|
|||
|
|||
|
 |
|
|
CME GROUP TOUR CHAMPIONSHIPNovember 14, 2018Judy RankinJerry FoltzKaren StupplesNaples, Florida Q. I just wanted to ask about Ariya. What do you think her biggest area of growth is this year? (Indiscernible.) KAREN STUPPLES: I think that she found the purpose for playing good golf. I think the work she does back home in Thailand with the schools that you wrote about, that's made a big difference to her. It's become not just about her and her achievements, which, I think, to be honest, she found quite overwhelming when she became world No. 1. She wasn't really quite sure what to do with it or what it actually meant. Because there is a bigger purpose to her achieving, it gives her a reason to keep moving forward, keep trying to be No. 1, keep trying to put good results and scores on the board. I think that's really helped. That's all the mental side of work she's been doing with Pia and Lynn and I think that's her biggest growth and the biggest change in her. JUDY RANKIN: It just seems to me that she was -- and this is all part of what she said about Pia and Lynn -- but she's just so much more comfortable. She has a nice way of being okay with whatever happens on the golf course. She doesn't get too down; she doesn't get too up. That's how we always encourage people to be. I think in her effort and maybe in her original shyness, it seems as though sometimes she got down, but this year seemed different. The look on her face was a little different. I mean, there is no discussion anywhere that she isn't an unbelievable talent. So it was really a matter of how to make it come out. She always made it come out kind of in spurts. Karen and I were talking earlier that it came out all year long and it was so subtle and so everywhere across the map that we didn't notice what an unbelievable year she was having. Maybe because it wasn't win after win after win, but there is no doubt that her comfort level with where she is and the things she now has to be part of has dramatically changed. It's fun to watch her grow up, all those things. Q. And to follow that, she's No. 1 right now. (Indiscernible). Not like she's dominated the entire year. Do you think she can separate herself from everybody else next year? KAREN STUPPLES: The potential is there. JUDY RANKIN: Just so hard to do on this tour. KAREN STUPPLES: Yeah. JUDY RANKIN: She certainly looks at this point like the player that everybody is going to be trying to knock off. I guess it's been that way for a while. Maybe Sung Hyun Park a little bit, but there is finally on the LPGA Tour a real depth of talent. To be dominant year after year after year is going to be really hard to do. KAREN STUPPLES: I think in terms of just talent and how many tools they have in their tool box, I think she has probably more than most players do out there. She's worked on the mental side diligently, and you can see it in how she plays. It's a constant sticking to her process, sticking to her routines, that really helps her when the pressure starts to increase. I'm not so sure if Sung Hyun Park has the same depth in her game as Ariya; she certainly has talent. Comes down to what's between the ears ultimately. I think Sung Hyun has showed obviously great skill, but there is a little bit of weakness there, too. I think she doubts herself sometimes. I think Ariya has overcome that already. She's passed that hump of self-doubt and is already to a point where she is, as Judy said, very comfortable. JERRY FOLTZ: I think, what Jerry thinks, is that if you combined Ariya Jutanugarn's game with the driving off Sung Hyun Park and the heart of the Brooke Henderson, you'd have a truly unbeatable player. Can Ariya improve on those two aspects that Sung Hyun and Brooke bring; Sung Hyun most notably the tee ball. She hits it long and straight and fearlessly. Ariya doesn't. She's won and been the most dominant player without doing that, but can she learned to that? Perhaps. Will she ever have the killer instinct that Brooke has? Very pleasantly has, the smiling assassin. Will she ever develop that killer instinct? She doesn't need to right now. She is good enough to beat a lot of players just because her skills are that good. But is there that killer instinct in there? To answer your first question a little bit, leads into it, I see a lot of parallels between Ariya at this stage and Annika young in her career in terms of they always say fear of failure is a huge motivating factor, but so too at the highest level is fear of success. I think Ariya had some of that. Annika had a lot of that in in her formative years, young professional and also amateur years, where she was kind of afraid of winning because she didn't want to have to give a speech. I think Ariya was very uncomfortable under the spotlight, and I think she's growing more comfortable with that. I don't know if she's ever be the dominant player that Annika was. She's the only one I can see right now that could do that. Q. Judy, you played against a set of siblings when you were on tour. What do you make of the Jutanugarns both winning, the Kordas both winning, the dynamic of the siblings that are out here doing so well? JUDY RANKIN: I would talk about it all the time. I love that part of the LPGA tour. I talk about it all the time. I even include the Henderson sisters. One is playing and one is not. I think it's a great dynamic for the tour. I really do. I think the fact that siblings take the same game up and play the same game extremely well is really interesting. When you talk about growing the game or keeping people in the game, this, that, and the other, it's all about if you get one person in the family to kind of grasp it and take it up and be infected by it, and very often other family members will take it up, too. So seeing sisters out here play and seeing sisters out here playing well I think is one small component of growing the game at the recreational level. But it's such fun to