LOTTE CHAMPIONSHIP PRESENTED BY HOAKALEI

April 11, 2022

Charlotte Thomas

Hoakalei Country Club

Press Conference

Q. First off, welcome back.

CHARLOTTE THOMAS: Thanks.

Q. I know you've been back for a few weeks now, but tell us how the last year has been. You feeling better?

CHARLOTTE THOMAS: Yes, a lot better. It was rough.

Q. I know you had injury.

CHARLOTTE THOMAS: Well, I was sick.

Q. Okay.

CHARLOTTE THOMAS: Yeah, I had -- it's kind of a complicated long story, but I had chronic eczema basically and I was on treatments that were making worse, not better.

Q. Okay.

CHARLOTTE THOMAS: It just was like a lot of trial and error figuring it out. Yeah, it took a long time, but we found one now.

Q. Okay. Are you comfortable talking about this?

CHARLOTTE THOMAS: Yeah, pretty comfortable.

Q. Okay, I don't want to -- honestly someone had told me you had an injury. I know you were being quiet. You're feeling better now?

CHARLOTTE THOMAS: Yeah, I am.

Q. Making progress?

CHARLOTTE THOMAS: I am, yeah. It's hard because I didn't work out or play for like eight months of last year pretty much, so I feel like I'm still being any strength back up and getting my golf fitness back.

But like health-wise, especially the last couple weeks have been a good test I think with just being back on tour and how busy it is and stressful.

So it's like held up well and like I still feel good, so that's good. I'm just like building back up.

Q. Were you back with your family trying to figure all this out?

CHARLOTTE THOMAS: I was. Yeah, I was super lucky. I actually had a flight back to America and I postponed it for another reason, and then literally that week I started feeling really not great and just kept postponing it.

Yeah, ended up being with my mom and dad for the whole year. I was lucky to have them.

Q. Was this in Australia?

CHARLOTTE THOMAS: In Australia, yeah, in Melbourne, yeah.

Q. At least you had that time with them.

CHARLOTTE THOMAS: Yeah, I mean, silver lining, right? You don't get to, as a professional golfer, spend a year not packing a suitcase or getting on an airplane.

So it was good in some ways to sit still and like just get my health back.

Q. So you had time with the actual family and now you're back with the golf family.

CHARLOTTE THOMAS: I know.

Q. You seem really happy.

CHARLOTTE THOMAS: Yes, I missed everyone so much. Like I mean, where we live in Melbourne I don't have that many good friends out there, so just to be back out here with my people is like so good.

There were so many girls that FaceTimed me and got me through last year really well, but it's good to see them in person, too. Yeah.

Q. How is the game working out?

CHARLOTTE THOMAS: Not bad. You know, like Kia I missed the cut by a couple but I felt really good. Like I was pretty nervous going into that event. Just didn't know how my game was going to hold up after so long away.

Had some events in Australia in January and February to get back into it, which was really nice. The first event in Australia that I had I was genuinely like shaking like a leaf for the first three holes. Like I could not function. It was crazy. I've never had nerves like that.

So I was like thought that might happen again at Kia, but luckily I was a lot more calm. I actually played really solid that week. Yeah, just golf happens. I didn't make the cut, but then I played Chevron and I made the cut there and played really solid the first two days.

And on Sunday, just had bad round on Saturday, so it's more just like getting back to stringing four rounds together and like the whole week is -- yeah, I forgot how mentally draining it is.

Q. The part you can't practice.

CHARLOTTE THOMAS: Yeah, exactly. So it's just getting reps back and getting used to it all again and all the travel arrangements and stuff that you that just kind of forget that wears on you a little bit.

So getting used to all that again. Overall pretty happy with how it all feels.

Q. And you say -- I had meant to ask, I saw the trip and you Gemma took to the Masters.

CHARLOTTE THOMAS: Yes.

Q. Was that your first time there?

CHARLOTTE THOMAS: It was. Because it's always such bad timing, right, you come to Hawaii the next week. After what happened last year, I'm like, Hey, I'm just going to do all the fun things this year that I can and like really enjoy everything that comes with having an LPGA Tour card.

That's one of the amazing benefits, like being able to go and watch, so it was my first time there and I nearly cried when we walked in. It was sort of what you see on TV your whole life and it's just crazy to be there in person.

Got to watch Tiger play a few holes. We did it great because we did the practice round on Wednesday and the tournament on Thursday. So on Wednesday we literally just walked the whole course and just got our bearings and just sort of in person, and then on Thursday we were able to sort of enjoy the golf.

So it was incredible. Like so much fun, yeah. I think we're going to make it an annual trip. Hopefully rein some more girls in as time goes on, convince some more people. The trip on Saturday was not fun back here, but anything except the Masters, it wouldn't have been worth it.

Q. I was the exact same schedule. I was there on Wednesday and flew here on Saturday. I'm like, Why do I do this? But it's worth it.

CHARLOTTE THOMAS: It's crazy. Yeah, it was brutal. I guess at least flying west at least like you get tired in the afternoons, yeah, bit like I woke up super early the last two days and just go practice. Yeah, it's fine.

Q. What did you eat while you were at the Masters.

CHARLOTTE THOMAS: We tried everything. We tried the pimento cheese, we tried the egg salad, we tried all of it. I mean, we weren't convinced, to be honest, but it's so cheap that it's like, okay, I can do this.

Q. Why not?

CHARLOTTE THOMAS: I dropped my breakfast sandwich on the first day, and I was like, Eh, it's okay. It was a $1.50. I'll go get another one.

Q. Yep. Bring home stacks of cups and merch.

CHARLOTTE THOMAS: Yeah, exactly. (Wind interference.)

Q. So now back here in paradise.

CHARLOTTE THOMAS: Yeah.

Q. A fun week for you?

CHARLOTTE THOMAS: Yeah, amazing. From Augusta to Hawaii, it's not a bad life.

Q. You just gave me my lead right there.

CHARLOTTE THOMAS: Yeah it's pretty cool. So, yeah, I'm staying in Ko Olina where it used to be held, so went for a swim this morning and getting acai bowls every day. It's just dreamy. Love it here, yeah.