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HUGEL-JTBC LA OPEN

April 18, 2018

Emily Tubert

Los Angeles, California

Q. We're here at Wilshire Country Club, a familiar place for you. Can you tell us a little bit about your background here?
EMILY TUBERT: Sure. Well, my first exposure to golf was actually here at Wilshire Country Club. My grandfather was a member here for over 25 years. He's the golfer in the family. Sunday brunch at the club was my first exposure to golf.

And then back in 2001 when the LPGA played here I came and watched Annika. I knew nothing about golf. I had to get my dad sign to have her sign my shirt in the middle of her round. I was like, Just ask her.

Then in 2006 I won the junior club championship. When I turned pro, they were kind enough to offer me an honorary membership. So Wilshire Country Club is someplace close to my heart, and there is a lot of family ties here.

Q. So then it had to feel really good to go through the Monday qualifier and the playoff and all of that. Can you tell us about how that went on Monday?
EMILY TUBERT: Yeah. You know, I really wanted to be playing this week. I wanted to be back. I have a lot of friends and family in the area and they've always wanted to see me play golf and I've never played close enough.

So Monday I felt good about the direction my game was heading. I started really hot, 3-under, and ended up grinding my way into the playoff, 1-under. (Indiscernible - crowd noise).

I was really nervous. There were three of us for two spots. I just stuck with my game plan and ended up winning the playoff with a birdie on the second hole.

Q. Awesome. Talk to us a little bit about the state of your game right now and how you feel.
EMILY TUBERT: I feel very good about it. It's been a crazy last few months. My rookie year was last year. It was kind of challenging. I went through eight, nine, ten swing instructors through the course of even half the season.

I've finally found somebody I think and it was only three weeks ago. Just totally changed the game for me.

Q. Looks like things are turning in the right direction.
EMILY TUBERT: Thank you.

Q. Maybe want to go into a little bit more detail about Wilshire the things we were talking about before. Just run me through -- I guess like start with 2001 and your first experience with golf.
EMILY TUBERT: 2001 was when the LPGA was here, but I was coming to the club for years before that.

Like I said, for mother's day brunch, father's day brunch. My grandfather was definitely the golfer in the family; I played other sports. If you told the six-year-old me that I would grow up to be a professional golfer I would've told you you were crazy. I played softball, basketball, volleyball.

So in 2001 the Tour was here, and I don't know why my dad brought me out, but probably because it was just a bunch of girls playing professional golf at my grandpa's club.

I came out and watched and didn't know anything about it. I don't think we stayed too long, but I do remember watching Annika, and she won that event. You know, it's kind of totally come full circle to be back at Wilshire now my second year on the LPGA Tour.

It's really special. My grandpa is 92. He's still around. For him, he's so excited. You know, he's not a member here anymore, but he still gets his hair cut here at the club.

When he found out that I qualified, there might have been some tears involved.

Q. From you?
EMILY TUBERT: From him. Yeah, yeah, not from me. My dad cried, too. But it is a deep-rooted history here. My grandparents' 50th wedding anniversary party was here back in the day.

Again, that was before I started playing golf. Then I played on the junior club team for two seconds. I'd been playing golf for a couple months. I didn't know what I was doing. When I won the club championship my dad wasn't a member so my name is not on the trophy here at the club.

The kid that came in second is the son of the head pro, Rick. His name is not on the trophy. It's the kid that came in third.

Q. Wow.
EMILY TUBERT: But I have the one -- I have the little take-home trophy from 2006.

Q. So 2001 you would've been?
EMILY TUBERT: Let's see, 17 years ago, and I'm 26 next month, so 9.

Q. So then you picked up the game when?
EMILY TUBERT: When I was 13.

Q. So four years later. Then 2006 you won?
EMILY TUBERT: The junior club championship.

Q. And would've been what age then?
EMILY TUBERT: I don't know, what, 13? 12 years ago. Yeah, 13. I'm 25 right now.

Q. Got you.
EMILY TUBERT: 13. Wait. Yeah, I was like 8.

Q. And you still live 15 minutes...
EMILY TUBERT: Yeah, Burbank. I love right over the hill, so it's nice to be able to stay in my bed. I mean, I practice out here. Like when we have an off week, there are a few clubs I have privileges at. Wilshire is one of them. I have a sticker in my car. I've got signing privileges.

And so when they started setting everything up I was out here practicing. I haven't played the course in a few years, but I come out and putt or chip, use the range. I'm kicking myself more that I didn't get out and play a little bit more these last few years.

Q. Yeah. Did you qualify or was that a different...
EMILY TUBERT: Yeah, it was out in Simi Valley at Wood Ranch.

Q. And you played this one several times before?
EMILY TUBERT: No.

Q. Okay. Talked about the swing instructors.
EMILY TUBERT: Yeah.

Q. Who are you with now?
EMILY TUBERT: Well, I still have to break up with my other one. Actually she's caddying for me this week. Her name a Jenny Lee. She's a bad ass. I don't know, she's a baller. She still plays. She played the Monday qualifier at Arizona and Kia this year.

