AIG WOMEN'S OPEN

August 19, 2020

Stacy Lewis

Press Conference

THE MODERATOR: I am delighted to be joined today by Stacy Lewis, the 2013 Women's Open champion, and of course winner of last week's Ladies Scottish Open.

Welcome to the AIG Women's Open. How are you feeling.

STACY LEWIS: Thank you. Feel good. Just had a couple days to relax and to practise a little bit, and just coming off of last week, it's been nice to have a little break.

THE MODERATOR: This is the first time that Royal Troon is hosting the AIG Women's Open. It's obviously such a famous venue. Can you explain to us a little bit from a player's perspective what it means to be playing a major championship here?

STACY LEWIS: It's a really big deal. This is a big week for women's golf. To be playing here on a golf course that's been in the men's rotation for a very long time, and didn't even allow female members to come play this golf course for a very long time.

So this is a really big week and I think a lot of girls, I was talking to Minjee Lee yesterday, and she didn't know. She didn't realise the history here and what we were really doing.

And just really cool I think of R&A to give Laura Davies that first tee shot tomorrow. There's just a lot of history to be made this week.

THE MODERATOR: Obviously you just touched on the men's open has been played at Royal Troon. Across the years, have you watched many of those championships played here, and does the course meet your expectations of what you are thinking it would be like?

STACY LEWIS: Yeah, you watch it on TV, watching on TV is always hard. It doesn't give you a ton of perspective of specifically how to play it but you certainly remember some of the duels, and I think it was Henrik Stenson down the stretch here. But what a cool golf course. It's probably some of the smaller greens of the courses I've played over here which will probably be one of the biggest challenges when that wind comes in.

THE MODERATOR: Speaking of small greens, your thoughts on the par-3 8th, The Postage Stamp.

STACY LEWIS: It's one you think you have a wedge in your hand, I can be aggressive and as soon as you do you're making double or triple pretty quickly. It definitely get your attention for only being a hundred yards.

THE MODERATOR: Obviously we're back playing golf and you have been for a few weeks now, but playing major golf, this is the first major of the year. How important is that to you after obviously such an uncertain year that we've all faced so far?

STACY LEWIS: I said kind of when this whole thing began in March, I said if we -- any golf we play this year is a bonus, and it's certainly been so far.

You know, it has its challenges. There's certainly been a lot of cost to it behind the scenes. But just giving us the ability to play, and there's charities that are involved in every week that we play, as well. So that's the side that most people don't think of is how the charities are affected.

So it's important that we are playing. It's important for women's golf that we are playing, and just so thankful that the Scottish government allowed us to come over and the R&A for hosting our championship and not hosting the men's, I think is a really big deal and it shows their commitment that they are making to women's golf for the future.

So just really thankful to be here and trying to follow all the protocols and do everything right, because most importantly I want to make sure I can get home next week.

Q. You mentioned there the wind coming in. You're no stranger to playing over here and in tough conditions. Can you recall the toughest conditions you've played in over here and then what does the mind-set become when it's really windy or wet and windy?

STACY LEWIS: Gosh, I remember Hoylake was pretty bad. Actually a lot of people, the officials never called it, but we just stopped play on the golf course and everybody kind of huddled behind the boards because it was so windy. I think probably the worst for me was one of my first, it was Birkdale. I believe it was 2009, 2010, whatever year we played there, and it rained for 16 of the 18 holes that I played. The officials came out and they squeegeed the greens and we had to just keep going.

I mean, every bone in your body was wet. Every pocket in the bag was wet. I mean, everything was just soaking wet. I actually remember that round kind of being one of the worst conditions I've ever played in.

Q. Couple of things if I could. How does last week's win set you up for this week, or are they totally different environments, or does one thing help for the other? Also, how do you reflect on the absentees this week, and do you look at that as a better opportunity for those that are here, or is it a shame for the tournament that some of the Koreans couldn't make it?

STACY LEWIS: Well, the first part, last week was obviously great. I played great golf. I hit the ball extremely well. So that was kind of the key to last week and I think that carries over on to any golf course, and specifically this one where you're going to have the wind. You're going to have to control -- control the ball flight, control the spin, all those types of things.

