CME GROUP TOUR CHAMPIONSHIP

December 17, 2020

Cristie Kerr

Tiburón Golf Club

Flash Interview

Q. What a great round here, first round at the CME Group Tour Championship. May I ask when did the momentum start kicking in for you today? You had some birdies.

CRISTIE KERR: Yeah, I just my short game really was the thing that got me through today. I didn't hit it awesome. I kind of struggled with my golf swing out there.

But mentally I was very strong and my chipping and putting was very good. I never gave anything back. I tried to on the 2nd hole. I hit my bunker shot over the green but managed to chip it in for par and made great saves on the next two holes.

I rode the momentum today even though I didn't play awesome.

Q. Very different weather conditions from last week. What weather conditions would you prefer?

CRISTIE KERR: Definitely this. It's always difficult to play in cold and windy conditions, especially if you're injured.

So I grew up down here, so this is my kind of weather.

Q. You were telling Golf Channel earlier today this is the best you've felt in two weeks.

CRISTIE KERR: Yep.

Q. Did you know it when you woke up that you were feeling a lot better?

CRISTIE KERR: Yeah. I mean, today I woke up feeling as good as I s felt in two weeks and I felt very minimal pain, two, three on the pain scale.

Today was the first day I haven't taken a pain medication in two weeks. It started to really get to me, like more like four, five in the pro-am, which is why I pulled out with five holes to go yesterday and went and got treatment.

I guess that worked out in my favor.

Q. The last question from me, having round one under your belt now, what expectations do you have moving into the last three rounds?

CRISTIE KERR: I mean, I played this game long enough to know that you can only control what you can control, so I'm just going to try to keep going out there and taking care of my job and making as many birdies as I can.

Q. How much is the warm weather you think impacting how you're feeling?

CRISTIE KERR: I think it's helping a lot. I really think it's helping a lot, because you have that contrast therapy of when you do ice and kryotherapy versus the hot and humid. I just feel a lot looser. The still have the pain here but, I feel a lot looser. I literally couldn't even move last week.

Q. Wow. Did you think for a minute that you might not play this week?

CRISTIE KERR: You know, I've had a rib injury before. When we used to play the match play a million years ago at Hamilton Farms I had one. Some days it feels better and some days it didn't. I figured even if I came down here and I couldn't play I could see my family and my dad and his wife could see the grand kids.

So I just wanted to come down and see. I was hoping the Open wouldn't go to Monday so I could have Monday off. So I did not play on Tuesday. Just chipped and putted and hit wedges on the range.

But I think that day of rest really helped me, because as I played more in the pro-am, it hurt more, and so I kind of pulled out with five holes to go because I knew I had the save myself. I've been down this road before, and I know when you push it, if you have the opportunity to rest, you have to rest with this kind of injury.

So feeling the way I did today, definitely was the right decision.

Q. Where does the pain come from? Is it constant?

CRISTIE KERR: Yeah.

Q. If you swing wrong it's really going to hurt?

CRISTIE KERR: No, I feel with when I'm breathing. It's a rib here. It was in three different spots. Now it's in one spot, so it's better.

But I feel it when I'm breathing and it's more at impact. Today I was able to actually -- even though I didn't hit it well I was able to go at it harder.

Q. You know Lexi's game as well as anyone on tour. Why do you think she plays so well here?

CRISTIE KERR: I don't know what she got in at.

Q. 7-under.

CRISTIE KERR: Seems like she plays well with her brother on the bag. I don't know if he's going to stop playing and caddying for her full time, which is doubtful. That's what Brady said.

But we're both from kind of this area and we're comfortable here. We both like the golf course, so it's just -- there are horses for courses.

Q. He's like you, he reads all the putts for her, like you at Solheim.

CRISTIE KERR: Yeah.

Q. Maybe that's it.

CRISTIE KERR: Yeah.