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MASTERS TOURNAMENT


April 6, 2014


Leo Cheng

Lucy Li

Natalie Pietromonaco

Patrick Welch

Kelly Xu


AUGUSTA, GEORGIA

DRIVE, CHIP AND PUTT CHAMPIONSHIP

ROB JOHNSTON:  Well good afternoon, ladies and gentlemen, and thank you for joining us here on this truly historic afternoon at Augusta National.  My name is Rob Johnston, and it is my great pleasure to welcome to the stage, our inaugural winners and future stars of golf, of the Drive, Chip & Putt Championship, please join me in giving them a great round of applause (applause.)
It is Ms.My great honor and privilege to recognize three very important gentlemen in the room with us:  Mr.Billy Payne, Mr.Ted Bishop, Mr.Tom O'Toole.  Join me in thanking them for creating and developing this extraordinary vision to grow the game of golf.  Thank you, gentlemen.  (Applause).
Before we take some questions, let me introduce these very talented prodigies.
In the Girls 7 to 9 division, it's Kelly Xu from Santa Monica, California.
In the Boys 7 to 9 division, Treed Huang from Katy, Texas.
In the Girls 10 to 11 division, Lucy Li from Redwood City, California.
In the Boys 10 to 11 division, Leo Cheng from Northridge, California.
In the Girls 12 to 13 division, Natalie Pietromonaco from Auburn, California.
In the Boys 12 to 123 division, Bryson Bianco from Tallahassee, Florida.
In the Girls 14 to 15 division, Hunter Pate from Las Vegas, Nevada.
And in the Boys 14 to 15 division, Patrick Welch from Providence, Rhode Island.
Now this is a wonderful opportunity for the media to ask these very talented youngsters some questions.  I know open the floor for any questions.

Q.  For Lucy, what kind of an experience was this, and is it something that you will remember?
LUCY LI:  I will definitely remember this experience.  It's amazing.  Just being at the Masters, it's a really great experience.

Q.  For Patrick, when you go back to Providence and talk to your friends, how will you describe your experience here to them?
PATRICK WELCH:  I would describe it as an amazing experience because it's sometimes Once in a Lifetime opportunity, come down to August and just watch.  But to play out here and practice out here is just amazing.  I mean, I can't wait to tell them, I guess (smiling) (laughter).

Q.  What's the most nervous you've ever been on the golf course before you got here today, and how did the nerves today on the 18th green compare with that?
PATRICK WELCH:  I don't know.  I felt the most nervous here on the 18th hole probably.  And I don't know, I just tried to stay focused and tried to leave the putt close and it went in, so that helped (laughter).

Q.  To anybody who wants to answer, what would you tell your friends back home who don't play golf now?
NATALIE PIETROMONACO:  I would tell them that this was like a life‑changing experience for me and how great the people out here treated us, and that it was just such an amazing experience to come out here and be able to practice at the world's best golf course.

Q.  For Kelly, what did you know about the Masters before you came here?
KELLY XU:  Well, I kind of‑‑ I just thought that this was like the most amazing course in the world and that the greens are really fast and that this is the once‑in‑a‑time lifetime and I shouldn't miss treat this chance.  It's really a huge privilege to come here.

Q.  First of all, can I see a show of hands of how many of y'all made the putt on 18?
LEO CHENG:  (Raising hand).
PATRICK WELCH:  (Raising hand).

Q.  For Kelly, are you even aware that you're the first female champion at Augusta National?
KELLY XU:  Yeah (smiling, nodding) (laughter).

Q.  How did that feel?
KELLY XU:  It felt like really exciting that all my hard work‑‑ this is Augusta National, and to me it's the most special course in the world.  And I‑‑ I feel like it's all my hard work has really paid off and it feels really good.

Q.  That's a pretty famous putt that you made.  Had you dreamt about that in the past?
PATRICK WELCH:  I've thought about it.

Q.  Had you ever practiced that putt before, thinking about it?
PATRICK WELCH:  Mm‑hmm, no (shaking head).

Q.  Leo, what about on that putt on 18, did you practice it?  Were you ready for it?  What were you thinking?
LEO CHENG:  Not really.  I just watched him and when I got up to the putt, I just had a vision of Adam Scott (shrugging shoulders) making that putt.
ROB JOHNSTON:  I want to thank everyone for attending today.
Gentlemen, thank you for this great vision for the game of golf.
And media, thank you all so much for your support and coverage of this wonderful inaugural event, thank you all.  Have a wonderful tournament.

FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports




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