THE MODERATOR: Welcome inside the pressroom here at the Kroger Queen City Championship presented by P&G. We are joined with one of our sponsor exemptions this week, Augusta National Women's Amateur champion, Anna Davis. Welcome to Cincinnati. How are you finding the city so far?
ANNA DAVIS: It's been nice and wet, but it's been fun. Really pretty here. I really enjoy the golf course. It's very similar to the one that I played at Junior Solheim, so it'll be exciting this week.
Q. What are the similarities?
ANNA DAVIS: Green. Pretty tree-lined for the most part and very flat.
Q. The last time we saw you you were playing in France at Evian. You've had quite a year of exemptions. This is your last one. Walk through your experience this year getting all these exemptions, playing in majors, and just kind of wrap that up.
ANNA DAVIS: I mean, it's been obviously an amazing opportunity for the an with a winner for sure. It's really cool that they do this. You kind of get to experience life on Tour and kind of realize, do I want to do this, do I want to do it, and I definitely want to do it in the future, so hopefully you'll see more of me.
But yeah, it's been a really fun ride for sure.
Q. Walk me through your last major at Evian. You obviously made the cut. That's traditionally quite a tricky golf course. That's quite a feat as an am making the cut not knowing the course.
ANNA DAVIS: It was a difficult course. If you hit fairways, though, it should be pretty simple. Once I got used to, it was pretty easy to make birdies. So making the cut was cool, and then just being in that atmosphere in general, it's a lot different than most Tour events that I've played in the last few months, so that event in particular was the one that stood out to me the most, the one I had the most fun at.
Q. I know you don't play high school golf, but going back to what you just said was "regular golf," how is it going to compare? Obviously you're going to miss life out here on Tour.
ANNA DAVIS: Yeah, it's going to be different. I don't know how I'm going to do it. But it'll be exciting. I'll have some stories to tell, so that'll be cool.
But yeah, it's going to be difficult. I'm going to miss this too much.
Q. A friend of yours, a person that you've played with, Monday qualified for the third week in a row, 14-year-old Gianna Clement. 7-under yesterday in the qualifier. Have you seen her this week?
ANNA DAVIS: I have.
Q. Did she reach out to get advice or anything?
ANNA DAVIS: No I just saw her in the parking lot yesterday before she teed off. I just told her she'd big-time and to have a good round. Yeah, but she's a good friend of mine, and she's solid. Especially being at that young of an age, I thought I was young, and then she just qualified three times in a row, and I was like, maybe I'm not that young.
Q. To see a friend like that have that much success, is it cool to see another one of your friend group be successful?
ANNA DAVIS: Yeah, it's super cool. Even just the LPGA allowing girls like this age to be able to go out and play, it's definitely cool for sure growing the game like that.
Q. Now that you're through this series of exemptions and invitations, what has been the biggest surprise playing out here?
ANNA DAVIS: I think just like how different it is from amateur golf. It's not hugely different, but it definitely is different, just the whole atmosphere of it. You can just tell how individualistic it is and how independent these girls are and how mature they are. It's actually pretty cool.
Q. Has there been anyone who has approached you and given you a specific piece of advice out here that you remember?
ANNA DAVIS: Not necessarily. I played a few practice rounds with some of the girls, and they've all just talked to me about the whole experience in general and all the opportunities that have been given to me, and we kind of just talk about like the future and what I'm going to do with my future and stuff like that.
Q. That leads to a good question: What are you going to do with your future?
ANNA DAVIS: I'm not sure yet. I'm keeping the college option open. I'm keeping the Tour option open. So we'll see what happens after high school.
Q. As you reflect on your opportunities that you've had this year, what have you learned the most about yourself and how have you seen yourself progress over the last year?
ANNA DAVIS: That's a good question. I mean, just from all of the events I've learned a lot, even just about like my golf game in general, which has been super cool. Like with me, especially being like a teenager, you think you know everything but you don't, so that's what I've been learning; I don't know everything.
Yeah, just learning about my golf game and just like the mental game, too. It's huge out here.
Q. They just announced that the Augusta National Women's Amateur champion was going to be given an exemption into next year's Chevron Championship. What was that like? You've played some big-time tournaments, but I feel like the Chevron is the LPGA Tour's equivalent of the Masters almost. Obviously playing in that championship but also the first year it's going to be in Houston.
ANNA DAVIS: That'll be exciting. I didn't really pay much attention to it because I was busy last week, but I saw it on Golf Digest and a bunch of people sent it to me, so that'll be super cool playing in another major, and I'm looking forward to it for sure.
Q. Talk a little bit about the golf course. I know it's been pretty wet the last couple of days. What are your thoughts so far?
ANNA DAVIS: There are definitely going to be a lot of birdies out there. I think a low score will definitely win it.
But I think it's definitely going to play a little tough -- it plays a little long, especially just because of how wet it is right now, but they've been doing a good job of taking care of the course and all of that. It'll be a fun week.
Q. Is it going to be more ball-striking key off the tee or is it going to be more trying to figure out the greens do you think?
ANNA DAVIS: I'm going to say I think it's more ball-striking I would say.
Q. Tree-lined golf course, try to keep it straight off the tee?
ANNA DAVIS: Yep, I think so. I think it should be pretty -- just hitting it straight, hitting greens, kind of going for pins I would say.
Q. I know you're from San Diego. Have you ever been to Cincinnati before?
ANNA DAVIS: I have not. I've been to Toledo.
Q. What's probably the coolest place that you've been able to travel because of golf?
ANNA DAVIS: So I recently went to a trip to Europe, so I did the -- I went to France and I went to Scotland, so just being -- I think Scotland was super cool just because it's kind of like the home of golf and it has so much history there, and I got to play a bunch of courses there that have so much history, so I think that was definitely one of my funnest trips.
Q. Chat a little bit about that. Playing at Muirfield, being part of that inaugural field of women ever being able to play golf at Muirfield, what was that like?
ANNA DAVIS: Yeah, Muirfield was actually super cool. They let me into the pro shop and the area inside. I mean, it has so much history. Just like they have trophies from like a thousand years ago. It's like, whoa, that's crazy. That was definitely a super cool trip.
Then I got to go down the street to North Berwick, and probably one of the funnest golf courses I've played for sure. Yeah, just being in that town in general was super cool.
Q. As you look ahead to this week, just being here as a sponsor's exemption and all the generosity you've gotten from the different tournaments this year, what would have been your -- what's your assessment of your 2022? You've had a big year. How would you assess this year and what it's done for your game and your mental attitude especially as you go out and play another LPGA tournament?
ANNA DAVIS: I mean, it's been super fun. Just the opportunities that have been given to me, I'm so thankful for them.
I know that in the next couple years I'm definitely never going to forget the year I've had for sure. It's definitely been one of the best years of golf for sure.
Q. Has it hit you yet, everything that's gone on?
ANNA DAVIS: I don't think so. I think when I go back to like normal events, it'll probably hit me and be like, wow, I did that. Yeah, it'll hit me eventually.
FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports