BANK OF HOPE LPGA MATCH-PLAY

May 29, 2021

Pat Hurst

Shadow Creek

Quick Quotes

Q. Here with Team USA Solheim Cup captain Pat Hurst. Gotten your steps in, or at least your wheels in on your cart the last few days out watching Team USA potentials. Do you like what you see out there so far?

PAT HURST: Definitely. When you see them all there playing match play, it's just a steppingstone for Solheim, which is good, and they're getting the experience in.

So it's good to see out there. They're all playing well so that's a lot of fun for me.

Q. What have been some of the big takeaways you've seen out there?

PAT HURST: It's hard to say. I'm out there just trying to see what they're doing. Nobody has really done any stupid mistakes. They're all playing well, like I said. I'm just out there seeing the decision making that they're doing out there and it's all been good.

Q. Are you chatting with them at all? Are you staying out of their way? Does it depend on the player? What's the strategy with that?

PAT HURST: Out on the golf course you're talking about?

Q. Yeah.

PAT HURST: I actually like to try and go up to where they're going to be hitting the drives and I like to go up to the greens. I don't like to bother them. I like them to be in the moment and playing golf and not worrying about me.

So I just try to stay out of their way and let them play the best golf they can.

Q. I know Angela was in the field as a competitor; played well. Had a good chance yesterday. Did you talk to her at all about job description, about job work, or was she all inside the ropes this week?

PAT HURST: I told her right from the getgo to go out and play golf and this is going to be -- she wants to be all in, but I want her to be all in with her golf and don't worry about what's going on behind the scenes with Solheim.

I keep her and Michelle up to date, and I think that helps Angela in a sense where she can go out and play golf and not have to worry about Solheim while she's playing.

Q. I know you've finally been able to get out to some dinners and had a couple this week. How have those conversations gone?

PAT HURST: I'm just going out with them. We're not really talking golf. They may ask a couple questions on what's coming up and stuff like that, but no, it's more to get to know them and their personalities off the golf course. That's the best part about Solheim, is getting to know the girls and getting to know them in a different light than just the golfer mode.

We're really not talking golf that much.

Q. What are those things coming up they're looking at?

PAT HURST: That I'm looking at?

Q. That they're look at that they were asking about.

PAT HURST: Are we going to get together, will there be team bonding, stuff like that. So right now COVID is the one that's winning the whole thing and we're trying to beat that battle, so we'll see. Time will only tell. We're doing the best we can with what we have.

Q. Do you have any plans next week, which is a home game for you? You'll you have Angela on site and Michelle as well. Any plans for some more teamwork next week?

PAT HURST: You know, we were trying to, but, again, with the protocols that are still in place it's hard to get together with everybody. I would love to have them over to the house, but I live a little bit too -- I don't live that far, but I live far enough because of traffic.

We were trying to do some stuff, but that got called off at the last minute, which is kind of sad, because I was looking forward to it. It's been a work in progress and I was hoping to get it done.

We're not, so we're just doing the same thing. Hopefully I can get out to some dinners with the girls individually and see.

Q. I saw last month you said you were going to keep the pod system that Juli used. What was the decision about wanting to keep that in place?

PAT HURST: It's just super easy. You know, there is no guesswork for either the captains or the players. They know who they're going to be playing with. It's one of the four. So it's super easy.

I just think that when you know what's going on it makes it easier for everybody, and so that's why we're doing that.

Q. Just a follow up, I did see you mentioned implementing behavioral tests. Why do you want to make that change as part of it?

PAT HURST: It's just who we went with. He's a behavioral profile expert, so it's just what he does and what he's specialized in. So we just -- that is more for the captains than players just because we -- you know, we want to know who would do well with who, and we did that last three times too with the personalities.

It's a little different way to look at it.

Q. Who is this guy?

PAT HURST: His name is Jeff Troesch. I learned about him when I was the assistant coach at San Jose State and he's helped out a lot of teams, Division I teams, and that's how you got to know him. He was helping out San Jose State.

Q. How do you special Troesch?

PAT HURST: You're putting me on the spot. T-r-o-e-s-c-h.

