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UL INTERNATIONAL CROWN

July 24, 2016

Chicago, Illinois

KRAIG KANN: Ladies and gentlemen, we've got the champions here, crowned best golfing nation, the winners of the UL International Crown for 2016, Team USA. In the interest of time, I'm going to let Stacy Lewis make some comments about the victory. She's got a flight to catch and we're going to let her get out of here. I'll take a couple questions for Stacy if you have those, as well. Your thoughts on this victory and what it means to be a part of it?

STACY LEWIS: Well, it's huge. I mean, this week has been unbelievable for us. To be called the best golfing nation I think is pretty satisfying, just to hear that being announced when we're getting those trophies. These girls and we played great this week, and we never gave up. We had zero points the first day, and we still ended up with the most. It's just a testament to them and their will to want to win this thing. I was just happy to win my match today and get my first singles win as a professional.

Q. Stacy, you just alluded to it, but it was a rough first half of the year for the Americans with Lexi the only winner, but then Brittany wins and now you win this. What was it like to maybe hear what's wrong with the Americans again and now to be able to win?
STACY LEWIS: I mean, it's awesome. I mean, I don't think we really even thought about it, this year being bad for us. I mean, I don't think that the beginning of this year was that poor for the Americans. But it's just so satisfying. I mean, just to hear those words at that announcement. I don't know what it was like for the rest of them, but that was so cool for me because we're under constant scrutiny of why aren't the Americans playing well, why aren't they winning? I don't know how else to say it other than it's just really satisfying.

Q. You talked about earlier in the week that you guys were playing well and simply weren't getting anything out of it, which happens in match play. Was there any discussion last night about, hey, this tide has really turned in our favor and we've got the momentum now?
STACY LEWIS: No, I mean, our biggest discussion was last night was the order we were going to play. That was kind of all we really talked about. And it really didn't matter. That's what it came down to is we felt like everybody was playing well so it really didn't matter where we put our pairings out. We kind of stuck to the order that worked the last two days, which is Gerina and I going out early and then Lexi and Kerr following us and bringing it home. We stuck to that. I think Lexi's caddie was like, he didn't want to jinx anything, so he said, let's just send it out the same as what we've been doing the last two days. So we just kept that momentum going.

Q. I think this is the first time you've won a team event on home soil that you've been a part of. How does that feel different?
STACY LEWIS: It was a lot different. I know the crowds this week weren't like a Solheim Cup, but they were still pretty good, and so to hear the U.S. chants, there are definitely a lot more American fans here this week, and that was really pretty cool.

I never even won an amateur event on U.S. soil, so this is my first one, so it's really nice to get it here.

Q. Do you feel like a monkey is off your back now that you've won your first singles match?
STACY LEWIS: Yeah, a little bit. You get experience at playing -- I've played in, what, three of them now, and you get experience of being there, and I just felt a lot more comfortable today and hit some great shots from 11 on in to close it out. Just the way I did it more than anything, I went out there and I won it. I didn't wait for anyone to make a mistake. I just made birdies and won it. That was probably the most satisfying part.

KRAIG KANN: You're about to hop on a plane to go overseas for the Ricoh Women's British. How is that going to feel?

STACY LEWIS: It's going to be awesome. I think we're all pumped for the major next week. Everybody is playing well. I had a feeling that this could happen because we were all playing well at the U.S. Open. Kerr and I kind of talked about that. Hopefully the four of us can ride some momentum and bring another trophy back to the U.S.

Q. Kerr, when did you know it came down to you?
CRISTIE KERR: I had a feeling last night if we all played really well and things fell into place that my match could be huge. But I just kind of got oblivious to all of that today because it's just so hard to figure out who's making points, who's winning, who's losing, and I just tried to take care of my match. I didn't know that it had come down to me winning that match that we had won until Stacy told me.

Q. You didn't know until they were running out on the green?
CRISTIE KERR: Yeah, I didn't know because I only got a glimpse of a scoreboard very briefly today, and I knew some good things were happening but I didn't know where Lexi's match stood, so I just tried to take care of my match. It was getting really hot out there. I tried to play as well as I could coming in and tried to make a couple putts too much. I ran them by the hole a little bit there at the end, but yeah, it's very satisfying.

KRAIG KANN: Let's get some thoughts from Gerina on the day and being a part of this team.

GERINA PILLER: I think it's pretty cool that we can be a part of a team that it's the top four golfers for your country, and to be one of those four is pretty special for me, and obviously always playing for your country is just -- just gives me chills to think about.

It's just been a great week, and it's just -- it's pretty cool to stand up there in the winner's circle at the end.

KRAIG KANN: Early point for the United States. That was probably really big to help out Cristie and Lexi mentally.

