MARATHON CLASSIC PRESENTED BY DANA

August 7, 2020

Lexi Thompson

Quick Quotes

Q. Here with Lexi Thompson. Let's start with that front nine that you had. Take us through what was going right for you today.

LEXI THOMPSON: Yeah, I had a pretty hot front nine. I started with a birdie on No. 2. Hit a good iron shot there and made about a 15-, 20-footer. Just tried to keep the pedal down the whole time.

Unfortunately fizzled on the back nine. Still hit some good shots. Just was burning edges with a few of those putts and had a few miss-reads. Overall great day. A lot of positives take from it going into the weekend, so I'm just going to play aggressive the rest of the way.

Q. How important is it to kind of focus when maybe you're not having as hot of a start as you had on the front nine? How important is it to stay consistent through the back nine here at Marathon?

LEXI THOMPSON: Yeah, it's very important. I had the good front nine. I just tried to keep that momentum going and still play aggressive and aim at every pin, because that was what was working for me on the front nine. I was hitting good golf shots, so I just tried to commit to doing that.

But like yesterday I struggled a bit, but I made the turn at 3-under with an eagle on 9 and tried to keep the momentum there. Just didn't work out for the back nine.

It's golf. You try to keep the pedal down as much as you can, but you can only birdies so many holes sometimes.

Q. You're known for going notoriously low here. Do you ever think about some of the past rounds you've had ask draw on that experience?

LEXI THOMPSON: Yeah, I love this tournament in general. Judd Silverman does a great job with this event, just the sponsors in general, and I think we all enjoy coming back here.

The course is always in great shape for us and we get some good weather. Unfortunately the great fans aren't out here supporting us, but we know they were on TV and they're watching us.

It's a lot of great memories. I've definitely watched a few of the YouTube videos of this tournament of highlights that I've had, so just to bring that memory is great.

Q. How different is that without the fans out here? Marathon is known to be filled to the brim with fans. Is it different for you?

LEXI THOMPSON: Yeah, it's a lot different, because this tournament does get a good amount of fans supporting, which we absolutely love. I mean, even 9 usually has grandstands around the green, and 18 as well. We have definitely miss that.

But we're doing the best that we can. LPGA is doing all that they can to keep us safe. That's the important part. We're just happy to be back out here playing.

Q. Obviously we don't know what the afternoon groups are going to do, but how do you feel about the position you put yourself in going into the weekend?

LEXI THOMPSON: Well, I'm at 6-under right now. I don't know what even leading after yesterday, 7. I'm sure that they'll go low this afternoon. There is a little bit of wind out there, but there is a lot of birdie holes and accessible pins that you can definitely get after.

It'll play a little firmer in the afternoon, but definitely still some gettable holes.

Overall I can focus on my round and my game. That's all I can do. I'm just going to go into the weekend and just, like I said, play aggressively.

Q. You had a lot of time to spend in the gym during this long break or at home doing gym stuff.

LEXI THOMPSON: Yeah.

Q. Did you work on anything different in this time in terms of your strength?

LEXI THOMPSON: Well, in the beginning of quarantine I bought a KeiserSpin Bike, so I was spinning twice a day. So about an hour and a half total. Then I did a lot of core work and rotation and balance stuff, exercises with the bands that I had just in my garage.

Then once gyms ended up opening I started working out with my training, Kolby Tullier, up in Jupiter. I love to spin, so I do that usually every day.

But nothing really different. Just trying to get in the best shape as possible. Keeping myself sane.