PELICAN WOMEN'S CHAMPIONSHIP

November 11, 2022

Lauren Stephenson

Pelican Golf Club

Quick Quotes

Q. Here with Lauren Stephenson who just opened with a 4-under 66. Solid round, especially considering everything this golf course took yesterday. How do you feel you played today and how did it look out there?

LAUREN STEPHENSON: Yeah, I played pretty well. Had a lot of fun. Having a day off was a little strange, but I feel like I got good practice in Monday to Wednesday, so felt prepared.

Yeah, the course is in great shape for how much rain we got. Playing the ball up was nice. Obviously there was a lot of mud, but overall the greens were still really fast.

That's all you can ask for after like a hurricane.

Q. Absolutely. You had one, two, three, four, five, six birdies, two bogeys, including your very first hole. 0was that just maybe not knowing what was going on out there, or what's that like to be able to turn that around?

LAUREN STEPHENSON: Yeah, I mean, the first hole my shot didn't react kind of like how I had thought, and 10 green is just crazy, so didn't really get too flustered by it. Just kind of moved on. Chalked it up to a learning hole.

Yeah, making a lot of birdies is always fun. I feel like my putting was really solid, so even after a three-putt on the first hole kind of came around for me.

Q. When you build up your week-long preparation to Thursday and nothing happens on Thursday, how do you approach kind of the unexpected off day like that right before a tournament?

LAUREN STEPHENSON: I think we're all used to it. We're used to going with the flow. That's kind of what this job is. There is never any guarantees in golf, so just kind of got in the work I needed to get in Monday to Wednesday.

All you can do is just trust that's going to transfer to Thursday -- or now Friday.

Q. How did you spend the day yesterday?

LAUREN STEPHENSON: Just watching movies. Not doing much at all.

Q. Anything good movie-wise?

LAUREN STEPHENSON: No. I like to re-watch a lot of my favorites. Yeah.

Q. Considering the way that the last two tournaments have gone for you, was it rewarding to come out and get a fast start, and I guess how did the last month kind of build up to this point?

LAUREN STEPHENSON: Yeah, so my life has been kind of crazy the last few months. My sister has been battling a cancer scare, so it's kind of been nothing golf related for me for the last few months.

So just felt really nice to like be able to feel like blessed to be out here and just kind of like have the mindset that golf doesn't matter. We all have real lives when we go outside of this golf. And just knowing that it's just a golf tournament and like I'm just here to have fun, it just gives me such a different perspective.

So I'm just like super thankful to be here. Like after playing bad the last two weeks it was just kind of like everything in my family life had piled up at that point and I was just like, I need a break. I feel much more rejuvenated coming into this week.

Q. Older sister? Younger sister?

LAUREN STEPHENSON: She's younger. She's doing her grad school in college. She's 22. But she's finishing up. Today was her last treatment of radiation in Houston, so she's had two surgeries and I did a week with her last week for her radiation.

It was nice of her to let me come play this week.

Q. Her name?

LAUREN STEPHENSON: Hannah.

Q. An H on the end?

LAUREN STEPHENSON: Yeah.

Q. And this is certainly a great start. You're well safe on your card. Still within shooting distance of getting into CME next week.

LAUREN STEPHENSON: Yes.

Q. Is that something you're thinking about or just playing golf?

LAUREN STEPHENSON: Honestly, I have a whole pro-am booked next week to go to Pebble, so I'm like, Hey, if I make it, great. If not, I'm just going to go have a vacation with my sister and my friends.

So, yeah, I have a chance and I feel like this year has been a great year overall. Not exactly where I wanted to be, but it's never bad to have a chance for CME.

I also know that if I don't make it I'm not going to be super disappointed.

Q. Definitely two good options.

LAUREN STEPHENSON: Yeah.

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