KPMG WOMEN'S PGA CHAMPIONSHIP

June 23, 2021

Ally Ewing

Atlanta Athletic Club

Press Conference

THE MODERATOR: We're here with Ally Ewing who won our Bank of Hope LPGA match play a few weeks ago. You said you've got family on the way here. When was the last time we played this kind of close to home for you?

ALLY EWING: Well, I think it was over in Lake Reynolds where I got my first win. That was obviously good memories from that, but it's going to be great to have family out this week for sure.

THE MODERATOR: You've had several days now to take a look at this golf course, kind of get the lay of the land. What are your thoughts on this place, hosting really only its second women's major championship?

ALLY EWING: Yeah, it's obviously a prestigious course here in Atlanta. You walk in the clubhouse and you see Curtis Cup memorabilia, you see the PGA was here when Keegan Bradley won. They've hosted several really good events.

Obviously we're in good company with Atlanta Athletic Club hosting us this week, and it's going to be a good test of golf.

Obviously the course is in good shape, so I'm really excited to tee it up tomorrow.

THE MODERATOR: What are some of the challenges that this course presents out there that make it a major test?

ALLY EWING: I think there's a fair amount of fairway bunkers, which can kind of get you into a bind. I think it's playing a pretty -- it's playing pretty long. I don't know what the setup is going to be like starting tomorrow, but obviously with the kind of wet conditions, ball is not really carrying that -- or rolling out. It's playing a little long.

And then I would say the greens are pretty difficult just as far as how much slope there is, and you just have to be kind of precise with your iron shots. I think it's a golf course where you want to be below the hole as often as you can. It's going to be a strategic golf course, but it's also going to be a test to make sure you can get the ball around for sure.

THE MODERATOR: Without causing too much thinking ahead and pressure, there's more on the line this week, potentially in a place with a good finish that could jump you onto Team USA for the Olympics. Is that going through your mind at all?

ALLY EWING: I mean, it's there. It's not in the forefront. I think good golf takes care of things, and the main thing for me is it's an opportunity to tee it up in another major. KPMG has done a great job in hosting us in years past. I think this is like maybe my fourth or fifth KPMG. They run world-class events, and I'm excited to tee it up this close to home, as you said.

Obviously there's nothing I can do about how everyone else is going to play, but all I can do is tee it up every day and every hole and try to give it all I have and just try to walk away with a good golf tournament this week.

Q. Another Olympic-related question. You guys aren't like the athletes who prepare their whole lives for the Olympics because you have all of these other carrots dangling in front of you. What would it mean to you to get a berth to Tokyo?

ALLY EWING: Yeah, I think it's super special. I think calling yourself an Olympian is -- not many people get to do that. For me, just an opportunity to wear red, white and blue, it's super special. It's an honor, and it's something that you take very seriously. It's just an experience of a lifetime.

If I were able to make that team, it's going to take good golf this week, but it would obviously be a huge honor.

I think one of the coolest things for me, aside from being an Olympian, would just be walking beside other Olympians that you -- I mean, you don't have the chance to see Allyson Felix who does track and field and just people I've watched on TV for so many years in Olympics, and golf has just now become an Olympic sport.

Yeah, it would be super special, and I definitely see myself trying to get over to some other events if it were possible.

Q. Before the U.S. Women's Open, the last major that we had, you came off over 120 holes of golf with a win. Heading into this week's major, you're coming off a T6 finish. You seem to be in a strong point in your game. How comfortable are you heading into this major championship test in your game?

ALLY EWING: Yeah, I'm more rested than I was leading up to the U.S. Open. Obviously for good reason why I was pretty tired. But yeah, I feel really confident in my game. I feel secure in just the process that I've used to get to where I am.

I feel like my game suits major championship golf. I've put together some good tournaments in majors and certainly know that if I play to my capability, I feel like I can contend out here.

It's just exciting, and I'm ready to tee it up and try to go play some really good golf on a course with my family around and have a good time.

Q. I know you said that this area has a lot of special memories. Taking it back to your first LPGA Tour win at Reynolds Lake Oconee on your birthday, as well. When you were strolling up to Atlanta Athletic Club for the first time this week, did it all some rushing back for you?

ALLY EWING: I feel like it's been kind of a reality for me I guess since I got my win. I'm like, we're going to be back in Atlanta. Obviously a lot more has to happen than just, oh, we're back in Atlanta.

