

For me, myself, I think I've learned a little bit every single year, and I now feel more comfortable of playing at such a big stage.

Q. How well do you know Asterisk, and what do you think it will be like playing with her in the final group tomorrow?

MEJA ÖRTENGREN: I've played with her a few times before at some AJGA events, and we also had a dinner at Stanford with some of the incoming recruits that have verbally committed to Stanford. It was so nice to meet her, but I don't know her that well, but it's going to be so much fun playing with her.

I know she's an amazing player, so it's going to be a good battle with her and the other competitors.

Q. A couple of times before that you have made the cut and you have this off day in between competitions, how much have you had to adjust just your mental focus for when you have to take a day away from competition before you get ready to play again tomorrow?

MEJA ÖRTENGREN: I think especially this year I've tried to be more intentional with this day off, try and get my mind off of competitive golf for a little bit, because it can be very exhausting to be really in tournament mode for four days. So I've been trying to switch my focus a little bit, take some time off, and enjoy my time with my family here at Augusta National.

Q. What's the biggest challenge to adapt your game between Champions Retreat and then playing at Augusta?

MEJA ÖRTENGREN: Champions Retreat is tough, but so is Augusta National. I think it's more tight from the tee here at Augusta National, so that is definitely going to be a key part for success here at Augusta National. But I think Champions Retreat is a good preparation for how it's going to be hitting approaches into the greens, because it's very tough out there as well.

So, yeah, I think it's a good test. Mostly tee shots, I would say.

Q. So you were saying what happened this week with Stanford here is a product of what you've been doing all year, so can you describe what you've been doing all year? I mean, to be specific, according to you, what makes the difference between Stanford and other schools?

MEJA ÖRTENGREN: I think we're very fortunate to have such a big group of great players right now. We are all playing very good golf, but we are also very close off the golf course. So we spend a lot of time with each other really, like, picking each other's brains, trying to find some piece of advice from every single one of us.

But also, like, our competitive qualifying rounds are very tough. You need to post a good score to make the line-up, and I think that is a good preparation for tournaments as a whole.you get tested for your game more often than just tournament play.

Q. There's been more sub-par rounds this year than ever before. Why is the standard rising?

MEJA ÖRTENGREN: First and foremost, I think Champions Retreat has not been really that much easier than before. We've been lucky with not having as much wind this year than before, so I think that is a key part of it.

Also, that a lot of players have played here before, gathered a lot of experience, and I think you need the experience for both Champions Retreat and here to really play well. So I think that is part of it also.

Q. What is the most pressure you've ever experienced on the golf course, and what did you enjoy about it, and what did you not like about it?

MEJA ÖRTENGREN: It would probably be coming down the stretch at Hills Open, the Ladies European Tour event I played this summer in Sweden. I had a big lead and then feeling like it kind of slipped away from me a little bit, and it happened quite fast.

I think that pressure of trying to switch it back to, oh, I need to make birdie on the last hole, how do I do that, was something that I never really felt before, I would say. I think I learned a lot from that experience, how to calm myself down and handle the pressure in a good way instead of letting the pressure get to me and kind of destroy the game that I'm trying to play.

Q. How did you calm yourself down, because I was getting nervous listening to this story?

MEJA ÖRTENGREN: Well, a lot of it is breathing work, breath work, but also I had my brother as my caddie over there as well. I think he's really a comfort zone for me, just turning to him, talking about something else and not being in a bubble of pressure. Trying to get out of there a little bit and talk about something else.

Q. Augusta National Women's Amateur is really the gold standard of women's amateur golf. I'm just wondering, what could other amateur tournaments or other collegiate tournaments take from what they're able to do here, as far as the player experience, that could easily be implemented into the rest of amateur golf and the rest of collegiate golf?

MEJA ÖRTENGREN: I think one thing that Augusta National and the Augusta National Women's Amateur team are great at doing is making events and providing us with the opportunities to kind of get together and get to know each other outside of the golf course. I think that creates a very good spirit alongside competitors.

I think we really can take in the whole experience of being at Augusta National because of so many of the different events that we are fortunate to get to.

Q. Do you have a favorite event so far?

MEJA ÖRTENGREN: The night we're going to have tonight at Berckmans Place is one of my favorites. I loved it a few years back when we had it, and it ended up being a big putting competition between members and competitors, which was very fun. I really cherish that moment.

Q. Is there something particular about your game this week that's been on that can help obviously attribute your success so far? Just an aspect that you've been particularly proud of this week?

MEJA ÖRTENGREN: Yeah, definitely my putting. It's been something that I've been struggling a little bit with, and coming into this week, I had a really good conversation with my coach, my swing coach from Sweden, about my putting, and we decided to change my target speed a little bit. I think that has paid off really well this week.

I've rolled in a few more putts and a little bit less speed on the putts to kind of almost target a drip speed instead of hitting it like two feet past the hole and not getting as many coming back putts, return putts that are longer.

Q. Is there a particular mindset that you are going to take to play tomorrow? You said obviously you need to be disciplined with the way you approach the course, but I'm curious if there's a thought process or a swing key that you're going to have going into the round?

MEJA ÖRTENGREN: Not really. I think I've done my preparations well, and I think that is something that I'm going to rely on tomorrow. I know that I have my routine, which I'm very comfortable with, and I know how to handle myself those 30 seconds before I hit a shot.

But swing key, I'll see what I find on the range this afternoon and see if that is something that I'm going to take out tomorrow.

Q. When you return here, what hits you the most? The history? The beauty? The pressure?

MEJA ÖRTENGREN: I think a little bit of everything, as you said. I think the history of Augusta National and the Masters, but also Augusta National Women's Amateur. I remember each and every round that I watched before coming here and then all the memories that I have had for myself being here these past few years.

