THE LPGA DRIVE ON CHAMPIONSHIP PRESENTED BY VOLVIK

March 3, 2021

Morgan Pressel

Golden Ocala

Press Conference

THE MODERATOR: Okay, welcome everyone to our 1:30 press conference, delayed a little bit, on Wednesday ahead of our LPGA Drive On Championship presented by Volvik.

Joining us today are two very special guests, major champion and two-time LPGA winner Morgan Pressel, and also Golf Channel coordinating producer, Ben Daughan. He's going to provide additional context as needed surrounding Morgan's on-air role.

With that, my first question, Morgan, is about the big news we've heard recently. How excited are you about this role to start?

MORGAN PRESSEL: Yeah, I'm really excited. I'm excited to join the NBC family, work with Golf Channel. You know, being on the other side of the camera for a long time I've had the opportunity to dabble a little bit in television. I'm really excited. I'm excited to see the production behind the scenes, see everything that goes into showcasing our sport and to be a part of the production.

THE MODERATOR: You've done it a couple times before, but may I ask what has been the most favorite part of that experience that makes you excited about this role?

MORGAN PRESSEL: I don't know. I think it's just fun. You know, that camera goes on, your mic is on, and you've got to come up with something interesting to say. Out here especially I know a lot of the players, I've competed against them for a long time, I know their games. So I'm excited to talk about that as well as try my hand at a little bit of men's golf upcoming at the Honda Classic as well, so that will be a little bit of a different challenge. Maybe take a little bit more homework.

But I'm a golf fan, so going to approach it as a fan watching at home like everybody else.

THE MODERATOR: Reading your schedule it seems like a lot on your plate. How excited are you about a packed year with this new role and also being able to play golf yourself?

MORGAN PRESSEL: Yeah, I'm excited to be able to do both. It's definitely going to be busy. Going to have to figure out exactly the practice situation and working television, but it's a really unique opportunity for me. I'm grateful to my partners who have supported me in this endeavor and are behind me 100%. My team, working hard to figure it all out, put all the pieces together.

So I don't know. It's something different. I think something that I definitely see helpful as part of a long-term future. Challenge myself a little bit.

THE MODERATOR: Speaking of television, during your off time when you're not practicing, how much time do you spend watching TV shows and movies? Is your family a big movie family?

MORGAN PRESSEL: No, not really. We watch a few movies. I don't watch very much TV at all. That probably would come as a shock to most people. I don't binge watch shows or things like that.

But I do enjoy watching golf. I enjoy watching golf on TV and other sports as well. On a weekend at our house you definitely find golf on TV.

THE MODERATOR: Watching a lot golf, and I know we talked about this before a little, but you probably have so much homework ahead of this week. What have you been watching in getting prepared for this week?

MORGAN PRESSEL: I would say, yeah, it's a little overwhelming trying to get all my thoughts together, things that I think would be interesting to people, things that other people might not know about our tour and our players and how wonderful they all are on and off the golf course.

So really just so far the team at Golf Channel has been wonderful helping me with just whatever I need in terms of encouragement, but also this is how things work. It's just a learning process and I have no doubt I'm going to make plenty of mistakes, but I think the team that we're working with this week has been wonderful so far. I know we're going to rehearse a little bit this afternoon so that should be interesting.

You know, I'm just going to dive in.

THE MODERATOR: We're excited to watch and I know Beth Ann has a question.

Q. Hi, Morgan. How are you? I just want to ask you, you're going to be working TV at some pretty big events. Was it hard to maybe not play Evian, the U.S. Women's Open? How did you know you were ready for this?

MORGAN PRESSEL: I don't know how I knew I was ready. I think it's something that maybe thought about for a little while. Definitely having TV experience helped. You know, missing a few events here and there I still have the opportunity to play well at plenty of others, so I'm just -- it's kind of a bit of a trial year, so to speak, if that makes sense.

Just try it and see how it works, see if I even enjoy doing television, which I think that I will. But I guess you never know. And if I'm any good at it. That as well.

So, yeah, I don't know if I -- I don't know if you're ever ready. You just kind of got to try things.

Q. So how many events do you think you'll play this year?

MORGAN PRESSEL: I'll probably play hopefully somewhere around 15 events. I don't have an exact schedule quite yet. Might be a couple more, couple less. Depends how the schedule shakes out related to COVID.

Q. You said you watch a lot of golf. Anybody in particular in the booth male or female that you really like their style or how they do things?

MORGAN PRESSEL: That's a good question. Obviously Judy is a legend. Watched her plenty on our LPGA broadcasts. I mean, I think having done television I would say for the last four our five years I watch golf with a little bit of a different ear. So I have kept a little bit of a catalog in my mind of the way certain people describe things or say things.