watch them and to watch them watch each other. Q. Karen, what would you say about the specific relationship between those sets of siblings? KAREN STUPPLES: I think it's as Judy said, it's very special to watch them support each other through thick and thin. They cry for each other, they shed tears of joy for each other. And when you're growing up, a lot of times you'll shy away -- the younger sibling will shy away from doing the same thing to the older sibling is doing because they don't want to compete; they want to be seen doing their own thing. But out here they found a way to grow up together, to support each other, and it gives me goosebumps because I don't think I've been more excited or more happy watching Moriya Jutanugarn and watching Ariya, her sister, on the sideline just crying, sobbing just because her sister was able to finally overcome that hump. And looking in online and watching Jessica Korda bawling her eyes out when her sister, Nelly, finally went ahead and won, too. I mean, I've got a sister myself. I can relate. Any time your family does something brilliant you're so happy for them. To see that play out on tour I think it's very cool and something that Judy and I, Jerry, we all get emotional about. Even Jerry. (Laughter.) JERRY FOLTZ: The photo of the year was the picture that Jessica put up at 4:00 a.m. on twit-snap-gram or whatever of her just bawling her eyes out. That was the photo of the year. In L.A. we had basically a camera dedicated to Ariya watching Moriya win. It was just so emotional to see. We don't get to see the show until the next week when we go home and watch it maybe, but that was so emotional to watch. Q. Jerry, you specifically have talked a lot about how much Lexi's caddie, Kevin was a huge asset to her and what a great relationship they had. Now that that has dissolved and she's sort of influx -- Curtis on the bag this week -- what do you think that will mean for Lexi? JERRY FOLTZ: I was in shock when I heard that news that she'd fired Kevin or they split up or however you properly phrase it. I think how he handled her during the four-shot rule SNAFU at ANA when he was brand new on the bag, I thought there was enough substance there to prove that he was on her side no matter what. I thought he was going to there for a long time. And even her dad, Scott, talked about at least last year he didn't think she would ever have another caddie. But that's how relationships grow. I think there is a lot to be learned from this past week in men's golf with Lee Westwood winning with his wife on the bag; Matt Kuchar winning with a local caddie who spoke very limited English down in -- I don't know why I looked at you when I said that, Mike -- very limited almost no English down in Cancun. Guy by the nickname of El Toucan. Matt said that it really -- he liked how it freed him up to play by feel without the necessary conversation before every shot that players get into. I think there will be maybe a feeling of freedom in Lexi's came game this week and moving forward that she might not have felt under Kevin. Kevin was a strong caddie. He was a -- I thought he managed her game extremely well, but he's a strong mind out there and a strong player. It wasn't like him to be a passive caddie. So I don't know what she's looking for in a caddie. More importantly, I think what he provided for her was cutting up between shots to keep her relaxed. I think that that's the most important thing for a caddie. You don't need to build up Lexi's confidence with her ability to hit the ball or what have you as a caddie. You just need to keep her relaxed out there in my opinion. I think having her brother on the bag will be a help in that regard. I think that's what she'll look for more moving forward. Q. Judy, what do you make of where Lexi is right now having stress and difficulties in her life? JUDY RANKIN: You know, I know that she has a very strong family and she has a family that never doubts her, any of those things. But she has -- and it's not me saying it -- she has been very open in saying she's had some problems and some emotional problems and some things to deal with that have been very difficult. Like Jerry, I was a little bit surprised at the caddie change, but now that I hear her brother is caddying for her this week, and maybe it's just this week, I think this is a family that wants to get her protection. They don't want to worry about her and they don't want her to worry. So I think that some of the things that we have seen have been that. Playing golf well and in competition is really hard all on its own. Then when you got other stuff going on there are two ways it can go. The other things going on can make it impossible to play good golf, or inside the ropes is your refuge. I've seen it over many years with a lot of different people. Probably even felt it myself. So I don't think inside the hopes has necessarily been a refuge for her this year. Unless everything just comes up roses, that's what needs to happen for her to play really good golf. Or to play with potential, I should say, which I'm not even sure we know what her potential is. Q. What do you think she's learned this year? KAREN STUPPLES: Well, I think she's learned a lot about what she feels herself, and she's actually been able to put a reason to why she feels the way she did in terms of the pressure from us as being media people for her to win tournaments, to be the American hope, to battle against the world tour, the LPGA. I think that's a huge amount of pressure, because I think her being the best American player for a number of years now has really taken its toll on her. I think she's felt that extreme amount of pressure. You combine that to all the rulings that have gone against her, the missed putts, there is a constant scrutiny of everything she does. I think the eyeballs she feels burning into her have just been really intense. It's a tough situation for somebody still so young to