SOLHEIM CUP

September 3, 2021

Brittany Altomare

Mina Harigae

Yealimi Noh

Lexi Thompson

Inverness Club

Press Conference

THE MODERATOR: We're here with our final group from Team USA, Brittany Altomare, Mina Harigae, Yealimi Noh, and Lexi Thompson.

Brittany, it's got to be kind of weird to see your giant face on the back of the tent there, but it also looks really cool. What has the week been like so far for you guys?

BRITTANY ALTOMARE: Yeah, it's been incredible being on home soil, representing your country. The fans are already out here in incredible numbers, and it's just been so exciting so far.

THE MODERATOR: Mina, I'll move down to you. You kind of got the ultimate Drive On story here this week, probably took a little longer for you to get here to the Solheim Cup than you might have hoped or expected, but you're here and that's what matters. Tell us about the last two years that's all culminated in you being here with us this week.

MINA HARIGAE: Yeah, the last two years, it's been an amazing journey from losing my card to getting picked for the Solheim Cup. It was not even on my radar when I went through Q-Series, but this last year it was definitely on my mind, and I'm so excited to be here representing USA and playing with my fellow teammates. It's a wonderful place to be, and I'm so happy to be here.

THE MODERATOR: You're so young, rookie on the team, but I know you're ready for this moment. When you joined the Tour last year as a rookie, it would have been your second year if it weren't for COVID, but did you see this as part of your entry to the LPGA Tour?

YEALIMI NOH: Being on the Solheim Cup was a big goal of mine, and just being here is really exciting. When I played the Junior Solheim Cup it was the best experience of my life, so I'm really excited for a new memory.

THE MODERATOR: Lexi, you and Lizette are the team veterans. This is your fifth team. What kind of leadership are you bringing to this team, and what advice have you had for your teammates, Yealimi who is new, or everyone else from your experience this year?

LEXI THOMPSON: Yeah, of course. First off, it's just great to be here at another Solheim Cup. There's nothing like representing your country. It's the highest honor that you can possibly have, and just to be here and to embrace all the fans on USA soil, there's nothing like it. You just have to fully embrace it.

Leadership-wise, coming into the week, if they have any questions I'm there for them, but I just want them to embrace the experience and have as much fun as possible. If they have questions, I'm here to answer them, but I just want to make them feel comfortable and have a good time and really feed off each other.

It's all about making memories here and showing the world our game, and that's what we're here for.

THE MODERATOR: Brittany, two years ago, your first time at the Solheim Cup, what was that experience like and how are you bringing that experience of what you've learned here to Inverness this week?

BRITTANY ALTOMARE: Yeah, playing in Scotland was -- in that first experience was one of the best feelings of my life. I mean, just being on the first team, embracing it and playing with Lexi that first time, it was so much fun.

Here the practice rounds, the first tee is rocking already, and I just can't wait to get started tomorrow and just kind of learn from what we did in Scotland and take it to this week.

Q. I was actually at the Junior Solheim Cup yesterday; I thought that was a cool event, and Lexi, Mina, Yealimi, I know the three of you have actually played in that years ago. What do you remember about that? What was important to you, and why is that so important to the junior game?

LEXI THOMPSON: Well, we've all played in Junior Solheim Cups. I played in a Curtis Cup, a Ryder Cup, Junior Ryder Cup. It's all experience. We take it as learning experiences. Representing your country as a junior, I mean, it's a really big deal. We've practiced our butts off to get to that point, and it's all about having that learning experience and taking that, learning from it, bringing it into the highest stage possible, which is at the Solheim Cup.

And I think we're all just really embracing the experience and enjoying every bit of it, but at the same time we took that experience, learned from it, and we made it here, so it's just a huge honor to be here.

Q. You're not only a rookie on the Solheim Cup but sort of a rookie on the LPGA Tour. What do you think the difference was just having this extra year? Do you think that had any sort of impact in you being able to make this team?

YEALIMI NOH: Yeah, I think we were really lucky as rookies to get that extra half season last year and just kind of get an experience of what it's like on Tour, and then get another chance at it to get better and learn from what we did last year and improve for this new full season.

