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CANADIAN PACIFIC WOMEN'S OPENAugust 24, 2016Mike WhanCalgary, Alberta, Canada Q. Mike, back-to-back stops here in Canada by the LPGA Tour. You start in Calgary at the base of the mountains and then you head over to Ontario next week. First of all, this event, I'm wondering with the 32 golfers that were participating in Rio just how big a challenge it might be for all of them to come back here with everything -- the pressure in terms of the Olympic Games and play here? MIKE WHAN: Well, we did something kind of unique. We took the two weeks off before the Olympics, so for most of my players, they've had a three-week break in the middle of the summer, which is almost unheard of for the last seven seasons, but even if you played in the Olympics and there was 30-plus players that did, you really had two weeks off, and now you're going to play for three weeks. You're going to play Rio, you're going to play here and then you're going to play next week at Manulife in Kitchener. It's really -- that's the way they like it, three-week runs. But you're right, last week was an incredible experience, incredible moment, and incredible athletic environment. But what's really cool, someone asked me in an interview in Rio, how do you go from the Olympics to a regular Tour event, and I said, you guys down here in Rio get excited about 30 countries in the field, we're going to have 30 countries in the field next week at CP, so we're going to put on another version of the Olympics this week for the CP women's Canadian Open. Q. It's a worldwide Tour of the LPGA, but here the Canadians get a great deal of attention. Can you maybe talk a little bit about for Brooke and Alena and the other Canadians how important the next two weeks might be? MIKE WHAN: Well, I've got to tell you, I've been here now for 48 hours, and I didn't know there was that many Ping visors available because every young girl I see out here is wearing what they're now calling their Brooke visor. That tells you the impact she's already having in golf because I see that in Phoenix, I see that in Seattle, I see that in Chicago, but it's great to come back and see them at home. I see these huge Canadian following Brooke all over the place, but coming back here, it's been pretty special, and when you walk up to the first tee and you see that four-story poster of Brooke, you realize that she's becoming the face of women's golf in Canada, and that's great for us, and it's great for young girls that have the dream that want to follow it. Q. To come here and see Brooke being kind of a poster child for our country, it kind of exemplifies what the LPGA has accomplished. MIKE WHAN: Yeah, age is just a number anymore. I always say that nobody thought you could run a four-minute mile, and then one person did, and it seemed like a lot of people did. Nobody thought you could be 18 years old and be the No. 1 player in the world, but Lydia has done it, now 18 doesn't seem to be that concerning anymore. Brooke plays the golf course like a 35 year old, and what's cool is she's still a teenager, she's still fun, she's still young. She's still going places as we travel around the world with her and her sister. But it's fun to see somebody like Brooke and Lydia for that matter have so much fun on the golf course. I hope they're teaching young girls and young boys for that matter that the game is fun and you play your best when you're enjoying it. I find watching Brooke enjoyable because she's having fun. If she's having fun, then it's easy to watch. FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports   |
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