DIO IMPLANT LA OPEN

April 21, 2022

Alison Lee

Wilshire Country Club

Quick Quotes

Q. Here with Alison Lee. Really solid way to start your week here, 5-under today. Windy conditions, blustery conditions; chilly out there, too. What did you find that worked so well for you?

ALISON LEE: Honestly, I feel like I was just hitting the ball really well. Everything was just falling into place. I feel like my game has been in the right place the last few months.

Allege disappointed with Hawaii last week. I started the week really well and playing in the wind it just got pretty difficult and just kind of messed my swing and my head.

I just tried to remind myself this week it was just the same thing and I needed to stay patient.

So, yeah, I mean, like I said, I hit everything really well. My irons were good. Sometimes when it's windy like this you do need to get a little bit lucky with some of the gusts, so I feel like, yeah, everything just was able to fall into place today.

Q. You have quite the history with Wilshire. Obviously practicing here when you were in college, and as you told Karen, kind of playing here throughout the ups and downs of your career. How comfortable do you feel out here?

ALISON LEE: I feel really comfortable, and I would say it's not so much the course but just being in LA, seeing a bunch of familiar faces out there. Sometimes when you play week to week it does get pretty lonely out there.

When you come to an event and you see people that you recognize and you know and they're there to support you and bring up and lift you up. So it's just it's nice.

Good to see my parents too because they were able to come out this week. Overall just feels great. Hopefully I can just keep the ball rolling.

Q. From an insider's perspective, you hear Wilshire, it's a little bit shorter, really kind of tinier greens. What's the key for you, a player that's been here a lot out here?

ALISON LEE: I mean, honestly, I wouldn't say there is any sort of secret weapon or secret that you need to know to play this course. I would say it's a little bit of everything.

You are challenged with your tee shots, with your approach shots, even around the greens. As it gets in the afternoon it does tend to get a little more bumpy. You just need to stay patient out there.

Overall if you're just playing solid, I wouldn't say there is any part of the game in particular where you just need to dial in on.

I mean, but I would say just giving yourself as many chances as you can and trying to take advantage of those.

Q. And as a player who has kind of fought to get back out here on tour, back to where you feel like you should be.

ALISON LEE: Uh-huh.

Q. A round like this today in these conditions, how much does that validate what you've been working on, what you've been working towards?

ALISON LEE: It feels great. I mean, there was a point in time where I almost wanted to quit. Golf was just so frustrating for me.

I felt lost. I didn't know what I was doing right. I didn't know what I was doing wrong.

I just felt like golf just to me felt like a big blah. To really see my hard work pay off -- because most of it for me was just from a mental perspective, mental side of it.

I just didn't have confidence out there. Just didn't trust myself to hit the shots I needed to hit and I think just with time and persistence I was able to thankfully get back and be able to be in contention for the week.

I would say I'm the lucky ones. I mean, there is a bunch of women out there and men as well who play this sport and any sport in general who just kind of go through a mental slump, if you will.

Yeah, I mean, sometimes some people can get through it; some people can't. I'm just really grateful I was able to come out of it, and hopefully it makes me a better golfer and a stronger golfer.

Q. Tremendous round of golf today. Obviously looking through where you grew up and where you went to school and having played this golf course many times, how much of an advantage does that give you knowing how tough it played today this afternoon?

ALISON LEE: I mean, more than the golf course I would just say being in LA again and being able to see my friends and family has just been awesome and I just feel so comfortable and at home.

Earlier in the week I stayed with my parents the first few days. They do live a little bit further, but it's just been nice being home and seeing everybody. I mean, being here definitely reminds me of college days back in 2013, '14 when we would come here and practice in the morning and all that stuff.

So it's just a lot of good memories.

Q. It's been a tough few years, about four years where it's a little bit in the wilderness for you. You've really come to the forefront last year and this year now. Can you tell us about your journey back to the form we saw in 2016?

ALISON LEE? You know, it's been tough having to go back to Q-School a couple times, losing my card. Even at the beginning of last year not having full status, so actually had to Monday in this event last year.

Coming full circle now and being here and being in contention for the event, honestly it feels great. I didn't think I would ever be able to make it back here, so just really grateful for everyone that supports me and I feel like that's really pushed me to practice hard, work hard, and try and get back.