NW ARKANSAS CHAMPIONSHIP

September 21, 2022

Ally Ewing

Pinnacle Country Club

Press Conference

THE MODERATOR: Welcome inside the press room here at the Walmart NW Arkansas Championship presented by P&G.

Here about Ally Ewing, our most recent LPGA Tour winner. Got that third victory a couple weeks ago in Cincinnati. What has the last couple weeks been like?

ALLY EWING: Yeah, it was nice to get home last week and kind of recover, sleep in my bed, and kind of gear up for the final stretch of the season.

Obviously being here in Arkansas this week is really exciting, somewhere near home. A lot of SEC fans around here. Bump into more Mississippi State fans than a usual tournament.

So excited to be here, excited to feel like my game is coming out of a really good tournament with a win, so hopefully good expectations for the week and hope to see some success.

THE MODERATOR: It was an emotional win in Cincinnati. Obviously have won now three seasons consecutively, but a special someone showed up on the 18th green, your husband. What were the emotions after the win? I know we talked about it right after it happened, but what were you feeling when you had a little bit of time to process?

ALLY EWING: Yeah, I think it was just in the moment I was just overcome with emotions, one, because I felt like I, you know, persevered through a really tough year, and obviously this person that I talk to the most about it, he's gone through every piece of emotion that I've gone through through the year, and then to just kind of see him there was a big surprise and shock.

But something that I didn't really talk about in my press stuff at the end of the week was something that I had read leading up to the week. It was in a Bible study, but it was talking about how you can't plow a field looking backwards, and that was just something that really resonated with me to apply to my golf game. It's like you can't look back on what's happened in the first -- beginning of the season, middle of seen. All we can do is look ahead to plow the best field we can.

That led to a really good week.

THE MODERATOR: That's a really deep, positive thing. And let's look ahead. This week here at Arkansas, sixth start; best finish T3 here. Obviously play pretty well at this golf course. What is it you like about Pinnacle?

ALLY EWING: Yeah, I think it's just a really pure golf course. I like that it feels close to home. Really good crowds, a lot of support. Kind of you have to get ready for a lot of the woo pig sooie. It's a great atmosphere. Great to see people come support obviously the Razorbacks, but women's golf with the LPGA.

And the course is always in great shape. The fairways are really pure, which I feel like leads to the best possible situation for lies and stuff and approach shots.

So bent greens, it's just pure all the way around. So it's exciting to be back and feel somewhat close to home.

THE MODERATOR: And you said you met a lot of Mississippi State fans this week. How excited are those fans? Have they mentioned to you about your win, your good play this season, and really happy to continue to watch you play well?

ALLY EWING: Yeah, I had a gentlemen that's followed me in previous years. He came out for nine holes in the pro-am today. It was good to see a familiar face.

Usually my family gets to come to this, but had a conflicting event which they hate to miss it, but there are things that come up.

This is just a great atmosphere, a tournament that I look forward to every year. The crowd support is great. To see Bulldogs show up, even better.

THE MODERATOR: Speaking of the Bulldogs, just talking about this began, the Bulldogs are heading out of town to another tournament. What was their reaction to your win in Cincinnati? I know they were joshing you a little bit trying to encourage courage to you get that next win.

ALLY EWING: Yeah, so it was actually great. We drove down and stayed in Nashville with some friends on Sunday night. So packed my stuff up and we hopped in the car. Got to Nashville and got up early the next morning.

My husband needed to make it to workouts, which was at 1:30. I was like, it would be pretty cool if I just kind of showed up, because they wouldn't expect me to be there. So I showed up and they were great support and really excited.

Tried to get them hyped for a work out at 1:30. I did a little bit more recovery work than I did lifting weights, but it was good. Always great to have the support from them and family and just a ton of people.

The LPGA I think is one big family. Just walking around this week, the congratulatory remarks and everything, it's just great. It's great to feel like you got friends as well as competitors out here on this tour.

THE MODERATOR: Just kind of looking ahead to the rest of the season, obviously we're in a very busy stretch at the moment, but this is where people look towards CME, the Asian swing. Having the win now, what are some of your goals? You said you said you hadn't been performing the way you wanted to finally that win. Where is your ceiling now?

ALLY EWING: Yeah, I think I've always tried to keep a really good mentality, no matter what the event is, what kind of form I'm in. So for me, I don't really have an expectation per se.

You know, like if I were to play X amount of events; I want to finish top 10 and whatever. It's more of I feel like if I tee it up with a good game plan and give myself the best opportunity to succeed, then where I finish is where I finish. Whether that's 20th or a win, whatever it might be.

For me, I think the win in Cincinnati kind of gave me a little bit more I would say -- peace isn't probably the word -- but more comfortable because I was not in CME leading into Cincinnati.

So for me, I feel like I can go and just kind of try to perform at my best and then lead into hopefully a great week at CME as well.

THE MODERATOR: Obviously hitting the ball really well. Figured out stuff with your putting in Cincinnati. Having a week off, being a little bit more refreshed, what have you seen from your game this week that's maybe carried over from Cincinnati or continued that really good ball striking?

ALLY EWING: Yeah, I think it's just attacking this golf course with a good game plan. The greens can be receptive but they can also challenge you to go at pins you really don't need to even, with the receptiveness.

So playing this golf course several times I feel like Dan and I have a pretty good game plan through the years. It's just going out and executing that game plan and hoping to make some putts as well.

THE MODERATOR: How are you managing your energy? Again, a few events left. This one luckily is only 54 holes; two days of pro-am; a lot of practice. How are you managing your energy with just the home stretch?

ALLY EWING: Yeah, I think this time of year everyone is just kind of doing what they need to do to stay in form. Maybe that is two hours of practice versus four, whatever that might be for each individual person.

I feel like I can trust in my ball striking, I can trust in my form and my game. It's just kind of managing that strategy. When I show up to the golf course, I have I guess a checklist of this is what I want to accomplish. If it takes me an hour, then that's fine.

But I'm certainly not going to -- with that closing stretch coming up -- try to wear myself down more than I might already feel a little bit tired.

But I've kept with a workout plan this year, which I feel like this time of year previous years I might be a little bit more worn down than I am. So I'm happy with how I feel and how my body feels with managing physically.

So I think it's just kind of mentally withstanding the rest of the year and physically give myself in in when I need to.

THE MODERATOR: We will cap it with off with a fun question. SEC football, big game Arkansas on Saturday for this community, Arkansas and Texas A&M. Who are you picking to win that ballgame?

ALLY EWING: Oh, you know, I do have some Arkansas friends. I honestly feel like it's going to be a really good game. I don't really pick teams unless it's my Dogs.

Yeah, I just always hope for a good game. I like to see a good football game. I guess since I'm in Arkansas, cheer for the Razorbacks, but I have to say go Dogs no matter what.

THE MODERATOR: They love that, and go Dogs indeed. Play well this week.

ALLY EWING: Thank you.