I think it was a really good experience in a way.

Q. What about this first Solheim Cup are you most anxious or nervous about, and what are you most looking forward to?

YEALIMI NOH: Yeah, everyone talks about the first tee and it gets really loud, especially being on home soil. I'm excited for that.

And then just the golf, like looking forward to Inverness is in amazing shape right now, so it'll be fun to play.

Q. Lexi, what sort of advice have you shared with the rookies or about your rookie experience?

LEXI THOMPSON: Like I said earlier, I'm here to answer any questions that they have. I think mainly the one piece of advice was the first tee experience of just how loud it can get and how amazing the fans are.

You know, everybody deals with that differently, so it's not really advice from me, but it's -- for me I just say get as comfortable as you possibly can with the first tee shot, hit it as many times as you can.

Besides that, we all have the experience. We all have the game. We're here today, so we have nothing to prove. We're going to go out there and just show our true games.

Q. Just curious, the other pods have names. I'm wondering if you have a name and what Michelle Wie West has been like as your pod mom.

MINA HARIGAE: We have come to the consensus we are pod Biggie Smalls, big hitters, not-so-big hitters, tall, short, and you can definitely see it on -- what tee was that, 17 tee?

YEALIMI NOH: 8.

MINA HARIGAE: You could see it on 17 tee, these two take a completely different line than us. I think our name, Biggie Smalls, is very appropriate.

Q. What's it been like having Michelle as your pod mom?

MINA HARIGAE: Exactly, so she's part of the big group.

LEXI THOMPSON: She's part of the big side. But she's been great. She's had a lot of advice for us and always cheering us on and answering any questions that we have, and it's great to have somebody by our side that's been through everything possible and a lot of Solheim Cups, as well. She's just an amazing person to have by our side.

Q. Anything that Michelle has said, Yealimi, that stuck out to you as a rookie?

YEALIMI NOH: I guess for a Solheim -- no, I think just having her around has been really great, and everyone talks about the first tee again, just getting through that.

But I'm excited for it, and having Michelle around us, she brings such a great energy, and she's just so much fun to be around. It's been really cool to get to know her better and have her as our pod mom.

Q. Lexi, you have a familiar face on the bag; how often has he caddied for you over the years, and how exciting is it to have him inside the ropes at this event?

LEXI THOMPSON: Yeah, Nick has caddied for me about three times. He caddied for me at Boca Rio, I guess, last year, and he's caddied for me once when I was about eight years old, eight, nine years old. That one I don't really remember.

He says I fired him after I air mailed a green. He's great to have out there. It's such a special memory for me to be here at the Solheim Cup. It's my favorite event of my career, so to have somebody by my side like my brother, you know, family is everything to me, so to have him by my side to be able to share this experience with me, there's nothing like it. I'm enjoying every bit of it.

Q. Lexi, the U.S. Team are strong favorites to win here this weekend. Do you think that's fair?

LEXI THOMPSON: You know, coming into the week, since we're on U.S. soil, yeah, we'll have a lot more of our fans out here, yeah, cheering us on.

But it's match play; anybody can win. I think we're just going to bring our best games out there. There's not really a fan favorite, we're just going to go out there and do our best and see what happens, but we're going to play great golf.

Q. Is there any balance to be struck between feeding off all the support you'll have here and feeling pressure because they are expected for the U.S. Team?

LEXI THOMPSON: I wouldn't say it's any pressure, but I think it's more of something that we enjoy. We love coming out and playing in front of the fans. I think that's what makes golf so great and especially this event in general. It's the biggest crowds we get, and it's all about just enjoying the experience and realizing we've made it to the highest level of representing our country.

I mean, I can't speak for everybody on the team, but I absolutely love the more fans the better, I think. It gives us a reason to play.

Q. Lexi, when it comes to finding the right partner, is it based more on how the games mesh or personalities? And is there a certain type of player that benefits you most as a partner when it comes to four-balls and foursomes?

LEXI THOMPSON: It's definitely difficult to pair up. I think that's why we had so many practice rounds, being able to pair up with certain players. I think it's a little bit of both, personalities and games, getting a feel for each other's games.

