Hear from Katelyn Sepmoree, PGA, at the KPMG Women's PGA Championship.
THE MODERATOR: All right, welcome Katelyn Sepmoree, PGA golf professional. Katelyn, welcome to the 2025 KPMG Women's PGA Championship.
Now that champ week is finally here, how are you feeling about playing in this major at Fields East Ranch?
KATELYN SEPMOREE: Like I said before, we're ready to rock. I'm super excited to be here, very blessed to be here. We put a lot of work in leading up to this week and a lot of work this week, so we're ready to go.
Q. Great. You played here several times before. How valuable is that familiarity going in?
KATELYN SEPMOREE: I think it's crucial. When I wounds you have found out that I qualified I was like, we have to take advantage of it being so close. Fortunately enough I was able to come up about four times and play it, and this week we can kind of coast and chill and get our bearings and get comfortable.
Q. I understand you're going to have quite the support. How many people roughly are you expecting here cheering you on this week?
KATELYN SEPMOREE: I think upwards to 30 to 40 people at minimum.
Q. First major. I mean, the mental preparation, expectations, and just the first impressions when you're in the middle of the range with all the players.
KATELYN SEPMOREE: Yeah, I worked really hard on this. When I was told that I was going to hit the first tee shot there was someone I work with on my mental side and we just game strategied what to expect. My biggest mindset this week is control what I can control, and that's just my attitude and my preparation, and then once the gun goes off, it's trusting that preparation.
We've done some mental rehearsal of what to expect on the first tee. I am obviously going to be excited. But just kind of knowing and expecting it and embracing it. Enjoying the walk is another thing.
But controlling what I can control is my mindset this week.
Q. Have you met some of the players already? The locals, the ones that live around here, or do you have any connections with the players playing this week?
KATELYN SEPMOREE: From my previous time on Tour there are some faces I recognize. I haven't seen a lot of them this week, but I've stuck to my own little team.
No, there is definitely players I've played with here that I look forward to catching up with.
Q. Just wondering, do you feel like a mentor to some of the young girls you might teach and to the students that you give lessons to? What kind of encouragement have they given you?
KATELYN SEPMOREE: Oh yes, I definitely -- my goal when I started teaching was I was given a really great opportunity to learn from really great people, and if I could just share a little bit of that to the generation below me that's worth it.
I try to be a mentor to not only the girls I teach but the boys that I teach as well. They have given me -- they look at me and say, you can do this Katelyn, Coach Katelyn, you got this. To hear it from them it's something special. Kind of hard to put into words.
I hope to do them proud and my section proud.
Q. You had the pleasure of doing something very unique at media day Amy Yang where you got doing on the rooftop pool and hot a shot off there. What was the most enjoyable part of that experience representing PGA of America pros, and how did you fare from the rooftop?
KATELYN SEPMOREE: Yeah, most enjoyable was meeting Amy Yang. Super sweet. Never met her before. So that was super fun. And they then told me I was going to hit the shot from this rooftop, and was like ya'll do realize there is a glass bar like right in front of us.
But, no, that was super fun. I was like, how far?
But no, that was super cool. Not many people can say they've hot it from a rooftop, so that was great. Like I said, I'm proud to be here and represent the North Texas section and PGA of America.
Q. Media day I think was a mention, possibility of a bus. How are those 30 to 40 people getting here? Will it be by bus?
KATELYN SEPMOREE: I think the bus was used to describe the number of people. I can't confirm there is actually a bus, but I wouldn't put it past our members. I do know a lot of people are staying the night, like Wednesday night, because it is an early tee time.
But North Texas has been super supportive. Like they gave all our members access to a parking spot, so I think they'll all kind of congregate together.
Q. Carpool?
KATELYN SEPMOREE: Yeah, exactly.
Q. And then how many students would you say that you currently teach?
KATELYN SEPMOREE: I think in our junior program alone we probably have upwards -- from high school to very young probably 40 to 50 kids and I obviously teach adults as well.
So a large number.
Q. More than 50?
KATELYN SEPMOREE: All together total probably touch 50 to 60 people.
Q. What were your last -- you're juggling getting ready for this but you have daily responsibilities. What were your last daily job responsibilities before you left?
KATELYN SEPMOREE: I had to get the schedule so people would actually show up to work, so I scheduled my outside staff and inside staff. They were like Katelyn, you need to just go. We got it. We got you.
And that's really great. I couldn't be here without the staff at home. They were like, we're going to take care of it. We got you, girl. You've always had us and now it's our turn. That's what's important to me.
Q. Although this is your first major you got this amazing attitude. Just want to get out there and rock. It's more intensity that I think we've heard from some of the players that do this all the time. Where does that confidence come from?
KATELYN SEPMOREE: The people around me, my family, circle. I refer to it as my circle. It's my coach, it's my family, it's Corey, it's the members. They instill confidence that I can just drink up and take in, and honestly it's my faith and knowing this is where I belong.
Q. What's your goal for this week?
KATELYN SEPMOREE: First goal is to enjoy every moment. Obviously I want to win it.
Q. A lot of the players here this week are playing the golf course for the first time. If they came to you for advice, what would you tell them?
KATELYN SEPMOREE: Get comfortable off the awkward-- not awkward, but just kind of deceptive sightlines off the tee. He does a really great job hiding the green surfaces with the bunkering. I would tell them to trust there is a massive green even though you can't see it. Pick a really good sightline off the tee and trust there is fairway here, because like I said, he does a good job hiding green surfaces and hiding fairways.
