BANK OF HOPE LPGA MATCH-PLAY

May 30, 2021

Ally Ewing

Shadow Creek

Press Conference

THE MODERATOR: Here with Ally Ewing, winner of the inaugural Bank of Hope LPGA Match Play hosted by Shadow Creek.

Ally, you just survived seven rounds in near 100 degree heat. Had your husband out there celebrating your first wedding anniversary. You've got to be on Cloud 9 right now.

ALLY EWING: I am. It's super special today. It's a unique format. I love match play, and it was just an unforgettable week from start to finish. How we were treat this week, it was just unbelievable. To cap it off with a win on our one year wedding anniversary is pretty great.

THE MODERATOR: And you got off to a quick start. Tied the first hole, but then took the lead on the second hole. Tell us what happened there.

ALLY EWING: On two I got -- I missed the ball a little bit right of where I was trying to hit the approach shot and kind of rolled down the hill, but was able to hit a great chip to give me range, and Sophia gave it to me, and she didn't get her ball up and down from the back.

There were some tough pins out there today. Situationally it was really tough. I would probably say as a whole the fatigue made me not handle my nerves as well as I have in the past, so I'm just thankful that we got through it. And, yeah, the early start, getting 1-up through two and then just kind of keeping things going the rest of the day was really good.

THE MODERATOR: You won 6 and she won 11 so you go to 14th. You have a 1-up lead and 14 seemed to be where the momentum swung for you. Tell you about that monster putt you had on 14.

ALLY EWING: Yeah, I was able to draw some really positive stuff from the morning round. The pin was actually closer to the front and I had about a 40-footer there this morning and I made it.

So I certainly wasn't trying to make -- a putt of that range you're just trying give to good speed and get it right there around the hole, but the line and the speed matched and it rolled in.

That was a putt that I didn't really expect to make and it was definitely a steal for it to go in and take a 2-up lead going into 15.

THE MODERATOR: About how long was the putt?

ALLY EWING: I think I paced it at about 62 feet.

THE MODERATOR: Wow, that's monster.

ALLY EWING: Yeah, it was a long putt.

THE MODERATOR: When was the last time you made one that long?

ALLY EWING: It's been a while. Made a few in the 40, 45-foot range but 60-footers you don't see go in very often. Yeah, it was a blessing at the right time.

THE MODERATOR: And then closed out the match on 17. Certainly not how either of you wanted to play the hole, but that's match play.

ALLY EWING: Yeah and 17, I'm still not sure how to play it. It's a very difficult green to hit, especially as firm as it is. Maybe under a different circumstances where the green was a little bit softer it might have led to maybe some more favorable bounces.

But, yeah, I didn't foresee a 5 getting it done, but it did, and it's just a tough hole. That's what it is. Like you said, it's match play. I still had to make a three- or four-footer to get it done, and rolled it in.

THE MODERATOR: Questions.

Q. What were you telling yourself after the first shot on the 17th?

ALLY EWING: I just kind of regrouped. I knew I was going to have on the re-tee and I knew based off previous matches that the hole can be won with bogey. Realistically I was trying to give myself a putt at it, which I didn't do. Had a really good lie in the bunker, and at that point I was either trying to make it or get it up there really close and hopefully have an opportunity to make a putt; fortunately I did.

Q. How much did exhaustion play into the match today?

ALLY EWING: It was exhausting. I think I was limping in on the finish line really. Fatigue was definitely a factor. Four rounds of stroke play, 18, 18, 18, 18 is a grueling week, especially if you're in contention.

This week was unlike any other. I'm definitely going to have to tape up the feet I think for another week next week, but well worth it.

Q. On the putt on 14, it was going pretty hot. What were you thinking about as the ball was tracking to the cup?

ALLY EWING: I thought it was rolling in with decent pace. Might have gone four to five feet by in my opinion. I could be wrong with my angle, but it certainly, like I said was not a putt I was expecting to make.

Just kind of get it right there within a good distance to make a par putt, and fortunately everything matched up and it went in.

Q. This is a separating moment for in a very competitive American Race for the Solheim Cup. What would it mean to get back to the Solheim Cup this year?

ALLY EWING: Oh, I mean, it's super exciting to represent the United States. The first time was unbelievable. It was an unbelievable experience. Obviously losing makes you want to go back even more.

So, yeah, playing it again would mean the world. Playing with Pat Hurst as the captain, I don't know what the team will shake out to be, but certainly know that the American team will be a loaded team, and, yeah, hopefully I'm fortunate enough to be on it.

Q. When the CJ Cup was out here Xander Schauffele told me that most courses that he plays. As the week goes along you get comfortable, but that wasn't the case out here because it was different every day. Did you find the course -- were you more comfortable each day?

ALLY EWING: I would definitely say I was more comfortable every day. Even playing with Danielle yesterday, just her having course knowledge I think just kind of maybe a few ways that I had played a hole, I was like, Okay, well, she plays here all the time and this is how she plays the hole.

I think it was every day on a course like this, as difficult as it is, it doesn't get any easier, but you might learn a little bit more. Maybe more familiar with, okay, we don't want to take it right at this pin. We want to use the slope. So it definitely changes my strategy that I use on a normal week.

