MARATHON CLASSIC PRESENTED BY DANA

July 6, 2021

Jodi Ewart Shadoff

Press Conference

CHRISTINA LANCE: Jodi Ewart Shadoff, good to have you here. I know it's been a busy morning for you, but for good reason. You had some Team GB Olympics things. What was that like?

JODI EWART SHADOFF: Bit of a shock, but a huge honor. Like I can't tell you how excited I am to represent Team GB in the Olympics. It's been a goal of mine for the last five or six years to go to the Olympics and represent the Union Jack there, try and win some medals for Great Britain.

Yeah, it's quite the honor.

CHRISTINA LANCE: And it's an amazing group you're going with on the men's and women's side. I know you were on a budge of calls this morning. What's the experience been like so far?

JODI EWART SHADOFF: Amazing. I mean, you know, everybody is so excited and it's an electric feeling. As I said, just like a huge honor, and I can't wait to get the full experience of the Olympics out in Tokyo.

CHRISTINA LANCE: Coming here this week it was almost a year ago right now that we were here and life was so different. But we're back here. There is build. It's almost back to normal. Does it feel like it's kind of back to normal?

JODI EWART SHADOFF: Yeah, we've been living under the protocols and restrictions for the last year as it was, so just seeing fans out, it's so nice to have the fans back and have their support.

Yeah, hopefully be different here this year just to have them back.

CHRISTINA LANCE: Last year you had a good experience here; ended up tied for second. How do you like it here at Highland Meadows?

JODI EWART SHADOFF: Yeah, I've had a couple really good finishes here. I think my game suits this course. You have to be pretty accurate with your long game. Yeah, I had a couple really good rounds last year, so some good memories heading into this year.

CHRISTINA LANCE: Questions.

Q. Kind of doing something on the puzzle, how the field has come together. When you are plotting out your schedule, what are the factors that go into deciding what tournaments you're going to play and what led you to come here? What brought you to the Marathon this week?

JODI EWART SHADOFF: Knowing how well I play here specifically. You know, having some really good finishes here, it's just kind of a no-brainer to come back. I just love this week in general.

You know, as far as the rest of my schedule goes, it's really just timing based, how many tournaments I can handle in a row.

Yeah.

Q. Just curious, bigger picture, there have been some high profile pace of play penalties on the tour this year. Do you welcome that when you see that being enforced?

JODI EWART SHADOFF: Obviously slow play is a little bit of an issue sometimes, but to have it enforced by the tour, obviously the rules are there for a reason.

But it's not really something I've ever had to worry about as a very fast player. Yeah.

Q. Can you just go through the emotional, what you felt when you found out you were going to be going to the Olympics and just what that means to you and was that a goal, has it been a goal?

JODI EWART SHADOFF: Yeah, it's been a goal of mine for as I said, the last five or so years. As an athlete growing up watching the Olympics it's always something I want to be a part of and as a golfer never been able to, so having this opportunity is huge.

It's a great honor to represent your country in any tournament, but to go to the Olympics, it's just a very proud moment for me. Getting that call, it was kind of a surreal moment. I don't think I'll ever forget that call and being asked to represent Team GB at the Olympics. So, yeah.

Q. Where were you and what were you when you got the call?

JODI EWART SHADOFF: I was just at home. Yeah, I had heard the day before that Charley had withdrawn her name, and then probably about five minutes before I got the call Georgia had withdrawn her name.

So I just kind of in a little bit of limbo not knowing what was going to happen. Then I got the call and it was just like I bit of a no-brainer for me just being an athlete in general. I kind of never -- I don't know when I'll ever get this opportunity again. So, yeah.

Q. Who is going to go with you?

JODI EWART SHADOFF: Just me and my caddie, Juan Carlos and obviously Mel and her caddie. So, yeah.

Q. And if I could ask one more. Can you go through just your back this year and your health and when you started feeling 100% again.

JODI EWART SHADOFF: Yeah, obviously the start of the year was not ideal. My back injury has been a bit of a struggle for a while, but I'm feeling 100% again and have been for the last few months. So that's not really a factor that's playing any part of anything right now.

So, yeah, I'm just happy to be out on the course and playing some golf.

Q. Did you have a procedure done earlier this year or just rest?

JODI EWART SHADOFF: No, it was just rest this time. Yeah.

CHRISTINA LANCE: One last question from me. One team down, Olympics. What's Solheim Cup on your mind getting ready for the comeback here, hopefully to Inverness and represent Europe later this summer?

JODI EWART SHADOFF: Yeah, obviously Solheim is in the back of my mind, on top of my goals for each year.

You know, to have the opportunity to play for Beanie and Europe again would be a massive honor, so still something that I'm striving for and trying to play towards. If it happens, it happens, so...

CHRISTINA LANCE: Tell everyone here in Toledo who has seen the Marathon Classic, but why they should come back and support the Solheim Cup?

JODI EWART SHADOFF: Oh, Solheim Cup is like no other tournament. It's electric. For a player it's like the best experience I've ever had. The three that I've played in they've all been extremely memorable. But the fans make it as memorable as it is, so I would highly suggest for any golf fan or nongolf fan to come watch, because it's an unreal experience.

Q. I want to go back to Olympics for a second. What do you remember watching the most as a kid and do you have any memories that stand out?

JODI EWART SHADOFF: So I just -- there are so many. Just being able to watch some sports that you don't really know anything about and just cheering for Team GB. But getting to watch some athletic idols growing up, you know, sprinters and swimmers, I'm blessed to be from a country that's -- Team GB has always performed well at the Olympics.

We have some amazing athletes and always have done, so I think it's such a huge honor to represent Great Britain at the Olympics.

Q. And what does it mean do you think for Justin Rose to win, as a fellow athlete, what did you see in terms of the response?

JODI EWART SHADOFF: Yeah, Justin winning gold was massive for Great Britain and British golf in general. What it did for him and his career, it was massive. I think it allows us to dream a little bit and imagine ourselves on the podium and know it's possible because of how well Justin did last time.

Yeah.

Q. Thank you.

CHRISTINA LANCE: Thanks so much, Jodi.

JODI EWART SHADOFF: Thank you.