THE CHEVRON CHAMPIONSHIP

April 21, 2023

Cheyenne Knight

The Club at Carlton Woods

Quick Quotes

THE MODERATOR: Here with Cheyenne Knight. A bogey-free day, interesting back nine there, but overall what's it like here on the second day at The Chevron Championship.

CHEYENNE KNIGHT: Yeah, I've been here a long time today. I'm just happy I got done, really. Happy we got done yesterday just with the pop-up thunderstorms. Yeah, the course is pretty soft, so it's playing longer, but they moved some tees up, but the greens, them being softer definitely helped. My type of game, I kind of have to bounce it in. I don't spin the ball that well, so I got to be a little bit more aggressive.

Yeah, three birdies on the front, nine pars on the back. Made a few saves. Didn't really have a lot of legit birdie opportunities, but hit it well, but we'll take it.

Q. What were some of those memorable par saves on the back nine?

CHEYENNE KNIGHT: Let's see. I made a really good like nine-footer on 14 and then a six-footer on 15. I was just around the green, just kind of had a tricky putt and didn't judge the speed that well. Those were good, and yeah, nice two-putt on 18.

Q. How many people do you have following you today?

CHEYENNE KNIGHT: Oh, gosh, we have a lot. I don't know where they are right now. Maybe like 15-ish, so a lot of people that I've known throughout the years, a lot of my friends of my parents, so it was nice to see some familiar faces.

Q. We've been watching you for a year now really grind on the range with your golf swing. What have you been working on, and do you feel like it's come together, because this is really a ball striker's golf course?

CHEYENNE KNIGHT: Yeah, I feel like the last year I've really put in just the time, kind of understanding what I need to do to play well, and me and my coach Joey, we know the positions that I need to get into to play well. That's what we're really looking at.

I know I can't play well from getting too steep from the top, so it's always just managing that, but it's pretty simple, and I think we both have an understanding of what the numbers need to be on TrackMan, but he can also see where my swing is, and if I get it in a good position at the top and shallow it a little bit coming down, I get in a good spot. If I can just draw the golf ball, I'll be okay. If overdraw it, I can fix it, but just have to be in a draw position coming down.

Q. Again, this is a golf course that everybody throughout the week has said, it's going to favor the really good ball strikers. Are you to the point now where you feel comfortable enough to just stand up there and react to it?

CHEYENNE KNIGHT: Yeah, I'm feeling more comfortable, and I don't hit it that far, but I'm good with my hybrids. On the first hole today I hit 5-wood into the green, and I hit it to like ten feet, so I'm not too rattled if I have a long shot coming in. I feel like just trusting myself and letting it go, knowing that my swing might not be perfect out here, but if I just trust it, commit to it, let it go, I can't be mad if I hit a poor shot.

Q. What's it like not only competing but being in contention in a major in a township that you grew up in?

CHEYENNE KNIGHT: Yeah, it's really cool. I've never really contended in a major before, and that's what I've been working towards is kind of being in the mix going into the weekend.

I grew up in the Woodlands and learned how to play golf here, so just playing out here and seeing girls that were my age growing up is really cool. Just full circle.

Q. Can you talk about your driving and your putting today? I know your driving accuracy was pretty good, and on the front nine I think you needed only 12 putts.

CHEYENNE KNIGHT: Yeah, the fairways are soft, and I hit it pretty straight off the tee to begin with, so I didn't really have to worry about running through the fairway or anything like that. Yeah, my driving accuracy is probably one of my strengths.

I feel like out here on the Bermuda, you've just got to be -- they break a lot and the grain takes it, so you just have to be aware of like what speed you're hitting the putt at because if you're downgrain and you hit it through the break, any of it that you're playing, it's not going to take the break.

I feel pretty comfortable on Bermuda. This is where I grew up, so I'm very comfortable on Bermuda, not so much like poa annua like the California girls.

I just see the break well, I think.

Q. You've got to like the position you're in right now.

CHEYENNE KNIGHT: Yeah. You know, I'm happy just to be done today. I've been here since 5:30.

Yeah, just being in the mix and having a chance the next two days is my goal.

Q. When is the first time you remember playing in front of a big crowd and really what that felt like? I guess big is relative because you could have been little and it could have been 20 people.

CHEYENNE KNIGHT: Big crowd, I would probably say my first LPGA event I played in in college my freshman year at Alabama. Played at the old golf course that they used to play at. I'm blanking on the name right now. I had a lot of people come out and watch then.

I made both cuts, I remember. There was a cut Friday and a cut Saturday, so just a lot of like local people came out and watched. So then really, and maybe at the state championships throughout high school. But probably my first LPGA event because that was the first time I had ever seen grandstands or anything like that.

And always the Dallas event, a lot of people come out to that. But there's a lot of people here the last two days.

Q. Do you feel like that brings out the best in you?

CHEYENNE KNIGHT: Yes, someone asked me if it is more pressure, and I don't think so. They're going to love and support me no matter what. I think it's just being comfortable just seeing familiar faces and trying to give them some water on the golf course so they don't pass out.

No, it's just good to see people. I don't get to see them a lot; with our schedule we're traveling all the time. So making the time to come see me when it's kind of hectic, it means a lot to them me just saying hi because I just don't have a lot of time. It's really special that their free time they come out and watch me.

Q. How many tickets did you request this week?

CHEYENNE KNIGHT: We got 10, and I asked my friends for some. I think maybe like 25 tickets, so we'll see if I need to get some more from some friends.

Q. How have you adjusted to this course compared to others so far in your career?

CHEYENNE KNIGHT: Yeah, I think it's pretty long. It makes a difference. It's a little bit longer than what we normally play. But a major is supposed to be long.

Like on this golf course, like pars are good and get your birdies when you can, but you just have to play smart. Can't be too aggressive, so I think just taking your chances when you can and just got to aim at the middle of the green sometimes and take a 30, 40-footer. I don't know, just being smart more so than the other courses where you can just like really attack the pins.

Q. How do you think the prestige of The Chevron Championship has affected you or helped you any other way when it comes to being a major at the LPGA?

CHEYENNE KNIGHT: It's great that Chevron has stepped up. I think the old ANA was in question for a little bit, if someone was going to pick it up, and I'm just so thankful that Chevron wanted to just be part of the LPGA, and I think this event -- you know, it's big. Everything is bigger in Texas. I love that it's in the Woodlands area and just all that they're doing for the community and all the golf clinics that they're doing like really help grow the game. I think this event is just going to get better and better throughout the years.

I think they picked a great place for it, and I'm biased. Houston means a lot to me. But yeah, honestly just supporting women's sports and women's golf, just really thankful for them.

Q. There's quite a number of volunteers here. The Houston area seems to really embrace this championship. What's it like to see all these people out here really get behind the championship, whether it be the volunteers out here or even the fans?

CHEYENNE KNIGHT: I've heard a rumor that they filled up the volunteer spots within a few days. I think people here are just so passionate about golf, I've seen that growing up, and just like giving a signed ball to my standard bearer and scorer today, they were just delighted.

I just think that they want to help, and they have the inn spirit tournament on the Champions Tour next week, but just how everyone is excited and just willing to be a spotter just so they can come watch is really cool.