I'm normally pretty precise with my strategy, but this week you had to look further away from pins, sometimes to use the slopes, and, yeah, I think I learned more every day for sure.

Q. Did you feel the course changed over the five days? Danielle said on the practice round it was the slowest she'd seen the greens out here.

ALLY EWING: The greens were firm, they were fast. Certainly by today fairways got really firm and fast. I don't think I've ever hit as many 3-woods, 5-woods, whatever irons that they were as far as I did this week, which I know we are at elevation and we're in the desert, but it was just a different type of golf.

The more I played the more I got familiar with, okay, normally this club carries this far; out here it's carrying this far. It was just relying on those numbers that my caddie and I were able to get throughout the week.

Q. One of the things I love about the LPGA is the winner on the 18th green with all your peers coming out to congratulate you. Today everyone was gone other than Amy Olson. What was that like to just kind of know that there were only two people left here at the course?

ALLY EWING: Yeah, I definitely had more. Caddie is always by my side; husband is here. Amy sticking around all week, great friend, great player. Her caddie actually, Taneka, is a great friend. She's in my small group as well. I had some family friends that were here also supporting all week.

So I certainly didn't feel left out, and I know my phone has been blowing up with texts and everything and I know my husband has gotten several texts too.

I know it's a little different, but it doesn't make the win any different in my opinion.

Q. I asked your husband out on the course if a win by you kind of takes the sting away of what happened to his team at the NCAAs. Do you think that's true at all?

ALLY EWING: I think it's two completely different things. My husband works really hard at what he does. He loves what he does. I know without a doubt he's going to do a great job as the head coach at Mississippi State. He has a great group girls; one is teeing it up next week at the U.S. Women's Open.

It was unfortunate what happened at regionals, but I know the team is going to come back really gritty, excited to compete. We lost one senior, but my husband does a great job. Very different circumstances, but I think it makes our one year anniversary just smidge sweeter.

Q. He said your win will help with recruiting.

ALLY EWING: That's true. That's true.

Q. You mentioned learning from Danielle how to approach the course. Did you adjust your approach and did that help at all today?

ALLY EWING: I wouldn't say I adjusted, but I just kind of learned to see how she might have played some chips different or used the contour of the green a little bit different. The pins were a little different than where we had them playing the match against her, so might have drawn a little bit from it.

I don't know if I necessarily changed my approach tee shot-wise or anything like that.

Q. So heading to the U.S. Women's Open next week. Second major of the year. This was certainly a major-like course, major test. You feel this helps you as you go to Olympic Club next week?

ALLY EWING: Yeah, I'll definitely have to recharge the batteries a little bit more than I ever have leading into a U.S. Open. It certainly is a great feeling to carry a win into the U.S. Women's Open. Momentum is huge I think, but I know we've got a big battle next week in Olympic Club.

It's going to be a little bit cooler. Ball won't be going as far. I'm sure the rough is going to gobble those golf balls up if you miss the fairways. I'll be ready to take it on Thursday. However I prep for Monday, Wednesday we'll kind of see. I'm going to let my body speak to me for the most part and trust that my game will translate no matter how many times I see the golf course and just trust in that.

But I'll get some rest and be ready to tee it up.

THE MODERATOR: Before you hit road for Olympic, sounds like MGM has quite the hookup for you tonight. Can you tell us what you get to do tonight?

ALLY EWING: Yeah, it sounds look, we're going to leave here in a Rolls Royce, number one. We are going to head to the Bellagio and take a little ride and also they are going to be a fountain show to the song of my choice.

THE MODERATOR: And I think you're in the water for the fountain choice.

ALLY EWING: Okay, so I'm in the water. I'm kind of learning as we go. A nice dinner I think at Prime Steakhouse, and then I hear we've got a nice private jet taking us to Olympic Club.

MGM knocking it out of the park with the special treatment for the win.

THE MODERATOR: If you have an extra seat on the private jet, I'm going there, too. I just wanted to before we close, two questions. When is Charlie's birthday? You won on your birthday last year; win two on your wedding anniversary. Are there other big dates out there?

ALLY EWING: Unfortunately his birthday falls on a Monday, the Monday of marathon, and I'm taking the week off before, which would be VOA, so we'll figure out another big date that will work.

THE MODERATOR: And finally, mentioned MGM. Certainly all the great help from Bank of Hope as well. Overall what has been your takeaway from this inaugural event? It seems it's been spectacular.

ALLY EWING: From start to finish. They pick you up in a limo at the airport, get you to the MGM, get your rental car if you need it, check into the hotel.

We've had gifts outside our locker almost every day. Great food. Just I mean world class treatment. They've run the golf tournament really, really well, and I think they've set a pretty high standard for just the special treatment that we have gotten this week.

It is definitely a unique event, and I think players are going to be super excited to come back with how we've been treated.

THE MODERATOR: Well you're going to come back and I'm guessing it's going to be your face up on the screen outside the MGM. Congratulations, Ally. You had a great week.

ALLY EWING: Thank you, Christina.