THE MODERATOR: Welcome inside the media center here at Palos Verdes Championship presented by Bank of America. We are joined by Anna Davis, one of the sponsor invites from Bank of America, as well as the most recent Augusta National women's champion.
Anna, I mean, it's been a crazy month for you playing at ANWA, winning, and then obviously being here. You've got a couple other sponsor invites coming up. Just take us through your last month. I'm sure it's been kind of nuts.
ANNA DAVIS: Yeah, it's been kind of crazy. I think directly after got quite a few phone calls and messages and it was kind of all over the place and I was doing interviews; very busy three weeks for sure.
But I got a few calls for some LPGA events and stuff like that, so I'm looking forward to playing in those.
Q. You're 16; you've been on big national stages before, but how cool it is to get your first experience out here on the LPGA Tour?
ANNA DAVIS: I think it's pretty cool. I didn't expect to play an LPGA event at such a young age, so it's very exciting. It's been one of my goals for a really long time.
Q. Grew up just down the road in San Diego. Had you ever been to this golf course before?
ANNA DAVIS: No.
Q. Have you played here at all?
ANNA DAVIS: I have not. This is my first time in L.A. actually.
Q. Oh, really? So have you done anything fun?
ANNA DAVIS: No, not really. Not yet. Sit in traffic. That's fun.
Q. So let's just talk about some of your accomplishments this year. You won the girl Junior PGA Championship; last year played on the U.S. Junior Solheim Cup team. You're a name that people know. I think ANWA was your breakthrough moment. What did that win mean to you and what has -- has it changed your life at all or just people know more about you now?
ANNA DAVIS: Yeah, I think it's definitely changed my life a little bit. I mean, just going back it's like so many people have contacted me and stuff like that. I've gotten so many opportunities because of it, and I'm very thankful for that.
Q. What are some of the emotions out here? What are you feeling like being here?
ANNA DAVIS: I'm not that nervous. I'm kind of just trying to treat it as any other event. Just trying to have fun out here.
Q. Congratulations. It was fun watching you win in Augusta. I wanted to just ask first of all what the reaction was like at high school when you went back to normal life?
ANNA DAVIS: Okay, so I'm online school, so it wasn't too crazy. All may friends were texting me. Some aren't golfers so they don't really understand like how big it is. Some were like, Oh, congratulations.
My family, like some of them, don't understand how big it was, so it's kind of funny.
Q. Awesome. Is there anyone this week that you particularly wanted to meet or play with on the LPGA?
ANNA DAVIS: No, not really. I think I've met a few of them when I was at Solheim. I met the USA team. That was fun. I've met the Korda sisters. Those are the two main ones. I don't think they're playing this week though.
Q. If I could ask about college, kind of where are you in the process for college and has it changed much at all since the ANWA?
ANNA DAVIS: I think ever since last summer I've been pretty like well-known with the college coaches I would say. But I don't know. We'll see in June how the recruitment process takes place.
Q. How many schools are you looking at?
ANNA DAVIS: I'm not really sure. I've never really had like a dream school and I haven't visited any, so I think that will take like -- obviously that's a really important decision, and so we'll see what takes place in the next two years.
Q. And then just one more. I'm curious what your reaction was to the bucket hat craze and how much attention and conversation that sparked.
ANNA DAVIS: It was kind of funny. Back in July at the Girls PGA it was kind of a big thing. Not as big as it is now, but it was kind of like my thing.
And then during the fall and winter I didn't wear one, but they're kind of back in season, so at Augusta I put one on and all of a sudden it got a bunch of attention.
I don't know. It's funny.
Q. Will we see one this week?
ANNA DAVIS: Yes, for sure. I have some new ones.
Q. That's fun. Thank you.
ANNA DAVIS: Yep.
Q. Last night you participated in the Bank of America Play It Forward Clinic. Suzy Whaley, Renee Powell, a couple other LPGA players were there. What was that experience like for you to be able to meet some of the legends of the game and some current ones in the future as well?
ANNA DAVIS: I know Renee from Solheim. She was our captain, so I've known her. I did the clinic with her.
I know Suzy as a well because we met at Solheim also. Some of the LPGA girls, they're fun, just to see how they interact. They're just normal people and it's nice to see that. Some people will treat them differently, and no, they're just a normal person.
Q. I feel like being a sponsor invite sometimes there is a lot on the plate other than golf. You're only 16; do you have homework at the end of the day that you're working on?
ANNA DAVIS: Yeah, I'll try this week. Probably not going to get done.
Q. Already probably told all of your professors. What's that like being on this big stage here? I know you said earlier it's something you didn't really dream of this young. What is it like finally being in this type of moment?
