	products recent interviews FastScripts archive about ASAP Sports

Our Clients:

Browse by Sport

Find us on

Subscribe to RSS

Click to go to
Asaptext.com

View our
e-Brochure

HONDA LPGA THAILAND

February 28, 2016

Lexi Thompson

Chonburi, Thailand

Q. I would like to welcome in and congratulate the 2016 Honda LPGA Thailand champion, Lexi Thompson, Lexi, congratulations, first and foremost. An impressive win by all means. Now that it's settled in a little bit, you went through the ceremony, how happy are you right now? I can see the smile. You're not hiding it.
LEXI THOMPSON: No, I've definitely had a smile on my face ever since I was walking up to 18th green. It's just a relief. I had a very great week out there. I always look forward to coming to Thailand to play Siam Country Club. It's a great venue and just the tournament is one of my favorites.

Q. I heard you say you weren't really comfortable with even the lead you had walking to the 18th, but when did you -- that moment where you thought, okay, deep breath, I can enjoy this. Because walking up 18, you and Benji were having some laughs and could smile, I could see?
LEXI THOMPSON: Yeah, I would say after I was finished with 17 there, I was feeling pretty comfortable, but still you want to get 18's drive down there in good position, so you never really want to get ahead of yourself in the game of golf because anything can happen, really. So you just have to take it shot by shot.

Q. Let's start back to the start of the day. You had the four-shot lead. How did you feel starting the day, little bit of pressure? You've played with leads before, but with the four-shot lead, that's a nice cushion. What was going through your mind to start the day?
LEXI THOMPSON: Yeah, I mean, four shots is definitely a nice cushion going through the day. But I knew I had a lot of great players in my group. I had Amy and In Gee and players behind. So I knew I had to go out there and just fire at the pins, make birdies, and especially with In Gee making three birdies in the first three holes. So I knew I had to just stay within myself, play my own game and try to make birdies to top her.

Q. When she did make that third birdie in a row, what was going through your mind? I'm sure you had to say calm down, no big deal. But what was going through your mind there and what was the game plan?
LEXI THOMPSON: I was telling her to calm down, but she was playing amazing. Just striping it off the tee, sticking the shots into the greens. She has an unbelievable short game too, so even if she misses a green, you know she's going to get up and down or chip in. But the same thing with Amy Yang. So I knew I had to go out there today and shoot really low.

Q. I want to ask you about the shot 10. I mean, what a shot. How big of a game changer was that and how good of a shot was that?
LEXI THOMPSON: Yeah, I hit a 5-iron into that green. It was about 190 front, downwind, and I was just trying to land it mid-green and have it hopefully take the slope down the green. I think it actually didn't even land on. I think it landed left fringe and I saw it slowly trickle. I went off by the applause by the fans off the green, and I thought, okay, that's got to be pretty good.

So I got up there four feet and made the putt. So that's definitely a round changer there, especially with the bogey at the 9 to help out.

Q. How does the 18th hole rank in the trip around the world, the 18th hole here?
LEXI THOMPSON: Yeah, it's a great finishing hole. They move it up for us sometimes to make it even more accessible going for it. It's just a tough green to go for too with all the slope, so you have to make sure when you do miss the green, you miss it in the right area to give yourself the easiest chip possible at the pin. Basically every hole out here is placement golf, especially into the greens.

Q. Is the hole placement easier today?
LEXI THOMPSON: I would say today was probably the toughest with the pin location. They did move the tee up for us, thankfully. So we had either hybrids in to go for it, but it's just tough because it's only about six spaces wide on that little right front there; so, yeah, it's a little shaky. I thought I hit a good shot, and I ended up hitting downslope and going way long.

Q. Want to talk about the chip shot on 14. I know the initial reaction was, "Oh!" But how surprised were you or relieved at the result there?
LEXI THOMPSON: Yeah, well, I knew when I hit that second shot into the green I had a really bad lie on my drive for my second shot, so I caught a flier in and I see it go over. I'm like, Oh, no, that is not a good position right there. But I got up there and I had a pretty decent lie.

When I hit it, I actually thought I left it short of the fringe, and it kept trickling, trickling and ended up being perfect and executed very well.

Q. We talked earlier this week maybe after the first round, a little too early, but it worked out for you now that you've won. But to look at that list of champions at this event and to see your name along with some of the game's greats, how do you walk away from that and how proud are you to add your name to that list?
LEXI THOMPSON: It's a huge honor. This tournament in general is one that I've imagined myself winning because of the venue, the golf course and the fans. I've just always pictured myself winning here. But just to have my name on the trophy with all the other names that have won this tournament, it's a huge honor.