Yeah, it's a cool feeling just to kind of reminisce back when we were here in Atlanta for the Drive On Championship and obviously my parents were there and my parents are going to be back and my grandparents are actually going to be here this week.

It's going to be special. My grandparents have not been able to come out because of COVID, and we're -- just fewer passes.

Obviously we had access to a few more tickets this week and they have been begging, when can we get out, when can we get out. So this is an easy drive for the family to make, and I'll be excited to have them all out watching and cheering for me.

Q. In most other countries your Olympic berth would be secured. Do you ever think about that, or is that part of the pride if you do get there representing the red, white and blue, that you will have seriously earned it; it would not have come easily?

ALLY EWING: Yeah, I think so much of -- you just spoke to it a second ago about other Olympic athletes who may train for just your trials for one week in four years. It's crazy what they're able to do to get themselves to prepare for that.

Yeah, the pride that it would be to be recognized as an Olympic athlete, yeah, it's just an incredible thought. A lot has to happen for that to be a reality, but just to kind of even be right there next to it, it's showing that the last couple years I've been able to put up some really good play and have my Rolex Rankings just be there to where I'm in the picture.

Whether I make the team or not, I'm excited and just really happy with where my game is. Yeah, I'll just savor it and play some good golf this week.

Q. We have seen a lot of first-time major winners, and even on the LPGA Tour, a lot of first-time winners in those events that I think is pretty unprecedented if you look at the history of women's golf. I'm curious, first of all, why you think that is, and second, is it a situation that you think will last, or is it a temporary thing? Curious for your thoughts on that.

ALLY EWING: Just on the matter of several first-time winners?

Q. That's right, yeah.

ALLY EWING: Yeah, I mean, I just think that golf in general, I mean, you're seeing it in college. Me as a collegiate, I played college golf, you're just seeing a lot of players that develop a lot. I consider myself a late developer, bloomer, as far as in the golf world. I wasn't highly recruited, but I managed to play great golf at Mississippi State because I was surrounded by great people, great other teammates, coach, that just really have pushed me.

I think you're just seeing a lot of players come out of -- whether it's junior golfers who are just surrounded by their competitors, you're seeing a lot of great collegiate players come out of college.

I mean, I think the golf world in general has just been heightened and everybody has been pushed a little bit harder.

By the time you get out to the LPGA Tour I think you're a little bit more prepared. We've seen so many great players that have come out of college, and they may not have won yet, but you've got several of them that are just knocking on the door.

I think that's why you're seeing a lot more first-time winners maybe as of late rather than years previous.

Q. Do you think it has become harder to be the kind of person who wins eight majors in a career? Do you think we'll see less of that as more and more talented people kind of flood the game?

ALLY EWING: Yeah, I mean, that's such a hard question because people peak at different times. We've obviously seen a pretty scattered leaderboards or winners. You've kind of seen a fair share of -- Nelly is the first repeat winner of the year, so you're seeing a lot of players that are playing really well.

I mean, you have your players that are just going to consistently -- I mean, Inbee Park is just a great example -- that are just consistently right around the lead. I don't necessarily know if I have the answer to that because you never know what can come in the years to come, but it could happen.

It's so competitive out here that it's just a stacked leaderboard every week.

Q. I know you work on your game hard, but a lot of it comes down to statistical things that we've never been able to quantify. That changed yesterday with the announcement of this new performance data index from KPMG. What are your thoughts on that and being able to put more of a finite view on what you might need to work on and what the strengths and weaknesses of your game are?

ALLY EWING: Yeah, I think just those analytics are going to be able to pinpoint parts in our game, and I think it's awesome what they're doing to help us out with that.

I feel like it's going to help us as players, but even on the other side of course setup, I think it's going to help our rules officials or the USGA, like people who are setting up golf courses for us on a weekly basis.

Obviously we have people come out and watch us play practice rounds, but it's going to provide more accurate feedback for them to realize, okay, well, this hole is playing this long and a lot of players are hitting 5-iron in and the green is really tough to hit, so maybe we should play it a little bit shorter.

I think that kind of stuff is going to be really cool in the years to come to see these analytics, not only for us as players, but for course setup.

THE MODERATOR: Thanks so much, Ally. Have a great week.