U.S SENIOR WOMEN'S OPEN CHAMPIONSHIP

August 28, 2022

Jill McGill

NCR Country Club

Press Conference

Q. We are here with the champion of the fourth U.S. Senior Women's Open. What is it about USGA events?

JILL McGILL: I don't know, but that sounds amazing. I love the USGA. I've loved it ever since I got spanked in my very first Junior Girls by Brandie Burton. That was a welcome to competitive golf.

I don't know. I don't know. I knew at the turn I was a couple back, and from that point on, I really had no idea. I knew that I was close when I made a couple of birdies. I was disappointed with that bogey on 17. I tried not to focus on it.

All I could do was what I could do, and whatever everybody else was doing was what they were doing.

But the USGA is such an amazing organization, and I've just -- everybody that comes here is passionate about golf, and so when you step on the grounds with the USGA, there's such a great feeling. Everybody is excited. They embrace you. They treat us like queens. It's great.

Q. On the putt on 18, did you know that that was it, and what did Annika say to you?

JILL McGILL: I was going to tap in and she goes, no, no, no, mark. I'm like, why? I'm this far. She goes, you're going to win. I was like, what? I really had no idea.

Just disappointed that I didn't get that first putt closer. It's so hard to wrap it up that hill, because we all know you don't want to be above it. So she told me that, and like I'm grateful to her. I know she didn't have her best day and she and Mike were super supportive. It was a good day out there.

Q. What were your nerves like out there throughout the day, and how did you keep yourself in the moment?

JILL McGILL: You know, I surprised myself at how I was able to breathe through it and use some thoughts of just relaxing and telling myself, the only thing I can do right now is relax and do the best I can.

Bella has been reminding me of that all week. She says, Mom, the best thing you can do is just do the best you can on every shot and take what you get. She was super helpful.

I wasn't exaggerating about the tennis. We have our team, we're like amateur competitive. We think we're playing Wimbledon. The guy that I work with that coaches our team, his name is Jason Warren, and I was working on my serves, and he's like, you've already done the hard work, so when you go like this you've just got to relax and let it flow and really loose arms and really loose shoulders, and I really drew from that today about just being loose and being relaxed.

And Pat O'Brien and I talked a ton about that before I came out here. I mean, I just can't believe it.

Q. When is the last time you won a tournament?

JILL McGILL: The Pub Links. It's been a long time. It's been a really, really long time. I'd always been a little bit disappointed that I couldn't figure out how to get it done. I was a different person out there this week, truly, in terms of just acceptance of hey, you're making the best decision you can. You're trying to execute the best you can. That's all you can do. I can't control anything else that anybody else is doing in the field.

Q. How did you start playing golf?

JILL McGILL: How did I start playing golf? I've told this story many times. My parents said, you're not allowed to come home, so you can either go practice golf or come home and pull weeds or work around the house, and that was pretty much it.

I did swim team in the morning, tennis in the midday, and then went to golf. Truly that is what it was.

In Colorado I played maybe three months a year.

Q. Your sister, you talked about her out there. Just if you can repeat for us your feelings about your sister being with you this week and all that.

JILL McGILL: Shelley has always been an amazing supportive force for me in my career. I just love her. She was such a calming force out there. She just keeps going, reminding me of things.

We had an inside joke going the whole week that really made us giggle out there, and that was helpful, knowing what she went through, and she's still battling a little bit. I don't know what it's like. I've never had chemo, so I don't know what the aftereffects of that are.

She was early stages, but anytime you have a scare like that, it certainly puts things into perspective and prioritizes things.

Q. As you're coming into the scorers and a lot of the competitors, people you played with a long time ago and they're hugging you and being really happy for you, how did you feel in that moment and the way they were treating you?

JILL McGILL: I mean, super grateful. Super grateful. It's always great to see your competitors being happy for you.

I think it's easier as you age because you realize life happens, and those priorities and the importance of things.

I mean, it's tremendous when people come up and give you a very heartfelt congratulations.

Q. You're only the sixth person to win three different USGA championships, and I think the other five basically go by one name: Jack, Arnie, Tiger, Carol, and JoAnne.

JILL McGILL: Well hey!

Q. What's going through your mind when you hear those names?

JILL McGILL: I mean, to be in that company is tremendous. I mean, one professional win, but I'll take it. That's amazing.

Q. You have 24 career top 10s on the LPGA Tour, a couple of runner-up finishes. Was there anything you took away from your playing days --

JILL McGILL: Yes, that I didn't want to play like that anymore. I mean, that's the truth. I mean, I recall being sick to my stomach out there and being so tense and just trying to focus, focus, focus, and I just wanted to be in the flow, and I just wanted to accept what was going to happen out there.

Sometimes it took me a little bit to get the picture in my head, but once I had it, I just went.

Q. Does this one taste sweeter considering you've come close so many times?

JILL McGILL: I think this is sweeter because I'm able to share it with my kids. My friends back home, they're like, wait, you're going to have them come out? No, don't let them disrupt whatever is going on, you're playing great.

I said, the most important thing to me is that I get to have them be out here with me and see me do something like this, and hopefully it inspires them, regardless of what the outcome is.

Q. Pebble Beach Women's Open, will we see you there?

JILL McGILL: Yes.