be in. I think she's finally been able to put a label on it. Okay, I feel this way because of this or because of that. When you can address that I think that kind of really helps with the whole process. I think Judy is absolutely spot on. When you have a family member on the bag or brother on the bag, it's like they add a layer of protection around you, like another little cocoon around you, a bubble that you can go inside the ropes, play your game, you have somebody who you know is 100% with you every single step of the way at home, on the course, everywhere. That provides some comfort for her. I think that she is learning to deal with expectations of everybody else and with her own expectations of where she wants to be. Ultimately I think everybody who has played professional golf at some point or another has felt that their identity is attached to the score they put on the scorecard. That's a really big burden to deal with. I think when you realize that, you can step out the other side and become a more whole you as opposed to just a golfer. I think that's what we see with her. But I think everybody that has played professional golf has experienced similar kinds of feeling at some point in their careers. JUDY RANKIN: None of us has a degree in psychology. Just so you know. Take it all with a grain of salt. (Laughter.) Q. (Regarding Jin-Young Ko.) KAREN STUPPLES: Sneaky. Sneaky good. It is when we look at where she is with a chance to win the Vare Trophy. I mean Rookie of the Year. She's come out and was unsure if she was even going to take up membership. To all of a sudden be now on the LPGA Tour and be dominating it as a rookie is kind of impressive. She's just so solid. I mean, you look at the swing, the putting, the stats, it's just systemic golf across the board. To have made such a big change in life from Korea playing on the KLPGA -- big star, traveling very easy, all the tournaments pretty close together -- to now playing here in America where everything slightly different. You've got language to overcome and different types of grass, different types of courses. It's a whole new thing. So for her to put this (indiscernible) together this year is very impressive. But she's had a lot of good role models in the past. You think about In Gee Chun before her, and there were a number of really good -- Sung Hyun Park -- just recently a number of really great Korean golfers come over and dominated in their rookie year. Q. The No. 1 rankings changed hands five times in the last 12 months. Why isn't Brooke Henderson in that mix? She's won as much as just about anybody. JERRY FOLTZ: She's a product of playing too much. She's a victim of her own schedule. Yeah, she plays every event basically. To keep the points per tournament up you have to play with the consistency of a Jin Young Ko or Minjee Lee or Ariya Jutanugarn to keep the point distributions up on a weekly base. Ariya plays quite a bit, but the rest play a much more limited schedule than Brooke. That's my reading of the math of it. Please let the record show the quack was Judy's phone. (Laughter.) KAREN STUPPLES: The most confusing thing when I look at the world rankings is how Brooke Henderson isn't ranked higher than she is. To me it isn't indicative of how she plays golf. You can have somebody like a Georgia Hall who is -- is she still ranked higher than Brooke Henderson? Okay, she's won a major, but she still doesn't have the same career resume that Brooke Henderson does. For her to be ranked higher there seems -- numbers seem to be a little off. In terms of player's quality and ability, the two just don't seem it match up. I think most of that is (indiscernible) as Jerry was saying. Q. Having not played since Evian helps Georgia? KAREN STUPPLES: Yes, there you go. Q. You just said a few minutes ago we finally have depth on the tour. There have been a lot of different winners this season for sure. What do you think that brings for the overall health of the tour having so many different winners, and is that just because women's golf is getting more popular and more people are playing? JUDY RANKIN: Let me qualify what I said by in the last two decades depth on the tour has consistently grown. There has always been an awful a lot of good players, but there have been more players who you put in that category of can win this week. Q. Right. JUDY RANKIN: I guess that's where I'm saying depth. It's not that there were good players and nobody else. Q. Right, right. JUDY RANKIN: I don't know the answer, whether a dominant player is the best for the tour or whether great competition is best for the tour. It would seem to me to kind of fall in the middle, where if you have maybe three players who are just consistently rocking the golf world, that may be better than the solo player that Lorena was or Annika was. Like I said, I don't know which is the best for the tour. I like that idea of there is more than one player that's really good, but there are a handful of players who separate themselves. If anybody comes up from someplace else and beats that group of players, pretty good accomplishment. I don't know. What do you think about a dominant player, Jerry? JERRY FOLTZ: It's such a hard thing to speculate on. I think a dominant player has to be the right dominant player for it to be an asset. That brings in a lot of things that I'm not even comfortable talking about when it comes to marketability, appearance, nationality, what have you. You've heard me say many times they're all fantastic golfers and I marvel at them and their abilities and I pay no attention to the flag next to their name. But to be a No. 1 dominant player that would really help boost ratings and popularity domestically, then you would need to have the right person. And I don't root for that. I root for the great golf. KAREN STUPPLES: The reason we're seeing such depth now on the tour is because it is such a global tour. You have the very best players from