how did you first hear
about the tournament at
augusta national, and what
was your reaction? I heard
about it when they announced
it during the 2018 Masters.
I was really excited, and
then we all realized it was at
the same time as the ANA
Inspiration [a major on the
LPGA Tour that includes top
amateurs], so I wasn’t sure
how that would work out.
Everyone had questions about
that. But I was excited to try to
qualify and hopefully have the
opportunity to play.
● ● ●
how did you choose
between the two? I received
the invite to ANWA first and
actually turned it down. We
had I think five regular-season
college tournaments booked
up straight into Augusta, and
I would just miss so much
school, there was no way I could
do it. But then my college coach
[Kim Lewellen] canceled one
of the tournaments, so I was
like, OK, I could make this work.
Around the end of January,
I called [the director of golf
development] and asked if I
could play. They had a spot in
the field and said I was more
than welcome to play. The ANA
invite came a week later, and I
told them that I’d be at Augusta.
● ● ●
what was it like arriving at
augusta national? had you
been there before? The year
before, I played Augusta with
my Wake Forest team. Growing
up, I’d never thought playing
there was even an option. At
the ANWA, we didn’t go to the
Augusta National grounds
until the chairman’s dinner on
Tuesday. I think the way it was
scheduled built up so much
excitement in everyone. We just
wanted to be on the grounds.
● ● ●
what did you get to see?
Everyone in the tournament
got to see the clubhouse, locker
room, Crow’s Nest, and got
a tour of the grounds. With
Arnold Palmer having gone
to Wake Forest, it was really
special to see things like his
locker there. I didn’t get to see
Butler Cabin, the media center
and the tunnels until I won.
● ● ●
i’m sure it helped to
have played the course
before the tournament
(in addition to the
practice round on friday
before saturday’s finish).
Definitely. I had already
experienced that awe factor.
So by the time I got there for
the practice round, I could
focus on learning the course
instead of looking around being
like, Oh my gosh, this is so cool!’
Obviously, you still feel like
that, but the effect was less.
● ● ●
like others in the field,
you switched to a local
caddie once you got to
augusta national. was it
a tough decision? It was
really hard. Showing up to
the practice round at Augusta,
after my dad caddied the first
two rounds, we were just going
to see how it went. I had my
same caddie in the practice
round that I played with the
year before. Going through the
course it was clear how much
Brian [McKinley] knew that
there’s no way you could ever
write it all down in a yardage
book. Like knowing differences
in slopes, knowing all the
yardage markers by memory,
knowing the greens, all of the
breaks—he knew everything
about the course. Then my dad
and I knew it was a no-brainer.
The funny part is, I told
the media before I had the
conversation with my dad.
There’s no hurt feelings, but
at the time he was like, “You
could’ve told me first.” But
I was like, “Well, the media
was asking, so I just gave them
the answer.”
● ● ●
there had to be moments
during the tournament
that you were happy you
had a local caddie.
He was a huge role in my
success in that round. The read
on my eagle putt on 13, I saw it
going the other way, and he was
like, “No way.” He was right.
That was a big one [the eaglewhat’s your favorite
shot you hit during
that round? My two favorites
were the hybrids on 13 and- Thirteen because it led
to my eagle. Fifteen was so
cool because I play a fade,
but standing over the ball,
I was like, Screw it, I’m going to
try to hit a draw. I don’t know
what I was thinking, taking a
risk during the biggest moment
of my career. But adrenaline
took over, and I was like, I ’m
totally going to pull this shot
off. And it worked—I was just
over the green in two and two-
putted for birdie.
● ● ●
what was the best moment
of the week? Walking up to
the first tee and seeing how
many people were there.
Everyone was so excited to
see us play; that was insane.
I had never played in that
type of situation. Getting
to experience it with friends
I’d made in college golf,
knowing we were the first
women to compete there,
was really special.giving Kupcho a share of the led
with Fassi]. And then the whole
three holes of my migraine,
I just leaned on him to read the
greens and tell me where to at
least attempt to hit it.
● ● ●
what does it feel like when
you get a migraine? I had
them a lot in high school. I got
used to it. I’d play basketball
games and golf tournaments
with migraines. But the one
at Augusta was my first since
high school. When I first get
them, it’s really blurry; I can’t
see. As the blurry vision goes
away, I get a massive, pounding
headache. It started on the
eighth green and didn’t go away
until the 11th tee shot.
● ● ●
how have you tried to
make them go away? I take
a caffeine pill, drink lots of
water, take pain medicine,
take deep breaths and close
my eyes. During the ninth and
10th holes, I walked down most
of the fairway with my eyes
closed. I told my caddie what
was going on. I think he was
worried but tried to stay calm
because he didn’t want to freak
me out.
● ● ●
how hard was it to hit a
shot with limited vision?
After so many hours of prac-
ticing, it becomes muscle
memory. It’s blurry, but from
practicing I can know approxi-
mately where the ball is.
was that the hardest
thing you’ve experienced
in a tournament? Yes, just
because there was so much on
the line. When it happened I was
like, Why now? Why does this
have to happen to me now?
● ● ●
do you have any idea what
caused it? My mom and I
talked about it after. We were
pretty sure it was dehydration.
Something that we realized in
high school was that if I ate a lot
of chocolate, I got migraines.
That whole week there was so
much sugar everywhere, so that
could’ve been it.Photographs by Donald Miralle