GERINA PILLER: Yeah, I got off to a good start, and you can't really overlook Yani. She's a former No. 1 and great golfer. You know, we were halving holes with birdies out there. I think we had three or four in a row. She put up a fight, and I just really tried to stay patient and into the match. It was kind of like a Solheim thing where Juli told us play for the girl in front of you and play for the girl behind you. It's hot out there, you're tired, it's a long week, and I was just digging deep for those last couple holes.

KRAIG KANN: Lexi, you played against So Yeon. What was that match like for you today, how did you feel like you played and your thoughts on this victory?

LEXI THOMPSON: Yeah, it was a tough match. So Yeon is such a great player. She probably shot 5-under, I would say. I shot a few under and it just wasn't good enough. I knew I had to go out there and make a lot of birdies, especially against her I've played with her played quite a bit, and she's a very strong player. I would say I just parred a few of the easy holes I needed to birdie to top her.

That's where I lost, but being out here representing my country, it's always the highest honor, and to be alongside these girls, it's the best. Words can't describe it.

Q. Gerina, how did not only the come-from-behind victory at the Solheim Cup last fall help you but just the sense of the whole team, just the sense of team that was created there, how much did that help here?
GERINA PILLER: I mean, we didn't really talk about that, but I know for me and I'm sure everyone else that deep down inside of it was kind of like we can do this. We've done this before, we've done the unthinkable, and now we're kind of in a similar situation. Like I said up on the podium, there wasn't a whole lot of panic going on within our team, which was great. When you come prepared and you know you're playing great golf, you kind of just have no worries, and that's kind of how we were at Solheim, I felt. Coming into this week, everyone was playing really well, and for us to be paired with the people we played at Solheim, I think that's been a huge help in the success that we've had in that just gives us extra confidence.

Q. On the English team they talked a lot about chemistry and how much they all get along and stuff. Wondering what you did last night, and then just if you could describe sort of the chemistry of the four of y'all.
CRISTIE KERR: We had team dinner last night, and it was just very casual. We got Chicago deep dish pizza, and I brought the wine, of course. We had our little team mascot Mason running around, building things up, running into them, I ran into a set of boxes. It was fun.

We just chilled. We just kind of talked about the lineup and just enjoyed time with our friends and family. It was just fun.

KRAIG KANN: Lexi, thoughts on the chemistry of this team and being a part of just four players as Gerina was talking about?

LEXI THOMPSON: Yeah, it was a lot different. It's only four players instead of 12 like a Solheim Cup. But we all get along with each other so well and we're all very competitive with our games, and we know what each other are capable of and how we work well together. We're there to help each other out through the days and there to chill with each other at night and just have fun and get our mind off golf and go into the next day strong.

Q. Gerina, have you had a better putting weekend, and what kind of momentum does this weekend carry forward for you going into the majors and the Olympics?
GERINA PILLER: You know, I did putt really well. I think a lot of that is just kind of over the years just really realizing your golf game, and as far as mine, and owning what I have. There's gidgets and gadgets you can use on your putting stroke and you can always try to make it what is suggested, and talking to Stacy about it this week, my stroke I feel like is a little more like hers, a little more fluid and longer and slower, and you know, it's just -- I think this week I really just realized that that's the best way I putt, and so I've got to go with that, and I've got to own that. I feel like that's when I'm most confident. It doesn't matter if it's not technically sound or doesn't look right. If that's how I feel like I can get it in the hole, then that's how I've got to do it. That's how I felt like I putted all week, and I definitely saw some great results.

Q. Lexi and Gerina, it's obviously a different method in the Olympics, match play versus stroke play, but does this get you guys thinking about it at all and playing for your country and that whole thing?
LEXI THOMPSON: I honestly don't know, and I haven't thought of the Olympics since it came up that golf was back in the Olympics. I'm just super excited to once again represent my country. Any time I can represent my country, that's my No. 1 goal, but to be an Olympian, it's the highest honor. I'm very excited. I have a few weeks, but having the British is my No. 1 focus going into next week, so I'm just going to focus on that, but this is definitely a big pump-up for that.

GERINA PILLER: I think for the Olympics it's kind of all new to us, so whereas you're representing Team USA you're playing as individuals. It's kind of hard to tell how that's going to be. I know that we're probably going to be hanging out a lot together, and I'm excited to just be part of Team USA, not just golf.

You know, it's one of those things where you're out there representing your country and it's going to be tougher because you don't have that partner you have, but you are playing for your country, but you're also playing for yourself.

KRAIG KANN: Two years ago you didn't make it to Sunday, this time you owned Sunday. Congratulations, Team USA, winners of the UL International Crown.

FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports

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UL INTERNATIONAL CROWN

July 24, 2016

Stacy Lewis

Cristie Kerr

Gerina Piller

Lexi Thompson