But also, the amazing and magical place that Augusta National is. I'm stunned every time I walk out on the facility and seeing everything. It's like I'm seeing it for the first time every single time I get here.

But also, the history of the Masters. I've grown up watching the Masters. It was like the highlight of my year, and now it's become the highlight of my year coming here and playing the Augusta National Women's Amateur.

Q. When you are in contention, do you tend to pay a lot of attention to the leaderboard or try to stay within your own game and not take too many peeks?

MEJA ÖRTENGREN: It's been a little bit different. When I was younger, I didn't look at all, but as I've grown older, I feel like I can handle the pressure of knowing what the scoreboard looks like. So I feel like I might peek a little and see where I'm at, but I think that really helps me to kind of stick to my game plan as well.

I know that if I'm a few shots back, I'm going to try and make some birdies, but if I'm holding a lead, I don't think I am benefiting from not seeing the leaderboard. I do know that I want to see what's happening behind me, and I do think that that helps me a little bit to focus on my own game and trying to make birdies as well, because that is ultimately what is going to need to happen for a win here.

Q. Have you had any recent equipment changes or something specific in the last year or this week to prepare, a 7 wood in the bag or something of that sort?

MEJA ÖRTENGREN: I had a 7 wood. Switched to a 5 wood a few months back. There was a gap between my 4 iron and my 3 wood. Other than that, I changed my putter just before Christmas and have a new putter that I really like so far.

Q. Can you give me any specifics on that?

MEJA ÖRTENGREN: It's a Scotty Cameron. I don't know the exact model.

Q. Is it a mallet? A blade?

MEJA ÖRTENGREN: A mallet.

Q. Center shafted?

MEJA ÖRTENGREN: No, it's the face balanced, yeah.

Q. Face balanced. What is your connection with Mexico?

MEJA ÖRTENGREN: None, actually.

Q. I think you're wrong, because in your bio -- and we know Augusta National doesn't make mistakes -- it says you represented Mexico in the Women's World Amateur team championship in 2022 and France in 2023 in Abu Dhabi?

MEJA ÖRTENGREN: Yeah, that's wrong (laughter). They wrote it wrong in the bio for that. I've been representing Sweden ever since I was very little.

Q. Thank you for correcting.

MEJA ÖRTENGREN: No worries.

Q. Does it feel at all like it's a three-person race tomorrow with you and Asterisk and Maria, or do you think that somebody has it in them to come from five or six shots behind to make it interesting there?

MEJA ÖRTENGREN: I really do think that five strokes back is nothing out here. We've seen some low scores here before, especially last year, and I think getting a low score here can really put pressure on the leaders.

As we've seen so many times in the Masters, anything can happen here, so I don't think that five shots is crazy to see someone coming from behind and taking it.

Q. Playing two of the top courses out here the last two days, how would you compare and contrast them, especially with the conditions going into tomorrow?

MEJA ÖRTENGREN: They're very different visually, I would say. I don't think that they are that much different playing. They're both very hard and difficult courses, but as I said before, I think the tee shots here are a little bit tougher than Champions Retreat.

But same thing towards the greens, it's very hard with the approaches, so you need to be disciplined and playing smart to some spots that are not very close to the pins always, try and find a flat part of the green and try and hit that one, even if it's 7 meters left or right of the pin.

Q. How was your practice round today, and did anything stand out to you on the course?

MEJA ÖRTENGREN: It was a great practice round. I love getting out here and seeing the course again. I don't think that there was too many new things about it. I was happy to see that the greens were very firm. It's going to be a good challenge tomorrow for all of us, but it was just nice to see the course again and hit many of those putts that we've seen players hit before. I know that some of them might be beating mine tomorrow.

Q. Did your brother caddie for you the last two times that you played the final round?

MEJA ÖRTENGREN: Not the first time, but last year he did.

Q. You mentioned earlier that it probably takes about a year or two coming through here to really just break out the nerves a little bit of just the grandeur of it all here. I'm curious, do you still feel that pressure of the nerves, or once you get out there, it will really hit you then?

MEJA ÖRTENGREN: I feel a little bit more comfortable coming into this tournament this year than before, but I also know that I'm going to be super nervous on the 1st tee tomorrow. I really do feel the pressure of this event. I don't think that the pressure is ever going to really disappear from this event.

It's such a prestigious amateur event that we all look forward to each and every year, so I don't think that it's going to change even though you are here for the eighth or ninth time.

Q. Do you have sort of a favorite shot or hole on this course? Is there a shot or a hole that you find to be more challenging than the rest?

MEJA ÖRTENGREN: I've found 14 to be very challenging (laughing). I think that tee shot is very scary, even though there is really no bunkers or nothing like that. I think that is such a perfect layout of a hole, and I think that is a little bit scary.

I really do like all of the holes, but I really do like No. 2 for myself. I like to hit a draw off the tee, and I think that hole fits my eye a little bit better than most of the other ones. So I think the tee shot of that one is something that I really look forward to and hitting my draw off the tee, feeling comfortable with that, and also such a fun green side area to hit some good shots into.

Q. You guys in your practice round, do you skip it across the water on 16? If you do, how did you do? Who won the putting contest between the members and the competitors last year at Berckmans?

MEJA ÖRTENGREN: We did skip a few balls over the water this year. I did not make it over (laughing). Patience Rhodes in my group did, which was nice to see and getting some applause from that.

This was actually funny. I think it was three years ago we had it at Berckmans Place. There were so many people putting during the evening, and we stayed up late for that putting competition. Then at the end of the night I think two balls went in right after each other, and we didn't even know which ball was whose, but it was actually me and one of the members, Trip, that made it at the end of the night.

So that is why I cherish that moment so much, because it was such a fun way to close out the night.