PELICAN WOMEN'S CHAMPIONSHIP

November 11, 2022

Lexi Thompson

Pelican Golf Club

Quick Quotes

Q. All right, here with Lexi Thompson after her first round at the Pelican Women's Championship. I know you're sew familiar with this golf course, so can you just tell us how often you play here and how familiar it felt to be out there today and how that helped you?

LEXI THOMPSON: Yeah, I've been out here a few extra times rather than the tournament rounds that we've been out here, so I got to play it a little bit more.

But being in my home state, I can drive to this one, so it's definitely a better atmosphere. The hospitality that we receive here at Pelican is top notch and the course is always in great shape. I mean, even with five inches of rain it was in beautiful shape for us. Of course ball in hand, but they did everything that they could; you can definitely tell.

Q. Speaking of that rain storm, just interested to know how you took your day off yesterday and how you got back into that mentality for today with the late start.

LEXI THOMPSON: Yeah, well, I mean, I played two pro-ams coming into the week, so was actually kind of nice -- unfortunate that we have the day off, but it was nice to just stay in my room, relax, get my mind right.

Did a few workouts in my room. Was doing jumping jacks and jumping squats in my room, so I was definitely keeping busy. But just making sure I'm mentally staying there and relaxing my body as well.

Q. How does this event sort of help you prepare for the big one next week, for CME, which is somewhere you always play well and seems you always play well here, too?

LEXI THOMPSON: Thank you. Two events in Florida, I always look forward to them. I always say these are my two favorite ones to come to, and not just because they're in Florida, but the hospitality we receive. That's always something that we look for.

Of course we want a great golf course to play and always in good shape for us, which these two always are, but everybody is just so nice here and so welcoming and they're always looking to better the event and what can they do to make us happy. That just means the world to us.

Q. And last question from me. Coming off a professional win a couple weeks ago in New York, first one in a while, how has that helped your confidence and what parts of your game are really successful right now for you?

LEXI THOMPSON: Yeah, it really helped my confidence to win at the Aramco Team Series. I've been busting my butt on the practice facilities, and in the gym I've been putting in the time and the hard work.

I was hoping, you know, just staying patient, that's all golf is, just staying patient, positive. I've been close a few times and hasn't worked out in my favor, so to be able to get that win and have the hard work pay off, that means the most to me, because I know how much I put into it.

That's all I can do, just come out here and try my best. So definitely gave me a lot of confidence coming into the last few.

Q. We're used to seeing this place firm and fast.

LEXI THOMPSON: Yeah.

Q. Do the conditions let you be a little bit more aggressive?

LEXI THOMPSON: Yeah, you can be a little bit --

Q. Drivers, anything that can?

LEXI THOMPSON: Yeah, you can be a little bit more aggressive. Actually, when it was firmer the last few days but it was a lot windier, so I would take a lot more drivers the last few days than I did today because there was a lot more holes into the wind that I could just crush driver and go nowhere.

Today with the lack of wind I actually had to lay back even though there was no roll. This golf course I can definitely play a lot more aggressive, a lot more 3-woods, drivers, so it's nice.

Q. And can you take us through the eagle and then the closing birdie?

LEXI THOMPSON: Uh-huh. I eagled No. 7. I hit a good drive. It's a tough driving hole, and then I had about 215 to the pin and a little down, left-to-right wind, and I hit a 2-iron to about 30 feet and kind of lipped it in. Didn't know if it was going to lip out or not, but got lucky and it went in.

Then the birdie on the last, I hit a good drive. Got kind of close to the water's edge there and had about 105 in and was kind of debating with my brother if I wanted to hit a fuller shot in, but instead took a little bit more and took a little bit off that next club and take the spin off.

So one hopped, stopped, and came back to about two feet. That was with my 50 degree.

Q. Did you feel the rhythm from the start? On the first hole you almost got that backspin into the second hole on the second shot. Did you think that was going in or you had a chance on that first hole?

LEXI THOMPSON: I thought I had a chance for sure. I executed the way I wanted to. Kind of the same thing, took a little bit more club and took off the spin, because I knew coming into the softer greens I would have to do that, especially with how steep I get on my shots.

Controlling the spin was very important today, but to be able to get that birdie on the first is always nice. I bogeyed the next hole, but it's definitely good to get to that kind of start and know that your swing is in a good groove.

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