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MARATHON CLASSIC PRESENTED BY OWENS CORNING AND O-IJuly 19, 2017Monica VaughnLinnea StromToledo, Ohio THE MODERATOR: Monica, talk about the experience of the NCAA. MONICA VAUGHN: That experience was really cool. It was only the second time I had played with my team. Linnea's second time, as well. She had never been with the team. Just to be there as a team and with the new coaches and just a whole new experience was so much fun, and to get the win together was what we've been working for all year. THE MODERATOR: Linnea? LINNEA STROM: Yeah, like Monday could said, it was an amazing week, and we had been working so hard for it throughout the whole year, and once we got there, we didn't have anything to lose. We just tried to have fun together and give it all we had, and to be there with two amazing coaches was really good, and yeah, it was a fun week. THE MODERATOR: Because of your finishes at NCAAs you received sponsor's invites into the Marathon Classic this week. Can you talk about how you found out? Linnea, you were told by your coach? LINNEA STROM: Yeah, well, I didn't know that we were getting an invite as a team, so it came as a shock. We were actually having an interview, and the girl just told Coach, like oh, yeah, you (indiscernible) do you want to play, and I was super happy to get this opportunity, and I'm happy to be here with Monica, have some support from ASU and from people back home. THE MODERATOR: Monica, talk about how you found out you were getting a sponsor invite. MONICA VAUGHN: I think that was the first thing I said when I was riding in the car on the way to the 18th green after I finished my match was, well, I guess -- yeah, that would have been after the individual, but I guess it must have been when we were riding to the clubhouse. That's one thing I said, I said, I think I got an invite into an LPGA tournament. This is my first event that I've ever played as a professional. This is the first professional event I've ever played in. It was huge for me, and that was the first thing on my mind kind of when I won. Again, great to be here with my teammate. I'm so excited that she's able to be here, and this is just such a great opportunity for us both and such a learning experience, and I'm just really happy to be here. I'm really excited. It's going to be a great week. THE MODERATOR: You kind of touched on it, this is your first event as a professional. Any nerves coming into this week? How are you feeling? MONICA VAUGHN: I feel very nervous. I mean, again, like I said, it's the first time that I've ever played as a pro and the first professional event I've ever played in. The mix of the two brings a lot of nerves but good nerves, productive nerves, learning curve nerves. I've learned a lot out here. I'm really gaining a lot of knowledge off what it's like to be a Tour player, and those nerves have got me through the NCAA championship, so I hope they can carry me this week. THE MODERATOR: Linnea, you played in the Ricoh Women's British Open a couple years ago. Can you talk about starting in your second LPGA start this week? Any nerves for you? LINNEA STROM: Yes, of course. I'm really nervous, as well. But I got some experience when I played the British Open two years ago, so I think that helped me coming here. It's new for everything and it's a new environment for me, and there's a lot of things going on. There are all the best players in the world playing, and there's just a lot of new things going on that we are not used to. So I think every opportunity we get to play at this level of golf with those players is going to help us very much for the future. Q. Linnea, what would have to happen for you to consider this week a success for you? Goals or expectations for the week? LINNEA STROM: Well, my expectations or goals is to go out here and enjoy every moment, have fun, and learn from everybody around and just have fun. I don't have any expectations of myself for my golf or anything. I just want to go out and do my best in every situation and have fun. Q. What about for you, Monica, goals or expectations for the week? MONICA VAUGHN: A little bit the same as Linnea. I really just want to take this opportunity to come out, have fun and learn a lot. Coming from the NCAA and college golf to here, there's a lot of changes to be made, and a lot of things to learn. So I look at this week as more of a learning experience than anything. Getting able to talk to the different players and caddies and kind of get to know the ropes a little bit is one thing I'm really looking forward to. I've already learned so much from the pro-ams I've played in. But as the tournament goes, I just hope that I just go out there and enjoy it, take everything one shot at a time. That's all I can really do, and I hope to stay relaxed and just have fun and play my best. Q. Going 72 holes against the best players in the world, what do you want to prove to yourselves this week? LINNEA STROM: I don't really know. I think as we said, like this is a new environment for us, but it's so much fun to be here and to learn from every player out here, and I was just talking to Bronte Law on the putting green, and a year ago we played with her in college, and I played with her a lot back in Europe, back at home for like five, six years now, and she has told me like, hey, there is no difference, like it's you and your golf bag, you've just got to go out and play golf. It's so true, but at the same time like all the players that are here, they have more experience. They are better golf pros. So I'm just going to learn from everybody and try to have fun and enjoy. MONICA VAUGHN: Yeah, I mean, same. I don't know, I feel that I do belong here. I really feel like I've worked hard, and this has been a goal for a long time, and I think I really proved myself at the national championship. I don't have too many expectations of how this week goes, but I feel like eventually I want to be out here competing and being at the top of the leaderboard down the road. To just be here with all these amazing players that have worked so hard for this is really inspiring, and just being kind of my name next to players and playing with these great players this week is something I've thought of since I was really little. You know, they're just role models for me and for Linnea, I'm sure. Again, what she said, I've played against and pitted against, played with so many players that are out here on Tour now when I was in college, and so I kind of in that sense -- it's a little more reassuring that us college players can get it done out here. Just looking forward to a great week with some of those players. Q. Monica, you kind of hit the jackpot winning the individual championship, as well. How do you wrap your brain around it? MONICA VAUGHN: It was just such an incredible week. So many people said to me, I can't believe it, I can't believe you did it, and I said just to everyone, I really believed it from the very first hole once we teed off on the first day that we had a chance. I was really so focused on the team aspect of it and getting the team to match play and hoping that we could get to the finals that I didn't even pay attention to how I was playing as an individual. I just hoped I could go out there and shoot my best score for the team. All I focused on was playing for the team, and I didn't even have a clue on the last day when I got on the 18th green. I figured I was up on the leaderboard somewhere, but I didn't know I was in the lead, and to end my senior year that way was really incredible but even more so for us to win as a team and have my teammates and coaches and all of us to be able to share that experience together was really unforgettable. Q. Monica, I know you said at NCAAs you were going back and forth about turning pro. Obviously you have. What was the turning point in that decision for you? MONICA VAUGHN: I had been thinking about it hard for at least a year, but I had thought maybe I wanted to try something different. I had been golfing my whole life, and I just felt like maybe I was ready to try something new. But after winning nationals and even after winning regionals before nationals, I really had some time to reflect and think about just all the opportunities that golf has given me and all the great memories that I've made and people that I've met along the way. I just didn't really know if I could find something quite like that anywhere else in any other career field that I chose, and along with the love for the game of golf. But that's what really made me want to do this and really made me commit hard to give this the best shot that I can. I just wasn't ready to give that up. Q. I talked to Missy last night, and she spoke very highly of you. Y'all were around a lot of great players at Arizona State, all the Tour players. What advice did they give you and how has that helped you as you get ready for this week? MONICA VAUGHN: I think one of the greatest things that Missy taught me was just really simple, that it's just golf. It could be a lot worse. You've got to keep things into perspective, and when I look at Missy and what a role model she is to me and a two-time cancer survivor, single mom of three kids, that's the kind of stuff that keeps me going everywhere. I don't know, it's just a game. It's a game we love to play. So many people would kill to get the chance to get out here and play with us every day as their job. During the good days and the bad, you've just got to keep things in perspective and just remind yourself that it's just a game we're playing and just enjoy it. FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports   |
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