Q. First thoughts stepping out here teeing off, what did you think?
ASTERISK TALLEY: It was definitely exciting just being here is amazing. I feel like the TV doesn't do it justice. It's even better out here. It's definitely hillier, harder to walk, and it's just amazing and it lives up to its history and its name.
Q. You mentioned it living up. Can you think of anything else that has this much hype surrounding it and does live up to it?
ASTERISK TALLEY: I feel like Pebble does, but this is definitely a lot nicer than Pebble. Pebble has the ocean views and stuff, but like this is just insane how there's like not one grain of brown grass. Everything is green. It's just nothing like us players are used to because you don't play this kind of course every day, and it's just amazing to be here.
Q. You've been out here for Drive, Chip & Putt in the past. How did that experience motivate you to qualify for this event and to now be out there playing?
ASTERISK TALLEY: It's definitely like this is a lot bigger, and I feel like just being out there on 18, it's like the course is so nice. You want to play it in the future. Just being there on 18 and just putting there, it's like, well, I want more of this, and I want to play. It's just like that's what motivates you to play a course like this and just to have fun.
Q. In the last few weeks, what have you taken away? This has been a whirlwind few weeks. As you think about it, what have the last two weeks meant for you and your development?
ASTERISK TALLEY: It's definitely a lot. It's exciting. It's been the greatest two weeks ever. Sage is so nice, too. Like the course -- I feel like that's good preparation for this week, coming into it and playing so well. I just feel like I had a confidence boost because I knew they could be similar and it's good preparation, and then going into Champions the course is tough. The conditions were super tough and weird, and it changed every second. You didn't know where the wind was going.
If you can play in that, then you can play in any conditions. I feel like the past three weeks have been great preparation to be here, and it's just so much confidence and so much -- like a euphoric feeling.
Q. Was there a moment at all today where you said to yourself, oh, my gosh, I'm out here playing Augusta National?
ASTERISK TALLEY: I feel like definitely on Amen Corner. It's like the most known place in golf. Everyone knows where that is. They know how historic that particular spot on the course is. It's just like, wow, I'm here at Augusta, crossing the bridge, and just getting to play that hole was amazing.
Q. Have you decided who will caddie for you?
ASTERISK TALLEY: I haven't decided, but it's great to have my dad on the bag, and he knows my game so well. He knows how I play and stuff. The caddie here knows the course really well, and it's just like, there's two great factors of it, and I just feel like they're both really good, so we're going to have to decide that later.
Q. If your dad does caddie, how do you keep him calm tomorrow?
ASTERISK TALLEY: He's definitely going to struggle on the walk. He walked today, but he doesn't have the bag on his back, and he's not raking the bunker every time, getting my ball marks. I feel like he's going to try and keep it up, he's going to try not to struggle, but I feel like the course itself will keep him calm because he's just not going to be able to handle it if he's stressed out all the time. He's not going to be able to.
Q. What are your expectations for tomorrow?
ASTERISK TALLEY: I feel like I can play really good. This course has perfect conditions everywhere. I feel like if I really step on my game and really focus and stay in the zone I can really play some of my best golf.
Q. Do you have a routine the night before for something this big? What will you do to decompress?
ASTERISK TALLEY: It usually varies. Just like dinner and go to sleep at the same time. Everything I've done for the past two days, that's not going to change, and I'm going to do the same thing going into tomorrow.
Q. Do you still have a bedtime?
ASTERISK TALLEY: Not at home, but here it's always -- we try to get into bed at a certain time to wake up. I don't want to be tired on the range especially with such an early tee time. I'm only going to get this much sleep, so you've got to get it in. It's not something you can lose.
Q. Where were you last week?
ASTERISK TALLEY: I went home in between Sage and -- yeah.
Q. You turned February in 15. Do you have your learner's permit yet?
ASTERISK TALLEY: No, I can get it at 16 and a half in California.
Q. Beginning with these few weeks, is there something that you'll take away that you'll want to be working on with your game, something that you've seen from the other players or from what you just realized with your own game that still needs to be worked on?
ASTERISK TALLEY: I feel like I still have some pushes going on, so I feel like I'll definitely be able to learn this week, and I feel like my putting is getting better, especially like on bent greens. I feel like just practicing on them is helping me learn a true roll, especially here. It's like there's nothing to mess up the roll and you can kind of feel exactly how the putt is going to be. If I miss it off the line, you'll know that because it's just so pure.
Q. Did anything about the last two weeks change your thoughts of where your game is and how your progression is going?
ASTERISK TALLEY: I feel like I've definitely improved, especially at Sage. I kind of buckled down and played my best golf, and I feel like I can do that here.
I think tomorrow is going to be a good test to see where my game is and how I can improve and how I can learn from this week.
Q. What do you think your emotions are going to be tomorrow when you tee it up for the first time?
ASTERISK TALLEY: I'm going to be so excited. I have a little nerves, but I feel like I can calm those down whenever I want, and I feel like I'm just going to be so happy to tee it up at the first tee at Augusta. Like everyone that plays golf wants to do that, and I feel like not a lot of people -- almost no people get a chance to do that, and it feels so special to just be up there and teeing it off, so I'm going to have a lot of fun.
Q. When did you find out that you had gotten the invitation?
ASTERISK TALLEY: I think I found out just in maybe the beginning of February or the end of January because I was in school at the time, and then my dad -- like we went to go practice like we normally do after school, and he was like, one of his work friends actually came out to watch my practice, which was kind of rare for the time. Like he sometimes does it, but it's been a while, and then he was like, oh, he wants to take you to dinner. I was like, okay, I was kind of getting suspicious. I was like, okay, that's cool.
Then when we went to dinner, a lot of my family started showing up, and they were like, congratulations. I was like, for what. But whatever. Then I was just like, thank you, because it's polite.
I was just like, what's going on, and then right when we got our food, he was like, oh, by, way, you're going to Augusta. I was like, for what. He was like, oh, for like the ANWA or whatever. I was like, why did you tell me that no. I've been so confused for the past 30 minutes. Then I was so emotional. I was like, what is happening right now because that was something I've always dreamed of doing, but at the time it was like, I don't know if I'm that good right now. I was like, I don't know if I'm going to make it.
But I got like this special invite or whatever, and he was like, yeah, you're going. I was like, wow, this is crazy. Then I was like, I don't know what to say. It was just insane.
Q. Obviously a lot of people mention your name and its uniqueness. These last two weeks you've been able to show people you've got some game, too. How important is that to show people that you're not just a novelty with the game but you're a really good golfer?
ASTERISK TALLEY: Yeah, I feel like that's really important. For the past couple weeks, winning Sage and making the cut yesterday by one stroke, I was like, I need to make this putt. But they were like -- well, first it was like, oh, she's the youngest player in the field or whatever. I was getting that a lot. Then just to make it, it was like, well, I'm not just here because I'm here. It was like, I'm here because I can play, and I'm as good as these other players. I feel like that was really good for me to make the cut and to come in here with a win and to have some confidence.
FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports