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SWINGING SKIRTS LPGA CLASSIC PRESENTED BY CTBC

April 19, 2016

Lexi Thompson

San Francisco, California

An interview with:

LEXI THOMPSON

Q. We're here with Lexi Thompson at the Swinging Skirts LPGA Classic. Coming in off a really good string of finishes so far in 2016, how are you feeling about your game and how are you feeling coming into this week?
LEXI THOMPSON: Yeah, I feel great coming into this week. I've had some consistent finishes overall for the beginning of the this year. My game is in a good spot. Just trying to stay positive out there with my game and keep on working hard.

Q. Coming off two top-10 finishes, and I know you said at the beginning of the year you wanted to work on the consistency and the mental aspect. What's been the key to being so consistent so far?
LEXI THOMPSON: I think honestly the mental aspect I've worked on over the last year and a half with John Denney in South Florida. Just trying to stay positive. You know you're going to have your ups and downs with golf especially, so you just have to stay positive and know that you're putting in the work and the time will come for the good finishes.

Q. You made some changes to the putter I know and you went from the closed eyes to the open eyes. I heard some comparisons to the new putter. It's a small brick at the end of it or a harmonica. What do you have to say to those responses, and just the putter overall and the changes.
LEXI THOMPSON: Yeah, I've changed to a Cure putter since ANA Inspiration. It's been a good change. It is different looking, but the roll off the putter is absolutely amazing. I've been giving it a lot of chances, and I'm actually going back to my eyes closed again.

So I am just changing it all back and forth. That's what I feel most comfortable with. Just makes any feel my stroke a lot better.

Q. Tied for 53rd here last year. What about this course that maybe has thrown you off or you'll have to improve on this year?
LEXI THOMPSON: Last year I think I only got one practice round in. I came a few weeks early. I actually wasn't on site until Wednesday night here, so I didn't get too much practice on it. The weather was quite different than this. It was pretty cold.

This course is tough. You know, very demanding tee shots. The greens are really firm this year. I mean, it's in absolutely great shape for us. This is an amazing golf course and venue for us. We always look forward to it.

But I feel a lot better about where my game is this year than last.

Q. What about weather conditions here? It's kind of almost just a completely different atmosphere and environment. How do you think that will play into this week at the course?
LEXI THOMPSON: Yeah, last year it was cold and a little windy so the ball was going really nowhere. The last two days has been absolutely perfect, like 70, 80 degrees, no wind, so that will definitely play a good factor.

So hopefully it just stays good the rest of the week.

Q. Fingers crossed.
LEXI THOMPSON: Yeah.

Q. I want to talk to you about, you know, we've always said you're ascending to the top American spot. You're always busy. You have your sponsorship outings; you have your media every week. How have you been able to deal with those demands so far and also concentrate on your game and life off the course?
LEXI THOMPSON: Yeah, well the media demands, that's part of being a professional athlete. That's what comes with the job. I love the media. It's the way to reach out to my fans and say my message and how I feel, so it's a great opportunity for me.

But it's also important to just schedule it right during the week, especially tournament weeks. Got to make sure you have your relaxing time, too.

Q. For a long time you were one of the younger players out here, and now you're looking up to somebody who is younger than you at No. 1. Is that a weird feeling?
LEXI THOMPSON: Yeah, it's definitely a bit weird. I mean, Lydia and Brooke are amazing players obviously with their accomplishments that they have made, especially Lydia.

But it's actually kind of nice not being the youngest one out here and not having all the expectations on me anymore.

Records are made to be broken. The game is getting younger and younger, and that's really what we want to see out here. We want to see the game grow even more and have the girls start at a younger age.

Q. What part of Lydia's game do you really respect?
LEXI THOMPSON: That I really respect?

Q. Yeah.
LEXI THOMPSON: All of it. (Laughter.) There is not a bad part in her great many. She has an amazing attitude. She is a bubbly person.

The parts of her game I would say the most amazing is her putting and short game. I've never seen somebody get up and down from everywhere. (Laughter.)

Q. What made you decide to go back to the eyes closed putting?
LEXI THOMPSON: Well, I tried it with eyes opened and that didn't quite work out. I missed a good amount of putts the first day there in Hawaii. I mean, I am not going to say the wind didn't have a factor on that. It was blowing about 40 miles per hour it seemed like.

You know, it's just a comfort thing with me. It allows me to just feel my stroke a lot more and takes the worry out of it.

Q. Lexi, this is one of the more old school golf courses that you play on your tour. Of course you've been on the tour for some years now. Is there any way that you attack with your game a course like this differently than you would, say, a golf course that's been built in the modern era of golf?
LEXI THOMPSON: I think this is one of the best venues that we have on our schedule. The course is always in great shape for us. I take my driver all around this golf course basically. I hit maybe a few 3-woods just on the doglegs so I don't run out of room.

But like I said, this is an amazing venue. The course is in great shape for us. You have to attack it. You have to leave yourself on the right side of the hole. The greens are really firm, so actually some of the greens you have to bounce it up.

Q. What goals have you set for yourself for the year?
LEXI THOMPSON: Coming into the year, I worked really hard on my short game in the off-season. Trying to improve on that. But like I said earlier, the mental side of the game, just always trying to improve on that, stay positive and confident with myself on and off the golf course.

Just consistent finishes. That's what I did last year and it worked. I got a few wins in there also. Yeah, that's about it.

Q. Do you know anything about Sahalee at all?
LEXI THOMPSON: I've just heard amazing things about it, that the course is in great shape; it's a great layout. That tournament was amazing last year. It keeps on getting better and better, especially with PGA coming in. So I'm expecting great things.

FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports

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