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CME GROUP TOUR CHAMPIONSHIPNovember 23, 2014Stacy LewisNAPLES, FLORIDA MODERATOR: We'd like to welcome in Stacy Lewis. Stacy, what a year in 2014 for you. Today you locked up Rolex Player of the Year honors, Vare Trophy, and the LPGA official money title, a feat that hasn't been done by an American since Betsy King in 1993. What does it mean to you to have those three honors? STACY LEWIS: That's what I came here for. I went into the week wanting to win these three awards. The $1 million and all would've been nice, but I would take these three over $1 million any day. I am just really proud of the way I played. I didn't have my best stuff all week. Even today just had to kind of grind it out and make a few putts there at the end, which I did. But it's just amazing. I just feel like a ton of weight has just been lifted off my shoulders. MODERATOR: I know you're a goal‑setter. When you set goals at the beginning of the season, do you allow yourself to look on the those three and say, Okay, that's it. That's what I want? STACY LEWIS: I have some goals. I never write them down, but I kind of have them in the back of my head that I had won Player of the Year, I had won Vare Trophy, but I wanted to win the Money List at some point. I thought it would be pretty cool if I could do all three together. So I kind of I had this thing in the back of my mind that if I could ever accomplish it that it would be pretty cool. I didn't think it would be this year or this quick with the way Inbee played last year. So it's amazing. And the coolest part to me is I get to be on the trophies with some pretty amazing women, you know, and be a part of history. MODERATOR: Questions. Q. When you consider how you thought you were playing coming in, which probably wasn't your best, and Inbee being on a bit of a roll coming in, was this as nerve‑wracking as you've been at any point‑ either this year or in your life. I'll let you decide. STACY LEWIS: Yeah, I mean, the last couple weeks have been tough because the game hasn't been exactly where I've wanted it to be. Especially with the way Inbee played last week, I just kind of figured she'd keep it rolling this week. I knew I needed to find something, whether it was making more putts or hitting more greens or whatever it was. I needed to find something to get the ball in the hole. It was probably four of the hardest rounds of golf I've ever played; I can tell you that. It's up there with majors. Part of it is how hard this golf course is in the wind. I think that added another element to make this week extra hard. Q. Is it because of your appreciation of history that this means so much you to, or is it because of what it says about the totality of your year? Why is having those three so crucial to you? STACY LEWIS: I mean, I think a lot of it is the history and wanting to be associated with those women and to be on the trophy with them. I think that's a lot of it. I've said all along I don't play for the money. The money is nice, but that's not what I play for. I play to win tournaments and to play consistent golf. That's what these awards show, who plays the most consistent throughout the entire year. I think the scoring average is probably the best indicator of who did that the entire year. So scoring average and Player of the Year I think are the best indicators of who had the best year. That's why I want to win them. MODERATOR: We've still got a little bit of tournament left to play there it's crowded up near the top of the leaderboard. As you were walking along and to see the leaderboards today, to see what Lydia Ko was able to do at 17 with $1 million on the line and tournament victory, how impressive has it been with how she's been able to play this week? STACY LEWIS: Not surprised. She's a great player. You know, she's got that innocence about her that she doesn't even realize what's going on. She probably has no idea how the scenarios and points work out. Obviously maybe it's to her an advantage; maybe not. But I'm not surprised. She putts it really well, and that's what you have to do on this golf course. You're not going to hit every shot perfect. You got to putt it good. I saw her the first day and she rolled it pretty good the first day; she must be still doing that. Q. I don't mean this in any way to disparage the past, but this is a different tour in terms of the entire world is competing; you're spending more than a month over in Asia; this whole global‑‑ STACY LEWIS: Two months actually. Q. Does that in some ways add to the pride of getting these three, because it's become difficult to do this? I would say extremely difficult. STACY LEWIS: Yeah, I think over the last ten years it's gotten really hard to win these awards. There are so many great players from all over the world. We have to travel. I don't even want to know how many flight miles I have this year. We travel so much, and it takes an a lot of toll on your body. You got to have a great support system around you. There are a lot of things that factor into getting where I am. I think I took care of‑‑ I think Betsy and Beth are pretty happy that I got their names off the list that they were the last ones. Just to follow them, two people that I really respect and admire and that I've learned a lot from, is really cool. MODERATOR: You've had some pretty impressive years over the past few. Where does this one rank for you, or can you qualify it yet? STACY LEWIS: Well, I mean, before this week it was good, and now it's a little bit better I would say. I wouldn't quite say it was a great year. I would've liked to have taken a major championship. I think that would've made it a great year. But winning these three awards makes it almost great. (Laughter.) MODERATOR: Any other questions for Stacy? STACY LEWIS: I have one thing for you actually. So last night I was watching my Hogs win, which was pretty impressive, so we ordered PF Chang's back to the house. My parents, they ‑‑ my dad threw me a fortune cookie and I opened it up. I never really read into these things at all, but this is the only one I opened and this is what it said. "Good news of long awaited event will arrive soon." So I carried that in my pocket all day. Pretty good omen last night. I thought that was pretty cool. Q. I know you want to take some time off now, but can you talk about with everything you've done going into next year, do you immediately start thinking about your goals? How much time do you take off? STACY LEWIS: Well, I have no idea. I haven't thought about next year at all. I have to make some equipment changes. I have to find a different golf ball to play next his. I've got some things to work out here in the off‑season and work on leading into next year. But the goals don't change: try to win golf tournaments, majors, be in contention on Sundays. The goals don't change. These three awards you don't start thinking about at the beginning of the year either. Q. What's the equipment change and why do you need a new golf ball? STACY LEWIS: I've been playing the '09 version of the Pro V1X for the last six years now, and Titleist is not going to make it anymore. Taking it off the conforming list. So I have to find a new golf ball. Q. The USGA is taking it off the conforming list? STACY LEWIS: It's a manufacturer's decision, yeah. Q. What are you looking at? STACY LEWIS: Not sure. Doing testing here in the next couple weeks. It's not just Titleist. I'm going to try some other things. I just haven't really tested the waters in a while, so going to kind of see what's out there. MODERATOR: Stacy, congratulations. What an omen. It worked out pretty well for you today. Congratulations again on a fabulous year. Wishing you the best in 2015. STACY LEWIS: Awesome, thanks. FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports |
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