each individual country coming in and playing on the LPGA. So you might have Lexi Thompson is the very best player from America, but you've also got the very best player from India, the very best player from Thailand, very best player from Korea, the very best player from China, the very best player from England, the very best player from Sweden. So you've got the very best of the world playing here, and that in itself adds depth. But if you go through just scoring average alone, if you go back to the year 2000 which is probably when the explosion happened of the LPGA becoming international, I think there was something like 21 players had a scoring average of less than 72. Fast forward that to this year and you've got something like just under 90 players that have a scoring average of less than 72. So that's more players with a scoring average of under par going to keep their cards. So you talk about depth. That's why you see so many players able to win out here now. Any given week anybody who puts a tee in the ground on the LPGA Tour could win. This is why Ariya having three wins this year is sneaky good. Q. Comments on the changes that were announced yesterday for the CME Group Tour Championship next year? KAREN STUPPLES: I think it's exciting. JUDY RANKIN: I think I understand most of them. Looks really good to me. It becomes a little more condensed field. Being in it will be even more treasured than it has been. KAREN STUPPLES: I think, again, it adds to the quality of the competition, too. If everybody who tees up this week has a chance to win everything, I think that's one of the biggest factors, too. By winning everything, that's a pretty seriously big purse they're playing for. Yeah, just bummed I don't play anymore. JERRY FOLTZ: I think it's a win, win, win. Terry Duffy and CME accomplished a great goal for them setting themselves apart from other tournaments with the highest winner's check in professional women's golf. The LPGA, it's a huge win for the LPGA to have a company of that reputation be so supportive of the LPGA and basically set the bar at a whole new level for others. I think it's a huge win for the fans. Without a guy starting with a ten-shot lead, which they're going to be doing at the PGA TOUR Championship, it's very simple to understand. Winner take all, and a lot, a lot of money. There is going to be a lot of eyeballs on this next year and more publicity going into the final round than I think it's ever seen. Q. Does that skew the Money List, because it's official. KAREN STUPPLES: It could potentially. Any I think it almost -- I mean, probably will. Yeah, has the potential to make the year's Money List not as relevant as it has done in the past. You can have somebody that has an okay year come in and win $1.5 million. I mean, Ariya Jutanugarn is cruising away with the Money List this year, but if you have Sung Hyun Park or someone come along and win that, then all of a sudden they get overtaken. So it's very heavy ended. I remember on the Ladies European Tour when they stopped using the Money List as a way to keep cards and things. They went to a points system because of tournaments like Evian and Women's British Open that were so heavily skewed money-wise in relation to the other tour events that it just didn't seem fair for that to have such a big influence over the season-long performance of the players. So I can see both sides. Q. Don't you think fans really relate to Money List? I mean, we might all understand some other (indiscernible) and appreciate it, certainly, but I think when people read the papers they understand money. UNIDENTIFIED SPEAKER: I agree, because it was that way for so long. I mean, not that change can't be good, but... JUDY RANKIN: Plus there is no figuring out how it works. JERRY FOLTZ: Thank you guys for showing up and asking us questions and making us feel like our opinion matters. Q. What was the most underreported story of the year? UNIDENTIFIED SPEAKER: (Indiscernible.) JERRY FOLTZ: I'll go with Brooke Henderson winning in Canada. Because it was Canada it didn't get much play here, and it was the most surreal moment I've experienced in eight years with the LPGA. UNIDENTIFIED SPEAKER: Yeah, we played with Brooke yesterday. You'll be pleased to know Tom Abbot still captured the undefeated title. JERRY FOLTZ: You know, most of the players that Tom has played in pro-ams with were back at Q-School this year. Just saying. KAREN STUPPLES: I think Danielle Kang and Nelly Korda winning in Asia. Because they're in Asia, I think when the tournaments happen overseas people don't really realize what's going on. Yeah, and so I think that would be mine. JUDY RANKIN: Yeah, both of those. Danielle actually had the most frustrating year. We saw her lose her temper more than once. Me personally, I'm a bit of a fan of Butch Harmon, so the fact that he could get in her head and straighten her out and straighten her out actually quite quickly, you know, kudos to him and to her. Sometimes players are -- they either look for help everywhere or they tend to maybe not look for help and think it's all my fault. But I think she hit on the right guy for her. JERRY FOLTZ: Another contender for most underreported, and it's off the golf course, the work Cindy LaCrosse does with the Humane Society. It is one of the most inspirational things I've seen from an LPGA players. I know they all devote so much of their time and resources helping those that can't help themselves. She's helping something near and dear to her heart and does an incredible job. FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports   |
|
||||||||||||||||||||
|
||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
About ASAP Sports •
FastScripts Archive •
Recent Interviews •
Captioning •
Upcoming Events •
Contact Us
FastScripts | Events Covered | Our Clients | Other Services | ASAP in the News | Site Map | Job Opportunities | Links |
|
ASAP Sports, Inc. | T: 1.212 385 0297
|