She teaches out at Eaton Canyon in Pasadena. She's 28. She's young. She's incredibly knowledgeable, and first person -- and I've worked with some of the top instructors who have worked with some of the best players in the world -- and it's about finding who speaks your language.

You know, I've known her for a bit, and we went and played golf for fun and we were talking about life. She just said when she started to really understand how the golf swing worked she never worried about it. I was like, Hm, I feel like I need to pick your brain.

We went out to dinner and at dinner conversation, she changed everything about my perspective and understanding. It's been three weeks, and the ball striking I had at the qualifier on Monday was some of the best ball striking I've had, I mean, maybe since my peak of amateur golf, 2010 to '12 when I won the PubLinks and went on to play Curtis Cup and all that kind of stuff.

So the last few years have been really tough for me, especially ball striking. It's been frustrating. It's been a game I've almost walked away from a bunch of times.

Q. How about your rookie season? What would you say maybe your highs were and your lowest part and maybe what you learned?
EMILY TUBERT: I learned so much last year. First of all, it was incredible to be on the LPGA Tour. I made my rookie debut in Hawaii and made the cut there, which allowed me to play a full season.

Q. Uh-huh.
EMILY TUBERT: I will say I had a cool moment in Hawaii where I was a little frustrated with my ball striking and my swing - shocker; the theme of my last few years -- a little frustrated with it, and I took a moment on the putting green. I remember just looking around and I was like, You know what? It's easy to get caught up in your own bullshit, for lack of a better term.

Everybody gets caught up in it, right, in what's going on? Take a moment to really appreciate I'm on the LPGA Tour, in Hawaii, I get to play in week. I am living every little kid, every high school kid -- like every 50-year-old man's dream, right?

Q. Yeah.
EMILY TUBERT: And I think it's easy to take it for granted what we do week in and week out. I really wanted to make sure I appreciated that. So that was Hawaii. Made the cut. Game changer for the rest of my year because I had conditional status.

And then I made my first two cuts and I missed the cut at Kingsmill and proceeded to dislocate my shoulder. So that was rough.

And from there, there was just a lot. You know, like figuring out the whole caddie thing is new. Brought somebody out local from L.A. and didn't quite work out, so I had to go through my first letting a caddie go experience.

I let me swing coach go mid-season.

I was in a relationship for almost three years and that ended, so there was a lot of change. And then every week was a new swing instructor. Here is a new swing thought. Go try to play a tournament on the LPGA Tour and make a living.

It was really tough. I had a caddie come into my life who was amazing. His name a Danny -- what's his name? Danny Stout. Works for Robert Allenby. In New Zealand, on a sponsor's invite, got through 36 holes, I was leader in to the clubhouse, so that was definitely a highlight of the season for sure.

So there has been a lot. And even from New Zealand through Q-School, all of that, so much has changed. Like I said, in the last three weeks really I feel like things are kind of coming together.

We'll see.

Q. Is it a lot different, your feeling like today and where you are now from maybe a year ago today? Feel like you've...
EMILY TUBERT: A million percent. My feeling now from a month ago, month and a half ago, is very different. There have been some amazing people that have come into my life recently. I stayed with many some people in Arizona that changed my life.

Well, a friend of mine who I knew not great and her wife actually. They took me into their house. I was playing some events out there just getting ready for the season. Just through conversation every night, again, changed my perspective. Really made a huge impact on me.

So, yeah, I feel like I've been open to some of these (indiscernible) moments in my life and some of these experiences. I believe everything happens for a reason. There is no such thing as random accidents.

I'm just -- I feel very grateful. Regardless of what happens this week, I'm very encouraged by the direction things are going.

Q. So your grandfather, your dad, who else is going to come out this week?
EMILY TUBERT: We have 40 tickets sitting at will call right now under Tubert just for family and friends to just be like -- because too many people just to leave individual things.

I'm hoping a lot of people are coming out. My mom will be out. My sister. Then like I said, I mean, the closest is Kia and I've never played in that. So there hasn't been an opportunity for friends from high school, friends from my home course, you know. People that I've known have always been like, Oh, we would love to see you play.

I've posted, you know, any of my friends/family want to come out, let me know. I'm playing at Wilshire. Who knows how many people will show up, but I think it'll be quite a few.

Q. (Indiscernible.)
EMILY TUBERT: My mom acted until she had me and my sister, and then got like into directing and being there for us. She runs our production company. She is like a hugely influential person my life. Our whole family. She's the rudder of our ship. We wouldn't be where we are without her.

She wanted to be everything for us that her parents weren't for her and provide us every opportunity to go for our dreams.

Q. And your dad now, what is he doing now?
EMILY TUBERT: Still acting. So we have a household that we believe whatever it is you want to do, go after it. Anything is possible. Somebody has to be an actor. Might as well be him. Somebody had to Monday qualify. Might as well be me.

It's a very incredibly loving and supportive family. I'm excited, like I said, to be playing so close to home. My mom has never seen me play in an LPGA event as a pro. My dad came out once maybe last year.

So it's cool, like I said, to be so close and to have that support.

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