Q. I saw you having a nice long chat with Stacy Lewis. I know you connected with a lot of players this week. Are you talking to other players just about everything you can get, whether they're in contention or not? Certainly Stacy is a potential player, but Jenny Coleman made a good, long run this week.

PAT HURST: I actually sat down with her at lunch just by chance, but talking to Stacy, I just told her when she got done, she played like a veteran winning 17, 18. You know, it's making conversation with them, just keeping them knowing that -- having them know that we're there to support them.

Again, we're not really talking much golf. We are on a different level than that. It's more of I care about you and I care about what you're doing out there.

So it's not all about the golf. It's about the love that we're giving them.

Q. And what do the next couple weeks look like for you as you really start getting to crunch time?

PAT HURST: Yeah, well our decisions won't be until AIG, so I've got a lot of time. There are four more majors left. I tell the girls also there is a lot of time, points to be made, and it's out there.

So I just, again, try to go out and do some stuff. Now that things are opening up I can go out to dinner with them sometimes. I mean, if I can find a place that's outdoors I can go out with three of them. I went out a couple times this week outdoors just with one and the husbands or what have you.

So it's been a lot of fun to be able to do that, because that's what this -- like I said, that's what this is all about. I miss that.

Q. Yeah, we all do. It's been great to get outside and eat like grown ups this week.

PAT HURST: Yes, exactly.

Q. Talking about not talking golf but just getting to know them, is there a certain quality or characteristics that you're looking for?

PAT HURST: No. I mean for now, no. The pod system is when we get to crunch time it's who fits into the pods. You definitely want a good team player, someone who fits in, but they got to fit into that pod that may already have three in the pod.

So maybe we might be looking at a different person than that one that might be higher because they don't fit the into that pod behavioral-wise. And that's not the only thing that we're going to be looking at. There are so many factors that you look into when you're doing picks.

The golf course, maybe we want to put them together for alternate shot and who would she pair up well with, so there is a lot that is involved with all that.

So we'll see.

Q. One last one from me. How do you feel like the pandemic has impacted your preparations over the last year?

PAT HURST: Yeah, it's definitely been harder. I'm glad that we had a lot of rookies this last time. I got to know them. I was lucky enough to be the assistant the last three times and really got to know a lot of the players then.

So looking at the top 20, you don't have many that are going to be rookies, which is good for me, because, I mean, those are the ones that I don't know and I would love to get to know better. So team bonding, it would be great, but they all -- for the most part -- and it's just those three or four that really don't know each other or know anybody else on the team and been around Solheim or part of this team.

So that's been the hardest part for me is, getting to know these girls, because I couldn't do anything. I go out and follow them, but all I can say is good morning and how you guys doing and that's it basically. Again, I don't like to bother them on the golf course. I would love to go do dinners. I totally miss being out with them, and like I said, getting to know them as a person more than as a golfer.

Q. Who are those three or four?

PAT HURST: Let's look on the top 20. You're making this hard -- I been looking at Yeahlimi. I don't know Kupcho very well. Don't really know -- Mina Harigae is up there. I'm going to miss one and now I'm going to make that one person feel really bad.

But it's the ones -- I'm looking basically in the top 20 and also part of the Rolex Rankings, and, I mean, just I don't know who is going to be on the team. That's the problem.

And so I'm just looking at the top 20. I'm trying to give everybody the same across the board in that top 20. I have to stop somewhere and that's where. I'm stopping at the top 20.

Q. Solheim Cup points, right?

PAT HURST: Yeah, yeah.

Q. Well, we know you got a match out there I'm sure you want to go watch. There are two Americans left in the field. They're playing each other, which on one point is bad, but other on the other hand guaranteed of at least one more red, white, and blue tomorrow morning. Thoughts on the matchup?

PAT HURST: It will be interesting to go out there and watch them play. Watched Danielle probably four or five holes this morning. I think Danielle won the first hole every time I've watched her. I don't know stats-wise, but every time I watched her she won the first hole.

And then I watched Ally for about five holes and then went out and watched Brittany Altomare. I thought it was going to be five or six holes and ended up being a lot more than that.

Be interesting to go out and watch them play and watch them play against each either instead of with each other. The best golfer is going to come out and win, so we'll see how that goes.