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PORTLAND CLASSIC PRESENTED BY CAMBIA HEALTH SOLUTIONSAugust 26, 2014Marissa SteenPORTLAND, OREGON NICKLAUS PARKER: All right. Run us through how the season's kind of gone so far. Three wins on the Symetra Tour. That's gotta be, I don't know, I don't want to say more than you were thinking, but you gotta feel good about that at this point. MARISSA STEEN: Oh, definitely. It was a goal of mine to win this year and I'd been in multiple playoffs in years past and hadn't ever come through and actually gotten the victory. So that was definitely a main goal of mine coming into this season. And you know, I started off the year really well, finished second in Mesa, and then fifth when we were out in LA. So just kind of got off to a hot start, and then won in our next swing, won twice in our next swing. So it was a fast start to the year, but it's been good, really consistent, which is what we all strive for out here is to play well week in and week out. Every single goal that I've set I've met, which is a great feeling to see all the hard work pay off. And we'll see what else the year brings, hopefully more good things. NICKLAUS PARKER: Can you talk about, going into each tournament after you won twice, you were probably aware of the whole three‑tournament promotion thing. Can you just talk about how‑‑ is that extra pressure or is that like a goal? MARISSA STEEN: I didn't really think about it. It was one of those things where I really this season really my main goal was just to be very focused on hitting good golf shots, having a one‑track mind, because I know that if I execute what I'm supposed to do, the scores are going to come. So that's really, you know, from‑‑ that was one thing that I've really tried to focus on actually like during my rounds themselves. And you know, I mean I thought about it a little bit, but not too much, because again, you know, I was just out there trying to play good golf, and I had some good finishes in the last swing on Symetra, and then it all kind of came together in Richmond. But I'm very happy to be out here. Obviously I think the Battlefield promotion really promotes everything that the Symetra Tour is about. So it's cool to actually have that, I guess be an example of that. NICKLAUS PARKER: When you won the tournament at what point did you go, oh, wait a minute, I'm going to go‑‑ MARISSA STEEN: Right away I was like, oh, my gosh, and Mindy came up to me right afterwards on the 18th green after the awards ceremony and she was like, you know, you can get into Portland, but you have to commit by Tuesday, and it's Sunday night at like 6. I'm like, oh, gosh. So it's kind of a whirlwind, and you're trying to take it all in. So it was just a great day. My whole family was there in Richmond to kind of celebrate with me, which was great, my mom, dad, sister, grandma, the whole clan was there. So that was really, really good. And I think the realization didn't hit me until a couple of days later until I was like booking my flight out here, you know. I was like, whoa, like it's really happening. It's really a reality now, which is an awesome feeling. NICKLAUS PARKER: Had you played in an LPGA Tour event before? MARISSA STEEN: I qualified for the U.S. Women's Open this year, and then I Monday qualified for the Marathon Classic in Toledo and played there. Q. And how did making the cut there, what does that do for you? You made the cut in Marathon, first LPGA start. I know you said you felt like you belonged at the U.S. Open. What do you take from that going into this week? You obviously proved you can play out on the Symetra Tour. Do you feel like that gives you confidence going into this week? MARISSA STEEN: Definitely. Definitely. And you know, even like this whole week I've really felt within myself. You know, there are a lot of the big players here, Suzann Pettersen, Morgan Pressel. But you know, at the same time it's like I really‑‑ even if I'm next to them on the range or see them on the putting green, like I'm really just focused on what I'm trying to get accomplished.  And so I really feel like I am ready to be out here full time, and I really feel like this is where I'm meant to be at this time. I didn't really feel like that a year ago, so it's a cool feeling to kind of see the maturation that I've gone through over the last year as a golfer. Q. What's that like to be one of the few in recent memory to do the Battlefield promotion? That's a pretty rare thing. MARISSA STEEN: Yeah, right. I think especially on Symetra. Or even on Web.com. But it's awesome. You look at the list of girls who have won three times in the past, like Cindy Lacrosse and Kathleen Ekey, and Lorena Ochoa was definitely one that stuck out to me since she was dominant for a while out here on the LPGA. So it feels awesome to be‑‑ to have my name mentioned among such an elite group of players, and it's kind of‑‑ not that it isn't real, but you know, it's like kind of funny to kind of think of yourself in that way, or the things that you've accomplished. So it's an awesome feeling, and like I said, it's what every girl on the Symetra Tour is trying to do. So to actually get it done is really, really cool. Q. Is there a difference between last year