LPGA DRIVE ON CHAMPIONSHIP

March 24, 2023

Alison Lee

Superstition Mountain Golf and Country Club

Quick Quotes

Q. Here with Alison Lee after her second round at the LPGA Drive On Championship. Wondering what was different about today's round compared to yesterday? A lot of people said the course was playing a little easier, but what are your thoughts?

ALISON LEE: Yeah, for me, clearly 3-under today, not terrible, but couldn't really get the putter rolling. Like I said, can't complain. You can never complain when you break 70.

But I definitely feel like I left some putts out there today. Just hopefully I can get through it tomorrow. I just felt like it was definitely playing a little bit differently this morning prepared to yesterday.

For me personally, I felt like some of the greens were a little bit more firm so I had to adjust to that.

But, yeah, can't complain. Still on the leaderboard, so two more days and a lot of golf left.

Q. Speaking of the leaderboard, how exciting is it to see your name up there and how much confidence does that give you going into the weekend?

ALISON LEE: It feels good. You know, it's definitely a lot of pressure. I try really hard not to look at the leaderboard and just pretend like I'm playing against one of my buddies back home or something like that, a money game or something.

Yeah, just trying to take it one hole at time. Usually I really love looking at the leaderboard and putting myself under pressure and playing really aggressively, but that always hasn't worked out for me in the past, so I'm trying really hard to stay patient.

Like I said, 36 holes left. So much golf left out there, so just try and make smart decisions and get birdies when I can.

Q. There has been a ton of birdies on 18. I see that you par'd it today. Did you feel like you gave one back to the field?

ALISON LEE: Yeah, I was definitely disappointed. I was saying yesterday that a lot of the par-5s are basically reachable, so you kind of got to play it as if it's a par-4.

Yeah, you definitely lose one against the field. Like I said, nothing I could really do. Just hope -- I have basically eight chances left on the par-5s for the rest of the week.

Yeah, you got to just play those as if you're going to make automatic birdie, and you set yourself apart from the field when you're able to do that. If you play a solid round and birdie all the par-5s, that's an easy 4-under.

Then if you get a few here and there, even better.

Q. With it being the closing hole for the weekend, can you anticipate standing on that tee box knowing you better make birdie or else?

ALISON LEE: Yeah, a little bit. Like I said, there is so much golf left. I don't want to get too ahead of myself. Definitely is a good feeling to know that's a possibility. If I keep playing like I am now it's definitely possible that I could be standing on that tee and coming into the final hole, final round, closing in the hunt to win.

But, yeah, I just got to play smart. I feel like I was able to do that today. Missed quite a few putts on the course but was able to get a few on the back coming in.

Overall happy with how I finish, and hopefully I can play solid. I'm hitting my driver pretty good. Irons are good. Just need a few more putts to drop.

Q. Getting home in two on 18, is that in your wheelhouse, or have to hit every shot perfectly to get...

ALISON LEE: Yeah, for me today it was driver, 5-wood. I kind of flared it a little right. I was almost pin high but I just overestimated I guess the firmness of the greens. I kind of had like a 10-footer for birdie or 10, 15-footer for birdie and missed.

So, yeah, I mean, disappointing because, like I said, I was able to birdie that yesterday. Not much I could do. I feel like I made a couple other good birdies on some good holes, so, yeah, don't want to get too down on that.