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MARATHON CLASSIC PRESENTED BY OWENS CORNING AND O-IJuly 16, 2014Lexi ThompsonSYLVANIA, OHIO Q.  What was that week like for you last year? Obviously the big hole‑in‑one on 14. LEXI THOMPSON: Yeah, this tournament brings back a lot of great memories having a hole‑in‑one on 14. High‑fiving everyone going into that green was probably one of the best shots of my career. But it was just overall a good week. I think I had a pretty good first day to get me started, and then just tried to keep it going the next few days. Q.  Was it even cooler because of the environment around that hole? Kind of a party hole. LEXI THOMPSON: Yeah, definitely a lot cooler here. About four or five people deep, four or five rows deep that day, but every day pretty much gets a huge crowd on that hole, which is really good to see. Q. What was the British like for you? Obviously just got back in. Kind of a different feel to come back to the States. LEXI THOMPSON: Yeah, it was definitely different golf over there. Bouncing shots, hitting irons off tees and having it roll 50 or more yards, and then you come here and you're barely getting any roll. It's just different golf. You have to think about a lot more numbers and see shots differently there. But coming here, this golf course is so flush right now and I guess they got a lot of rain so there is not much roll. The rough is up pretty high, but it's in great shape for us this week. Q. Looking forward to International Crown next week, is there a kind of vengeance thing after Solheim Cup, losing, and how excited are you about that event? LEXI THOMPSON: I'm so excited to play next week. Any time I can represent my country, wake up and put red, white, and blue on, it's the highest honor I can have. Really look forward to being part of a team event, and hopefully win and redeem ourselves. MODERATOR: Questions? Q. American women seem to be dominating the LPGA Tour this year. You've won all the majors. Only a couple international players have won has that been a conscious effort? Do you girls talk about that? A little trash talking going on there? LEXI THOMPSON: No, no trash talking at all. It's not like we, all American players get together and say, All right, one of us has to win this week. I think it was just a matter of time. I mean, there are so many great American players out here. It was only a matter of time before we started winning. Anybody in the field, they're obviously a great player to the in the field and they can compete. So it doesn't matter where you're from. What really matters is the talent you bring to the table. Q. Is there extra appeal of the event with International Crown coming up of the Olympics coming up in two years as well? LEXI THOMPSON: Yeah, I mean, I think it's great that golf is getting more team events like this. Especially golf being Olympics in 2016. I think we're all really fighting for that and want to be a part of the Olympic team. To say you're an Olympian, that's probably the highest honor you can have. International Crown is just a smaller version of it. Q. You answered his question, but it was maybe two, three, four years ago we were hearing about the death of American women's golf. LEXI THOMPSON: Uh‑huh. Q. Was it just a matter of talent growing up and this next generation of which you're one the leaders stepping forward, getting the experience and being able to step forward? LEXI THOMPSON: I don't‑‑ let's see, that's kind of a tricky... Q. I know it's an international tour and everything, but it had gotten way international. LEXI THOMPSON: Yeah, definitely it is. You see a lot of these girls from a lot of different countries. Like I said, it's a global tour. Doesn't matter where you're from. Players are getting younger and younger, too. People are starting to practice a lot harder knowing what they have to do to win out here. Golf is such is difficult game. I mean, you can struggle all year and just have one week and you can be the winner that week and it can change your whole season or your career. Q. Kind of off that, you talked about the tour and players are getting younger. What are some of the challenges that a younger golfer faces? LEXI THOMPSON: Well, I would say when I turned pro when I was 15 years old, it was more just not playing as much. As a young kid I was playing every week as a junior, and amateur. Coming out here I was only playing about 10 times a year for my first few years out here. The main struggle was just traveling and being around people you didn't really know for the first few years. It takes a few years to get to know a lot of the players out here and make friends and get used to the whole travel schedule. I usually travel with a parent, which is nice. Q. Did it make it a little more desire for you to win because you did have to rely on sponsors? You couldn't get the tour membership because you were too young? LEXI THOMPSON: Well, winning early definitely helped. Winning the Navistar LPGA Classic definitely helped my confidence. And then being able to play full time and full schedule on the LPGA, that's what I really wanted. But I knew when I turned pro at 15 what the age requirement was and what I had to do. I figured all my sponsor exemptions I had to play well and hopefully get a few wins in there and then go Q‑School. But then I ended up petitioning, but I knew I had to play my best. Q. How has the win at the Kraft Nabisco earlier this year set up the rest of the year? Does it give you more confidence? How has it helped you? LEXI THOMPSON: Yeah, it's helped out a lot. I always say Kraft Nabisco, I always imagine myself winning that tournament. That golf course sets up really well for my game. I get to hit a lot of drivers and I visualize really well there. It was definitely a dream come true for me, but it has helped me out with my confidence. Always like to look back at how I played that week, how I was mentally. All those experiences helped. I worked extremely hard in my off‑season to come out this year confidently. Q. Stacy Lewis, I asked her about the young players of the world, who she saw that might have lasting dominate time player for years to come. She named you because of your aggressive style, your length, your improving short game. What do you have to say about that? LEXI THOMPSON: I didn't know that. It's a very nice comment. Stacy is obviously a great player and an amazing person. To get a comment like that from the No. 1 her means a lot to me. I'm really looking forward to playing with her next week at International Crown, being part of team event with her again. Q. You are a little bit more of an aggressive player. You like to hit driver. Do you dial it back when come to a place like this? LEXI THOMPSON: There is a few holes out here I don't hit driver on. I can still play pretty aggressive because you're not getting that much roll out here. No. 1 and 10 I can't hit driver on obviously. I have to hit probably iron or hybrid. Just play smart. It's all about placement out here. Q. How are you planning on working out the team next week? No captain. LEXI THOMPSON: I don't think we've figured that out yet. Probably talk about it later this week. Get a few practice rounds in with different groupings. But I think we'll feel our way around it. FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports |
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