and this year, like are there one or two things that you've improved so much to get to this point? MARISSA STEEN: Definitely my short game. My wedges, the kind of awkward distances, you know, 30 to 90 yards. The weird ones. I worked a lot on those over the winter. And then my putting has gotten way better. And then the third thing my coach and I were working on was I hit a lot of greens last year, but then we decided that my proximity to the hole needed to get better. So you know, giving yourself more legitimate opportunities for birdie. Really everything's tightened up since last year. Mostly the short‑game things, but even my ball striking has gotten better, too? Q. So you sort of broke down what your weaknesses or whatever and just worked on them? MARISSA STEEN: Right. Exactly. Yeah, I've always‑‑ ball striking has always been my strong suit. So you know, it was really important for me, I think in this off season to develop my short game because that's where I was going to pick up the most strokes the quickest. Q. And you've gone from Symetra Tour to this week you'll have a sit down with the Golf Channel tomorrow. You know you'll be on TV at some point this week. What is that like, that transition? MARISSA STEEN: It's surreal, and even being in the pro am, like to me that's cool because it's always‑‑ you know, they always go out for the top‑ranked players to get into the pro am. So that's kind of a cool thing. I'm excited for that tomorrow. But just all the exposure opportunities I've been given this week have been phenomenal. And obviously no player could really want anything more; right. And it's cool that it's me, you know. I'm really excited for where I'm at, and really happy the way things have headed, or the way things have gone this year. And yeah, just taking it all in. Q. And you'll be at the Symetra Tour Championship as opposed to Prattville? MARISSA STEEN: Yes. Just for the card ceremony. I figure I should be there for that; right? Q. Right. MARISSA STEEN: So yeah, that's what I'm going to do. But I'm not going to play in the two Kansas tournaments. Q. Okay. What were your impressions of being out on the golf course today? Did you get to play it at all? MARISSA STEEN: It was phenomenal. Yeah. I played nine holes yesterday, nine holes today. And just it's pure. I mean the greens are really good. The layout is phenomenal. You know, kind of some tight tee shots, but it's an old classic design which is my favorite, and just the scenery is breathtaking. And I think my favorite part this morning was when the fighter jets were taking off from the airport. That was pretty cool. You could like feel the ground shaking a little bit. It was pretty‑‑ that was awesome. But no, everything's been perfect so far, and I haven't seen a blemish out there. Q. The fairways are pretty tight out there in some spots off the tee, aren't they? MARISSA STEEN: They are. Q. Is it going to be a driving accuracy type week? MARISSA STEEN: Definitely. Especially to get more of your scoring irons in your hands, to give yourself better chances for birdie, you definitely have to hit a lot of really good tee shots, especially coming in, the last five or six holes are definitely narrower than the first. Q. Right. And it seems like there's a lot of big trees out there, too, right off the fairway, where if you miss it, you're not maybe as worried about the rough as the trees. Is that accurate? MARISSA STEEN: Oh, and the trees are just‑‑ they're monstrous; right? So back east you can kind of work around them. There ain't any working around these trees. They're pretty gargantuan, beautiful. But I definitely‑‑ it's not trying to hit it over there. And the trunks are massive. Q. The greens are pretty small out there, too, aren't they, in some spots? MARISSA STEEN: It's kind of a mixed bag. There's a couple that are very small‑‑ I mean a lot of them‑‑ Q. Especially coming in it seems like. MARISSA STEEN: Yeah. And they have very definite sections, so they play smaller than they are. There are a number that are fairly small, but then there are some that are pretty generous size. But those ones have defined quadrants that if you miss that part of the green you're going to have a tough putt. Q. Just a little bit off the topic, but being that you're from Memphis, and being that we're in Portland, do you know Will Barton by any chance? MARISSA STEEN: I do. Not personally. But yeah, I do know who he is. Yeah. Yeah. He played for I think two years when I was in school. Q. Yeah, I think you guys overlapped. MARISSA STEEN: Both Barton brothers were there, Antonio and Will. Q. Did you ever go to games? MARISSA STEEN: Oh, I went to like all of them when I was in town. Unless I was traveling for golf I was at the games. Huge fan. Huge sports fan. Q. He was good his last year. MARISSA STEEN: Uh‑huh. Yep. Yep. Yeah, he was like I think CUSA player of the year and he set a bunch of records. It was funny because he's so like lanky, you know what I mean, kind of like string‑beany, but it gets it done. He's not like a meaty guy. Q. Yeah. Very popular. MARISSA STEEN: Yeah. Nice guy. Everyone in Memphis really liked him as well. FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports |
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