We all know each other pretty well, so it's all a matter of how our games match up once we're out there, especially in alternate-shot. I think that's biggest thing, getting a feel for if two similar distances off the tee match up better.

But it's something that we're figuring out in the last few days and we will figure out by tonight, and we'll go out there stronger than ever.

Q. Is there anything that kind of benefits you most in finding a partner, whether it's personality or somebody who has a similar game to yours?

LEXI THOMPSON: Honestly I always say I'll play with anybody that doesn't give up. I want to go out there and enjoy every bit of the experience and just fight until the end. Even if I'm struggling or they're struggling, I'm there to pick them up, they're there to pick me up, and that's all team events are about.

And I think that's the most important thing, is just to never give up and keep on fighting.

THE MODERATOR: Brittany, you were nodding along with that. Seems like you agree with that thought.

BRITTANY ALTOMARE: A hundred percent. I really just want to play with somebody that -- look at last year, Nelly and I were 4-down and we came back to tie, and we never gave up.

I think that's such a great attitude to have in these type of events because it's match play, and you honestly never know what's going to happen. It's never over until the last putt drops. I think that's super important in these events, and you've just got to keep fighting, like Lexi said.

Q. Lexi or any of the ladies, you play a certain ball all year long, and in foursomes or alternate-shot you might have to wind up picking a ball that you don't normally play. I'm curious how you go about making that decision and what goes into it and how difficult is it to figure out which ball you want to play?

BRITTANY ALTOMARE: For me, Lexi is not going to play my ball if we play together. I think it just depends on like how far you swing it. I think it impacts what you play more. I think you've just got to get comfortable playing whatever ball it is.

I'm not picky, and I know a lot of other girls up here aren't picky. Just got to get comfortable with it, I think. Just do what's best for the team in general.

Q. For anybody but Lexi, the three of you, can you give us in some way an anecdote of how Lexi's leadership comes through, either something she does or says?

MINA HARIGAE: I think Lexi is a great role model, just by the way she walks, just by the way she talks. I'm observing her here too at a press conference seeing how she carries herself on the course, off the course.

I think what really helps, as well, like for -- at least for me as a rookie, even she said herself, everyone gets nervous at a Solheim Cup. It's a huge deal for us, so it was really reassuring to hear that it's normal to be nervous in these situations.

To hear that from her, it really comforted me. She keeps it really lighthearted out there in her practice rounds, which really was a lot of fun, a lot of fun to be around, and really good to see.

YEALIMI NOH: I think what you said before, like quietly leading us. I think she's such a -- she does it in like a very quiet way, but at the same time really powerful. She is very fun to be around, and getting to know her more this week, I really enjoy our little pod and our practice rounds have been really fun. Just very lighthearted and just good vibes, positive vibes.

Q. We're here in Toledo a lot; we've played here this year and last year with the Drive on event; we played at Highland Meadows. How do you compare the two courses, and how do you think it is coming back to Toledo, a place that we know so well and that loves the LPGA so well? It's good to be here.

LEXI THOMPSON: Yeah, it's great to be back in Toledo. We play the Marathon Classic there at Highland Meadows on two very different golf courses. I would say this one is definitely a bit more challenging. Highland Meadows is a lot more birdies, a lot more pin seeking I would say, but both great golf courses, usually in great shape for us.

I think we have some of the most amazing fans here. I think we get big crowds at the Marathon Classic and obviously here. This has been incredible, even the practice rounds, two, three deep alongside the fairways. It's just amazing to see how much they love golf here, and to have our events here, to see and feel the support, there's nothing like it.

I think we all look forward to always coming back here.

MINA HARIGAE: I just want to add one more thing. I'm just super glad that this is my first Solheim on U.S. soil and in Toledo, Ohio. Like she said, we have the greatest fans here. You can see it at the Marathon Classic, tons and tons of people. It's probably one of our biggest crowds of the year.

So just to come back here for my first Solheim Cup, I'm just super excited to be here.

THE MODERATOR: We're super excited to have all of you. Thank you, ladies, so much. Enjoy your week.