LPGA QUALIFYING TOURNAMENT STAGE II

October 24, 2021

Kennedy Swann

Plantation Golf and Country Club

Quick Quotes

Q. So, really solid round today. You're kind of on the bubble heading into the final day.

KENNEDY SWANN: Uh-huh.

Q. You've shown up and did what you needed to do. How are you feeling?

KENNEDY SWANN: Good. You know, I was 3-under through 9 so I was kind of hoping for a little bit more out of that round.

But with just having turned pro in the last two months, you know, I still -- I don't have that competitive edge under my belt that a lot of the girls out here have. I think I just got to get a little bit more confident being 3-under three nine and really being able to capitalize on that.

Q. You've had a big year obviously with a national title, being given a Marathon berth on live national television, and turning professional. Describe your year. It's been kind of a whirlwind.

KENNEDY SWANN: Yeah, it's been really, really busy. It's been a lot of fun. I've made a lot of good memories. Winning a national championship with my team is like a great note to end my college career on, and it definitely gives me a lot of confidence going forward.

My team and I actually just got tattoos for the national championship, and my caddie, Trey Harbick(phonetic), he told me this week, If you ever feel like you don't belong. Just look at your ankle and remember that you belong.

Q. What's the tattoo say?

KENNEDY SWANN: It's a shark fin with like a '21, so the year we won. Stage I was great. Solid rounds there. Played really consistent and did what I needed to do to get here.

Q. Perfect. And it's kind of a grueling week. You had the opportunity today to play with a former teammate at Clemson. Did that put you at ease with moving day being so important?

KENNEDY SWANN: Yeah, for sure. It was definitely like I wanted to -- because I've improved a lot since I was at Clemson, so I definitely wanted to show that both in my personality and my game.

But, yeah, it was great. Great talking to her. We saw each other at Stage I and got dinner one night, but this was the most we've gotten to catch up in like two, three years. Yeah, it was great playing with her.

Q. Transferring from Clemson to Ole Miss, national championship, turning pro, all the transitions, how have you grown over the years?

KENNEDY SWANN: I would say mainly through my personality. I think my personality has developed the growth of my game. I think a lot of people grow their game and then they grow their personality.

I would say when I was 20 years old I was more like an 18, 17 year old, and then I'm almost 23 now and I feel like I'm more on the mature side of like a 25 year old.

It's been great. The transitions are hard, really hard. Especially seeing my team. I went back to Oxford for a little bit and practiced with them for a week before I came here.

It was great to see them, but it was just weird being back and not being still on that team.

Q. Is that when you got the tattoo?

KENNEDY SWANN: Yeah, it was. So yeah, like a week and a half ago. So we actually made a bet. Me and one of my teammates were like, asked her, I was like, Do you think you would ever get a tattoo, and she was like, Well, maybe if we won a national championship.

Sure enough, two months later we did. So, yeah.

Q. You know, just this dream manifesting for you in a way being here at Stage II, moving day, et cetera, you started a GoFundMe as part of turning pro and getting through that journey. How much does that truly mean to you?

KENNEDY SWANN: A lot. You know, I think I've had a lot of support from just tons of different people. I've had completely random people just donate to my GoFundMe that I have no clue who they are, and it feels so great to be supported in that way. Really shows that people have faith in me.

And instead of some people getting nervous with that much pressure on them I try to use it more as like a motivator that people have that much belief in me and think that I can really do it.

I've been working a lot on positive self-talk, and I think through the GoFundMe and all that, my positive self-talk has kind of gotten better.

Q. Excellent. Thank you. I have to know, did Kory also get the tattoo?

KENNEDY SWANN: No. We tried. Zack didn't get it either. Yeah, we tried. She actually told a couple of our teammates not to get it. They got it anyway.

Q. What has this process this week been like for you? Coming in, wasn't like a super hot start. Probably not as hot as you would've wanted. Now that you're in the position that you're in, kind of the bubble is a little bit in the rear view, are you feeling a lot more confident heading into Sunday?

KENNEDY SWANN: Yeah, I told my boyfriend actually what I wanted to do today was get to a point where I can shoot even. I haven't had a chance to look at the leaderboard, but not have to go out and shoot a 69 or 68 in order to make it. I've got a little less pressure on myself on the fourth day to just go do what I've been doing all week.

Stage I I really told myself just stay patient, because it's really easy to get out here and feel like you have to press. You know, you're 1- or 2-over. I was 2-over through 6 yesterday, and I'm -- instead of getting anxious and being like, man, I really need to make some birdies to get it back, it's like, I'm good enough to make two, three birdies in the next 12 holes.

Staying patient, calm. My caddie has done a great job helping me with that and really just enjoying the fact that I'm here.

Q. Baby Kennedy obviously had this dream all those years ago. What would you tell her knowing that there is a berth in Q Series on the line, an LPGA Tour card on the line tomorrow.

KENNEDY SWANN: Yeah, stay in your process. Again, I've done a really good job of that all week and not getting ahead of myself, not getting anxious, taking deep breaths, staying in my tempo. Just tell her, You're good enough to do it. Like I said, I've come a long way since junior year of college, and junior year of college me was not anywhere close to where I am at today.

So just really believing in myself that I'm good enough to accomplish it.

Q. And last question from me: Have you heard from any off your teammates this week? Are they cheering you on? I assume you and Julia are pretty close for obvious reasons. Have you heard from any of them?

KENNEDY SWANN: Yeah, it's funny actually. Ellen Hume FaceTimed me literally the instant my score got finalized after the first day. Walking off 18 green, like my phone was buzzing in my back pocket. I'm like, Hey, got to call you back in like 25 minutes.

All of them have been keeping up with me. It's really great to feel supported. They're at the East Lake Cup this week, so I got to watch them only the Stephens Cup last week.

So it's fun. We kind of go back and forth being able to support each other.

Q. What happened on 15, 16, 17 to give that you momentum?

KENNEDY SWANN: Let's see, oh, gosh, I'm trying to remember. 15, so I really have not made very many putts this week. All my birdies have been pretty short, except for that one.

But 15 I made like a 20-footer probably, and that just gave me a little bit more confidence.

And then I went for 16 in two and came up just on the front of the green and chipped up to like a tap-in.

Then hit a wedge on 17 to like four, five feet. So just some close, quality shots that it's like kind of hard to miss a one-footer.