But I would say the one piece of advice that I've been given by just about everybody, including Judy, is not to try to be somebody else. Just be myself. I think literally every person who has given me advice has told me to be myself. I don't know what that means, but we'll find out.

THE MODERATOR: I would love to throw a question to Ben. Ben, if you don't mind talking about this experience on behalf of Golf Channel and how excited everyone is about Morgan's new role on air.

BEN DAUGHAN: Yeah, no, we couldn't be more excited at the Golf Channel and the NBC Sports side. Morgan, I thought I had unique advice today telling you to be yourself. I guess I'm already 0-1. No, I think that is first and foremost for anyone in broadcasting to be themselves.

Yeah, we couldn't be more excited. Obviously Morgan brings a championship pedigree to our broadcast as major a champion and LPGA winner, USGA champion, six-time Solheim Cup team member for the United States.

And one thing I'm most excited about and I think a lot of us are, is that I think it's rare in sports television that someone can play and play at such a high level last week, finished tied for 31st, and then the very next week be the lead analyst on a telecast.

So I think Morgan is a current player and now broadcaster is something we're all really excited about.

THE MODERATOR: Thank you so much, Ben. Was glad to throw you a question.

Q. Morgan, you did the U.S. Open, what year was that for the men?

MORGAN PRESSEL: That was Chamber's Bay, which I believe was 2015.

Q. Right. That's right. And anything about that experience that really stands out that you sort of like fell in love with it or that was the toughest part of it, something like that?

MORGAN PRESSEL: Yeah, related to that, the toughest part stands out probably the most. One, I had no experience and I literally had no idea what I was doing. I definitely tried to talk to quite a few or people before this week, get a little bit -- maybe a little bit more prep work done in terms of actually executing a proper broadcast.

But the U.S. Open is just different in terms of the hours. We were on 7:00 to 7:00, so that was just crazy. That was definitely the hardest part; 7:00 to 7:00 for four straight days was pretty intense.

Q. That is intense. How do you think your nerves will be compared to like, I don't know, Solheim Cup singles match or something like that?

MORGAN PRESSEL: I think it'll be -- I mean, I definitely will have nerves. In terms of a Solheim Cup singles match, I've hit plenty of drives down the fairway from a tee box before, so this is doing something different. Might be a little more nervous, but probably relatively similar. Hopefully doesn't come out in my voice, but we'll see.

Q. Congratulations. Thank you so much.

MORGAN PRESSEL: Thanks, Beth Ann.

THE MODERATOR: Segueing back to golf, Ben mentioned you tied 31st finish last week. How do you feel about that week just coming off maybe two months of break?

MORGAN PRESSEL: Yeah, it was nice. I probably took more time off this winter than I maybe ever have in a sense of like I really just took about a month off where I really didn't play any golf. Part of that was a lot of personal contemplation related to the game.

I was excited to get back out there and I wasn't sure how I would feel this week. This is the first time I'm doing television where I'm also qualified, kind of related to Beth Ann's question. I could be playing, so it is a little bit weird.

But, you know, it was great to get out there last week to play. I definitely worked hard after that short break over the winter with my coach, Martin Hall, dialed it in. And it's close. I don't know. Some days I feel like it's so far away and some days I feel like it's close.

I definitely saw some progress in my game last week. I put a new Odyssey putter in play and I putted really well, which was encouraging. I love that his golf course. I really enjoyed the opportunity to play. Good week.

THE MODERATOR: So many things it seems for you to be looking forward to this year.

MORGAN PRESSEL: Lots of jugging going on right now, moving targets.

THE MODERATOR: My last question is last week I witnessed something really sweet, a moment of you hanging out with girls' golf members and your puppy. How is that relationship given that you were a former girls' golf member and now doing this and now you ae just casting a wider net for girls to see you and idolize you, not just the golfer but in this role. How do you feel just about the Girls' Golf Foundation?

MORGAN PRESSEL: Oh, girls' golf is just a wonderful opportunity for young -- to get the next generation involved in the game. It's an opportunity for me and an opportunity for -- I mean, I met Layla last week, a little seven year old who just is obsessed with golf and told me all about her clinic schedule and everything. It was so precious.

And to see somebody of that age have those wide eyes towards the game, I mean, the more we can encourage young women like that to get involved, it's definitely my favorite part of my job, the opportunity to meet them and have a positive influence on their life, I mean, like the pros before me influenced me and had positive influence and were positive influences in my life, and then became friends, people who I had the opportunity to compete with and against for many years.

So I just think the more young ladies we can get involved in this game, and girls' golf does a great job, the brighter or sport will be.

THE MODERATOR: Thank you so much, Morgan, for your time today. I think the news is just so timely with March being Women's History Month. You are definitely someone that we look up to. Hope you have fun out there this week.

MORGAN PRESSEL: Thank you, Paula.