ANNA DAVIS: I think it's obviously pretty cool. Again, I'm just trying to treat it like a normal tournament. At the end of the day that's what it is, so it's just -- I don't know, we're just going to see what happens, I guess.
Q. Have you played out here at Palos Verdes this week, or is that something on the agenda for this afternoon?
ANNA DAVIS: I have not; I will be playing after this.
Q. I think something else that caught everybody's eye at ANWA is you're just calm, cool, and collected. I feel like most 16 year olds would be out at an LPGA event starry-eyed, oh my gosh, I can't believe I'm here. What's the secret to your coolness about this whole thing?
ANNA DAVIS: I would just say experience. Like especially this last year. I've had tons of experience with junior golf and some am events, and I think that's really all that it is. It's just having a good mentality.
You can't take it too seriously to the point where you're just getting that mad on the golf course. It's supposed to be fun. You have to treat it that way.
Q. Megan mentioned the clinic last night with the Boys & Girls Club here. You've become I'm sure a role model to a lot of young girls, especially with ANWA being played right before the drive, chip and putt competition at Augusta. As somebody who I'm sure has a few role models in your life, what's it like to become one for a lot of younger girls?
ANNA DAVIS: It's kind of surreal to be honest. Remember being young and I looked up to Alexa Pano and Megha, people like that. Now I have girls like on Instagram DMing me and asking me questions. It's cute. I'm glad that I can be that person now.
Q. I wanted to ask about your twin brother, how much of an impact he's had on your game and just describe your relationship for me.
ANNA DAVIS: I think growing up playing golf with him has been a huge advantage for my game I would say. We've always been really competitive and he keeps you in check on the golf course.
I mean, ever since we were little we were very competitive. There would be like temper tantrums on the golf course and we would fight. As we grew older it turned into a friendly competition.
It keeps you focused and keeps you practicing deliberately, so I would say that was a huge advantage growing up.
Q. Now do you practice together a lot? Do you have the same sort of online schedule for school?
ANNA DAVIS: No, we do not. He's in-person and I'm online, so it's -- our schedules are a bit different. I'm not home very much because of tournaments so it's a little different now, but when we can we will practice together and we will play together.
Q. And when did you start the online class and why are you that way and he's the other way?
ANNA DAVIS: Well, ever since COVID I just stayed online because it was a lot easier. I go to a public high school, so they have like this curriculum where you can do it online, so I was like, Okay, I'll just do that, because it's easier for golf and I can practice more.
My brother goes to the school my dad works at, which is like a private school. He's getting a really good education so that's good. He's so good. He doesn't get to practice as much as I do, but I would say he's probably better than I am.
For the confidence, we'll say he's not. (Laughter.)
Q. So my question for you, first of all, congratulations on winning the ANWA.
ANNA DAVIS: Thank you.
Q. That was a lot of fun to watch. A real pleasure watching you. You were composed, much like you are today. So you're a sophomore right now in high school, correct?
ANNA DAVIS: I am, yes.
Q. Okay. So now, what's your process going to be now moving forward? You said you don't have any dream schools per se. What's the process right now? Do you have, say, any schools in mind? Is there one you would like to go to more than the other? What's the process through high school now and for the rest of your career?
ANNA DAVIS: I don't know. I haven't -- I mean, I've thought about it, but we'll see. Anything can happen in two years. I'm just seeing what plays out this summer. I have quite a few LPGA events lined up, so we'll see what happens with those and then we'll move on from there.
Just taking it one step at a time.
Q. After this week at Palos Verdes, what's the next LPGA Tour event?
ANNA DAVIS: I have the Cognizant Founders Cup in New Jersey in a few weeks; then I have the U.S. Open; and then I have the Evian and the British Open.
Then we'll fill in tournaments in there and see what happens.
Q. Final question from me. Just kind of looking ahead to this week, you mentioned Megha Ganne, Alexa Pano, those people you look up to. Had you reached out to them at all as to what to expect on site at an LPGA Tour event this week?
ANNA DAVIS: Yeah, for sure. We always talked about it. They say to take it all in and just really not get ahead of yourself in the whole thing. Just be present in the moment because you want to enjoy it.
Yeah.
Q. Have you watched any of the TV coverage from the ANWA?
ANNA DAVIS: I have actually. They sent it to me and I watched like the two-hour broadcast of it. It was cool.
Q. What was that like? Were you like, oh, my gosh I looked stupid there or I shouldn't have done that there?
ANNA DAVIS: No, not really. I more like look at it and I'm like, that putt should have gone in. That should have gone in, too.
THE MODERATOR: We will let you go. Want to wish you look this week and looking forward to it.
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