So it's a little bit different. This golf course isn't as firm as the one last week. Last week, the greens were very firm, and then this week, they are a lot softer.

So you kind of have to alter that. You change, you know, some of the chip shot you're playing, whether you're carrying to the hole or whether you're bouncing them. So just making those little adjustments but you're still playing links golf, which I absolutely love.

Then your second part, could you say that again? It kind of cut out when you were in the middle of your question.

Q. Sure. Just a reflection on your view of the absentees this week. Do you view it as a better opportunity for those that are here to win, or do you see it as a shame for the Championship that some of the top Koreans couldn't make it?

STACY LEWIS: I think it's a little bit of a shame, truly I do. You want the best players here. You want to compete and win against truly the best players, but you know, you certainly have to understand with everything going on in the world, and I believe in Korea they have a major there next week, and so that's probably a lot of the reason that a lot of those girls decided to stay there.

You know, you can't fault them for that with everything going on in the world, but for the girls that are here, it's a major championship. It counts just like any other major championship in the years past and going forward. So for us here, I don't think it really matters.

THE MODERATOR: Obviously you're a former Women's Open champion. Could you explain to us a little bit about what makes this major particularly special?

STACY LEWIS: Well, it's links golf. I think that just makes it so different than anything else we do. It's a different style of golf. It's a different type of golf, and you really have to learn it. It does take a couple times of coming over here and playing to really understand how to go -- how to figure out the bounces and how to use the bounces to your advantage instead of being disappointed by them all the time.

It's just a championship I love. I love the history of the game. Obviously winning at St Andrews, I'm never going to top it, ever. So you know, just the history, all the history of all these golf courses. You think about how long they have all been here and how long the game of golf has been played here; it's just really cool.

THE MODERATOR: You just spoke about having to figure out links golf. You've played a practise round here now. Do you feel like you're starting to figure out Royal Troon and have a game plan for the week?

STACY LEWIS: Yeah, we've been talking -- well, yesterday, we had pretty much zero wind and I think today we're not going to have much more, but I think going out, it's going to be mostly into the wind, and then coming back in, the back nine is going to be mostly downwind.

So a lot of what my caddie and I have been talking about is how we are going to manage that, how the bunkers will may into being into the wind versus downwind. Those holes coming in, you have to look at what's ten, 15 yards short of the green, because that's where you're going to be landing shots in a couple days.

It's all about adjusting. You know, winds change in different conditions and you have to adjust with it.

Q. Phil Mickelson did an Open and Scottish Open double a week apart. You talked about this being the second part of your career --

STACY LEWIS: The Scottish double, it's definitely doable. You definitely have to get the right bounces. There are certainly moments last week --

Q. And the win on Sunday following the birth of your daughter --

STACY LEWIS: I mean, links golf is about -- to win, you've got to get good breaks and that's the key. I got some last week, and you're going to need some this week, too. I definitely think it's doable. I'm just excited to be playing and get home, get home next week.

THE MODERATOR: And obviously get home to see your daughter and celebrate, because last week was your first win since you became a mum.

STACY LEWIS: Yeah, I actually heard I'm going to get my trophy from last week here this week, so I'm excited to take that home and get that picture with her that I've been looking forward to for almost two years now that I've been working so hard.

You know, I want to play well this week and focus on being here, but just definitely very excited to get home to see my husband and my daughter on Monday.

THE MODERATOR: Obviously this week for the safety precautions, we are having to play without spectators, but I'm sure many people will be at home cheering you on watching on the TV. I guess how does that change the atmosphere out on the course, and do you still come in and feel motivated that this is a major championship and it won't impact you too much?

STACY LEWIS: You do miss it at this championship because the fans here are so knowledgeable of the game. They understand what a good golf shot is. They know that it might be 30, 40 feet away from the hole, but they know it's a good shot. You miss that appreciation and understanding of the game this week.

We're fortunate that we're on all over the world. You know, everybody can watch us play, and we are getting great coverage this week so far. Excited to show Scotland to the world.

THE MODERATOR: We all can't wait to watch you out there in action. I would like to say thank you so much for your time today and we wish you best of luck at the AIG Women's Open this week.