Any tournament that you win, it's a blessing. But to see the names, the past champions that have won, it's a pretty big deal. So I'm looking forward to coming back next year.

Q. Today in terms of emotions, up-and-down, In Gee's going at you. You're responding back. I know you said in the off-season you worked on your mental game. How proud are you in how you responded and like you said, just stayed in the moment, concentrated on what you did, how big was that for you coming into this year and getting this win today?
LEXI THOMPSON: Yeah, it's been huge. I've been working with John Denney down in South Florida on the mental side of the game and just overall my outlook on life being more positive and realizing that golf isn't my life. It's just what I do. It's not who I am. Just coming out here, not getting so mad at bad shots. I still get frustrated. I'm human. But that's the way I get even and I just try to go into the next shot with a positive attitude. And it's helped me with the wins last year there in Korea, Michigan and especially at Solheim too. Just keeping my nerves under control with the breathing, this one here it helped dramatically.

Q. With your win, you're projected to go to No. 3 in the world. I know you say you don't try to look at the rankings, but something to celebrate now that it's happened. An honor I'm sure you're proud to have, top ranked American in the world. How big is that for you?
LEXI THOMPSON: Yeah, it's a very big deal to be a top American in the world. It's a huge honor because I'm not only playing for myself, I'm playing for my country being an American. I love representing my country. So, yeah, it's a huge honor.

I'm just trying to focus on myself. Trying to be better each and every day. I just try to be my best out here. It's a blessing that I'm out here following my dreams and doing something I love. So can't get much better.

Q. Win number 7 and you just turned 21 years old. Could you have imagined when you started playing competitively, when you got your first win at 16?
LEXI THOMPSON: Yeah.

Q. That you'd have seven wins in what is that, five years?
LEXI THOMPSON: No, I couldn't have imagined it. When I turned professional at the age of 15 I was like, okay, I've got this. It's going to be easy. But really people don't realize the tremendous talent out here, what you have to shoot to win. The girls' talent is unbelievable. The shots that they can pull off. You have to go out here and have your A-game, shoot really well, have a good attitude, and it does pay off.

But you have to put in the work, and it takes a lot of dedication.

Q. (Indiscernible)?
LEXI THOMPSON: Yeah, this is actually the first week that I used the Cobra King LTD. And I liked it a lot (laughing). It definitely paid off. I gained a good amount of distance off the tee, and a lot more confidence. So I'm looking forward to keeping it in the bag, keep on working on it, and just trying to get better overall in my game.

Q. Would you like to auction it next year?
LEXI THOMPSON: No, it's not up for auction. I think it's going to be in my bag.

Q. They can make another one.
LEXI THOMPSON: Yeah, we'll auction off another.

Q. How do you see your chances for the Olympics?
LEXI THOMPSON: Well, I see myself being there (laughing). But, like I said before, I'm not only representing myself, I'm representing my country. Going into this year, my off-season was just working on the mental side of the game and my game in general just to improve to be able to be in the Olympics or UL International Crown to represent my country. Because there is no higher honor than putting on your country's colors in the morning and go out and play for your country.

Q. Do you see Tiger posted a video on Facebook, yet, but I know your favorite player is Tiger Woods. So what do you think about if he's going to come back? And the golf industry really missed Tiger Woods?
LEXI THOMPSON: Are you talking about the video of his golf swing in the simulator?

Q. Yeah, on Wednesday he posted a video.
LEXI THOMPSON: In the simulator? Yeah, yeah. Tiger has been one of my huge role models growing up. Just how he is on the golf course and the determination in his eyes and how hard he works and just the shots that he can pull off. So I think golf is a lot better with Tiger in it.

I mean, there is obviously a tremendous amount of talent on the guy's side with Jordan Spieth, Rickie Fowler and Rory there. But it's great to see him hopefully come back and the talent that he has, hopefully one more.

Q. You haven't mentioned your caddie. Next week is the Caddie Awards. Are you going to be voting for your caddie?
LEXI THOMPSON: I don't think I'm allowed to, honestly. I've never voted for anything. If I had a vote, I would vote for him.

Q. He was on form this week.
LEXI THOMPSON: Yeah, we have a very special relationship. We get along very well on the golf course. He's very laid back but aggressive. He tells me to go for certain shots that I wouldn't even think of myself going for, and I think it's made me a lot better of a player. He keeps me very positive on the golf course. In between shots we're always laughing and he gets my mind off the game sometimes, which is what I need.

FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports

ASAP Sports, Inc. | T: 1.212 385 0297