Q. 125th U.S. Women's Amateur champion. Put that into perspective to somebody who has been around this USGA stuff for now a decade.
MEGHA GANNE: It's so crazy. It's so much harder than it seems to win one of these, and it takes not only like a lot of patience, tries at it, but so many things working in your favor: good health, good luck, good fortune, and good timing. All those things coming together just feels like it's fate.
So I feel very blessed right now.
Q. You have won a national title as a team; now you've won one as an individual. Kind of put those two things into perspective, what it's like to obviously win with your teammates and now you've won one of these by yourself in a USGA event.
MEGHA GANNE: Yeah, winning with a team is so special. There is nothing like it, like college golf. But this is something that has been an individual goal of mine since the I was a little kid.
I've hit so many putts in my basement pretending that it was to win a U.S. Open or U.S. Amateur or U.S. Junior. To actually have that putt is surreal.
Q. You've obviously done very well in match play. I look back at even the NCAAs this year. Knocked off Lottie Woad in the semifinals. World No. 1; already won on Tour. You've done well. What is it about match play that brings out the best in Megha Ganne at least less recently?
MEGHA GANNE: Yeah, I can't say I loved how I played match play my whole life, but definitely worked on it the last three, four years, especially after going to Stanford. I really wanted to contribute points during our national championship. So I was like just let's figure out how to become a better match play player. I think I just worked on it and changed my mentality a little bit.
Yeah, I think my match against Lottie gave me a lot of personal confidence. To see her doing so well on Tour now and knowing my game was right there with hers was a huge confidence booster for me this week.
Q. Yeah, because you beat three top 20 players to get here; then beat a player who played the Women's Open this year in the final; then you you had to come back yesterday. So seems like that's something you figured out.
MEGHA GANNE: Yeah. It's an honor to play with such great players. You know how hard everyone works, and it's cool to see everyone's game and measure yours against theirs.
Sometimes it really just is about timing having your day. I think I just ended up on the good side of things this week.
Q. What was the best shot you hit in the afternoon?
MEGHA GANNE: I think my approach into 11 with a 5-iron. Just a knock-down. It was really windy. I think those back nine holes are more for a ball-striker, so...
Q. That was when she was under the cart, right?
MEGHA GANNE: Yes.
Q. How much of a motivating factor was not making Curtis Cup last summer, I guess not being named to the National Team? How much did that motivate you? And also being hurt and not being able to kind of play a lot last summer, how much did that all contribute to the player that we see today?
MEGHA GANNE: I mean, I think the injury mainly is what motivated me to be more introspective about what I need to do to prevent something like that from happening, work on mobility and strength and take that side of being an athlete more seriously, which I can't say I did prior to that.
So it taught me more than it really motivated me and it changed the way I go about taking care of my physical health, which is a huge component that all comes together to make a week like this happen. 11 rounds of golf, you need to be pretty sound for that to happen.
Yeah, I think everything happens for a reason and that was a big part of it.
Q. You're such a confident person. Who do you think injects the most confidence into you? Why are you that way?
MEGHA GANNE: A lot of people say I'm a copy of my mom and she's probably the most confident person I know. So I would say her.
And then my coach, Katie, has had -- like if you think I have a lot of self-belief, hers is through the roof in me and in us. So I think having her as a coach and a mentor since I started the game really only showed me one way to look at golf.
Q. What's her last name.
MEGHA GANNE: Katie Rudolph.
Q. She was showing me some of your swing videos from 2010 and 2011 earlier today.
MEGHA GANNE: Yeah.
Q. What do you remember about those early lessons and the connections you formed then to be able to enjoy this celebration today?
MEGHA GANNE: Yeah, I mean, I think she taught me how to love the game of golf, and that's the most important thing that you can teach someone that's picking up the game, especially the young ages where you have so many options of sports to play. Having an instructor that makes you want to stick with something for more than just the competition, but just because you actually love being out there, love playing, making friends, being on the golf course, she did such a great job of that that it was just such an easy choice for me to pursue golf and then take it to a higher level, because the foundation is of it was just so fun. It still is.
Q. You seemed to enjoy that week at Olympic Club four years ago so much. This week, too, you seem to really enjoy playing. Obviously helps when you're playing well. What is it about these big time events and the big time moments that brings out the best in Megha Ganne?
MEGHA GANNE: I think I love playing any sort of tournament, but I really do love being in the spotlight. I like performing under pressure and I think it brings out the best in my game.
Q. What's the maybe best message that Coach Walker sent you from Spain?
MEGHA GANNE: She's been on vacation with her family, so she was sending my pictures of her kids and saying, good luck. They were really cute, so those were good messages.
Q. You glad to have a little bit of bragging rights now? Paula won a couple big tournaments this summer.
MEGHA GANNE: Yeah.
Q. You guys seem to be sweeping all the big amateur events over the summer.
MEGHA GANNE: Yeah, that's pretty special. I can't wait to call her after this and tell her that -- she thought she one-upped me, but she didn't oops.
Q. Will you stick around and be amateur for the Curtis Cup next year? Is that in the plans for you?
MEGHA GANNE: I have not thought about it.
Q. What was your favorite shot you hit this week?
MEGHA GANNE: I think all of my shots into the 15th hole, the par-3, were my favorite.
I either found the green or somewhere very near it. I think that's one of the hardest shots. Pressure is really high on this tee box and that's the point where the match changes. I just hit really solid shots in high wind so that was my favorite hole.
Q. You took a three-hole lead going into the second 18 today. What are some of the things do you during that break to stay relaxed, especially in pursuit of this big championship?
MEGHA GANNE: I just had lunch with my family and my coach and a few other people. My assistant coach from Stanford was also here. Just ate some lunch and listened to music and foam rolled and head back out. It wasn't too long of a break.
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