THE ASCENDANT LPGA BENEFITING VOLUNTEERS OF AMERICA

September 28, 2022

Cheyenne Knight

Golf Clubs at The Tribute

Press Conference

THE MODERATOR: All right, here we are with Cheyenne Knight. Welcome to the media center and those on the Zoom.

I would like to open it up, past champion here. You first won on the LPGA Tour in your home state in 2019. Can you take us back to that moment and the memories you have here at Old American?

CHEYENNE KNIGHT: Yeah, I have a lot of great memories here. It was three years ago so it's been a while, but just every time I drive in it brings back a lot of special memories of my first win here.

Yeah, it's great. It's like really memorable walking up all the holes and remember just how I was feeling and the shots that I hit down the stretch.

So, yeah, it's always nice to come back.

Q. Yeah, you hit some incredible shots. You have the course record here. Does that give you an advantage every time you come back, you sort of know where to hit it and what the strategy is?

CHEYENNE KNIGHT: So we've played it, it's been -- gosh, I feel like this year is the most similar it's been to 2019. We played around the same time. In 2020 we played when it was really cold when Angela won, and last year around July 4th it was really hot.

I feel like I know this course really well. I've played it a lot. I've played it in a lot of different conditions. So I feel like I just feel comfortable more than anything. The fairways are firm and fast and I feel like there is more grass on the fairways this year. It's in really good shape.

So I don't have the same clubs coming in like I did and I feel like I'm a little bit longer as a player, so don't play the holes exactly how I did back in 2019. I feel like I'm more comfortable because I've played here a lot.

Q. Being a Texas native, how special was it to get your first win on the LPGA Tour here in your home state?

CHEYENNE KNIGHT: I feel like before I even started playing I always wanted to win in Texas, you know, if I ever got the opportunity to down the road in my career.

So having my first win here when I had a lot of family here was really special. A lot people got to see it. They don't get to see me play that much. They have stuff going on and they can't travel around the world. It was great that they were here. It was really special. It was kind of like a Cinderella story in a way.

Q. And now chasing that second win, how difficult is that? I know they say all the time chasing the second win is hard. What's the strategy? How have you stayed patient in your pursuit of No. 2?

CHEYENNE KNIGHT: It's hard to win out here. It's really competitive. There is so much depth on the tour; anyone can win every week. They're the best players in the world for the reason.

Close in 2020. Lost in a playoff and kind of had a rough year last year. I feel like I've been playing solid this year, and just kind of has to be your week when you put everything together.

So I'm just trying to like just be in contention every week because getting that experience and that feeling, feeling the nerves, is what we ultimately strive for. So just trying to put four solid rounds together.

You need to go low out here, so get it to double digits. That's my goal every week. Just try to do what I can do to put myself in that position on Sunday.

Q. Like you said, you have had a pretty consistent season. What is the secret to your consistency out here this year?

CHEYENNE KNIGHT: Yeah, this is my fourth year and I feel like I've started to kind of figure it out, just what I need to do to play well.

Yeah, it's been kind of like a mix of kind of turning it off when I leave the golf course. We play so much, so when I leave the golf course I need to find other things that I enjoy doing so I don't get burnt out. I kind of experienced a little bit of that last year.

I'm focusing on my craft and what I need to do to play well and the things I need to do every day to improve. Kind of process over result type mentality.

But that's helped me a lot this year, just having other things that I enjoy doing has happened a lot, too.

Q. What are some of those other things?

CHEYENNE KNIGHT: Just really anything. I mean, I feel like golf takes such a long time. We're out here for hours day. Just not dwelling on the round. I like to shop, even if it's just going to Target.

This week is nice, I have family. But just hanging out with my friends is something that I really like enjoy doing, too.

Q. What do you enjoy doing here in Texas specifically?

CHEYENNE KNIGHT: I love being at home because we're not home a lot. My parents have two dogs so I love spending time with them.

There is like little shops I like to go to close to Fort Worth and just kind of get out, go on a walk, and stuff like that. Get my hair done. I don't know, like girl things.

Yeah, when I'm home I just love not living out of a suitcase and just spending time with family.

Q. Yeah. About this tournament, a lot of the past champions are Texans or live here in Texas, based in Texas. Why do you think that is?

CHEYENNE KNIGHT: I think a lot of girls relocate here. Texas is centralized, easy to travel out of, a lot of direct flights to airports, so I think that's one of the reasons why.

But also like Angela winning in 2020 was awesome and how her parents got to see that, that was really cool. I feel like just like the hometown support is kind of nice, like home field advantage type thing.

So, yeah, I think it's just -- a lot of girls are moving here or Florida. There is a lot of great golf courses in the area, a lot of things to do like in DFW.

Q. This course specifically, what is Texas about it? Angela had some things to say yesterday about it. I want to hear what makes this course so suited for Texas players.

CHEYENNE KNIGHT: Oh, my gosh. Wow. Okay. I would say, yeah, it gets pretty windy here and I feel like we're very accustomed to playing in the wind. As people that live here know, it can be really windy.

I feel like we know how to play in the wind and we want it to be windy because we feel comfortable with that. The bermudagrass greens and the fairways and chipping off that is something that you don't really get unless you live in the south, so I'm very comfortable with that.

That's where -- that's the type of grass I learned how to play golf on, so very comfortable with that. It requires different shots around the greens. I think that's what makes it Texas.

Q. That's what Angela said, too. You passed. There you go.

CHEYENNE KNIGHT: Okay, good.

Q. So leading up to this tournament in the past week, what did you do to prepare yourself?

CHEYENNE KNIGHT: So last week we played in Arkansas and I feel like it's always good to play the week before a tournament. Getting that tournament experience is really second to none.

And I had my coach last week and this week and we worked on like just kind of the keys that I need to keep doing in my swing and change my putting a little bit.

So worked more with him, which is different than weeks I'm just kind of by myself, me and my caddie. So having him there and checking things like to make sure all parts of my game are good.

Q. When you hit a shot that gets you off track, how do you rebound and build on it?

CHEYENNE KNIGHT: So I would say golf, it's not going to be perfect. I know that I'm going to hit shots that I'm not pleased with. Yeah, just having a short memory and thinking what I need to do better the next shot, or just if something felt a little bit off, just kind of face it and then just move on from it.

Kind of focus more on the next shot.

THE MODERATOR: I guess that's it. Thanks, Cheyenne.

CHEYENNE KNIGHT: Thank you.