KPMG WOMEN'S PGA CHAMPIONSHIP

June 23, 2023

Lee-Anne Pace

Baltusrol Golf Club

Press Conference

THE MODERATOR: Here with Lee-Anne Pace. I know it's not the same day as yesterday, but just some differences and to know you're still up there in contention.

LEE-ANNE PACE: Yeah, obviously happy about that. I'm really annoyed about my bogey on the last hole. I think that might take 10 minutes to go over. But I struggled today. If I have to be honest, I struggled off the tee. I was a bit stuck coming into the ball, so kept flipping it left. Was just chipping and putting in that case.

Q. What was the mentality going into today knowing the conditions were going to be like this?

LEE-ANNE PACE: Well, I didn't know it was going to be like that. The forecast was better in the morning and then it started really raining quite hard. But it is what it is, and half the field played in it, so it's fine, I'm still up there, still got a chance, so hopefully I feel a little bit more loose tomorrow.

Q. It looked really steady for you into that turn into the front nine. How much of today was a battle to try to keep making pars?

LEE-ANNE PACE: Yeah, I feel like I kept hitting the wrong clubs for some reason and just leaving myself with very difficult putts and chips around the greens and short-siding myself and whatnot. Not the same plan as yesterday, but the back nine was a grind, but the front nine I felt really good, yeah, really solid.

Q. You say you're annoyed about the last; what happened there?

LEE-ANNE PACE: Well, our game plan all along was to pitch in the front edge and roll it up to the middle and not go for the pin, and I did go for the pin, short side, there we go. Well done, Lee-Anne.

Q. How were you coming back? What did you finish, 8:00 last night and you were back out there --

LEE-ANNE PACE: 7 minutes past 8:00 last nice. Yeah, I'm a bit sore. I have to say I was a bit stiff when it started raining. I don't think I got quite as much sleep. Like I said, at my age you need a little bit more. But back nine I was sore. But it's the same for everybody in the end. You've got the same turnaround time, it's just a different tee time.

Q. Are you happy where you are?

LEE-ANNE PACE: Yeah, sure. I'm pretty much always happy. I'm still in contention in a major championship. How can I not be happy? Annoyed about my last hole, but happy.

Q. You said last night if your body holds up, you feel confident about your game. What did you mean physically? What are you dealing with right now?

LEE-ANNE PACE: I've got a little issue with my back. I've had it for a long time. When it gets cold like today, it seizes up and then I kind of get stuck. Not loving when that happens.

I just kind of have to hit these punch shots. But I think I'm going to get some rest tonight. It all depends on my rest really. If I get nine hours of sleep, I'm a happy camper.

Q. We saw you doing stuff with your wrists when you were out there.

LEE-ANNE PACE: Yeah, I've got a little issue here, also, which definitely didn't help. I hope my body makes it through to Sunday, but it's just something I've got to get checked again.

Q. Unlucky lie on 15, but can you talk about how you pushed through in moments like that and just stayed in it mentally?

LEE-ANNE PACE: Yeah, it's a bad lie. 15, in a divot? Was it 15? Are you talking about that one, in the divot?

Q. Yeah.

LEE-ANNE PACE: It's not actually such a difficult shot as it looks. You've got to hit down on the ball. It's obviously going to run out. But what can you do? I'm not going to get mad. It's not going to really help anything. I think I played a pretty good shot. Didn't help me physically, but I was quite happy with a par there.

Q. Was it difficult to transition and gain a feel as the weather and the rain came in?

LEE-ANNE PACE: Yeah, the rain was tough. We got it on all the tough holes, as well, like No. 3. No. 3 was such a difficult hole today. I think even without rain it's a tough hole.

But yeah, then it kind of eased up. It's like on and off. Now the afternoon is probably going to be perfect.

But it is what it is. You've just got to play the shot and play the next one and try and make the best of it.

Q. You talk about age; we are older than you.

LEE-ANNE PACE: But you don't see a lot of my age on Tour anymore.

Q. You were talking about your back, the wrist.

LEE-ANNE PACE: Right.

Q. That's probably the life of an athlete, right, a golfer, is playing with pain --

LEE-ANNE PACE: Yeah, I think golfers probably play with a bit of pain during their career. I've been lucky. I haven't had injuries that have stopped me so much from playing in the past. Also I don't do heavy weights in the gym, so I'm not sure if that helps me or if it doesn't help me. It's just something you do, isn't it. I think everybody wakes up with pain sometimes.

Q. And then what about the happiness --

LEE-ANNE PACE: Sometimes you get the good ones and then you fire like yesterday. Definitely tomorrow is a good one.

Q. You were saying you feel more comfortable in the States. Is it kind of your goal to be able to stay here and play this tour?

LEE-ANNE PACE: I'm not sure. So I recently just got engaged, and now I'm not sure if I want to do full-time over here. She's French, and we probably wouldn't live here. But I'll come visit if that happens.

Q. Most of the golf they were showing you playing you weren't in a rain jacket. Do you not like swinging in a jacket?

LEE-ANNE PACE: No, because I was stuck already, so that's like a double stuck. So I tried to just be a little bit more free on my swing and not do the little tug left. I was getting stuck, so I didn't want to get double stuck because then it's probably going to go right. What can I say.

Q. Your attitude yesterday was great. You sound like you're almost over here on a holiday. You've got the late start here, the late entry into the KPMG. How much of this seems like a bonus?

LEE-ANNE PACE: Yeah, a massive bonus definitely. It's nice to be here, obviously, come and visit everybody, and I'm in a good spot and a good position. I'm definitely thinking about the win. There's no way I'm not.

But yeah, I'm quite relaxed, and it is what it is in the end. I can't really be annoyed about today. It's done. I'm still annoyed about my last hole.

Q. Over the last couple of years, have the injuries been the reason you've not played a lot, or --

LEE-ANNE PACE: All these difficult questions. No, it's not injuries. It was maybe a head injury. I stopped enjoying it, if I have to be completely honest. I put too much pressure on myself. I didn't feel good. I didn't feel healthy. I went back home, and I stopped playing a bit. Actually COVID was a bit of a blessing, so I got through that, and then I started really enjoying it. Now I'm to the point where I love it. I love being out here. I find it a challenge. It's much better.

Q. You said in a playful way what happened at 9. As much golf as you've played, how mystifying is that sometimes that you fight your swing?

LEE-ANNE PACE: Yeah, right? It's so easy, and I just don't do it. I guess all of us make mistakes. But I don't like mental mistakes like that. If you hit a bad shot, okay, I accept that, but I find it difficult when we've had a game plan all along, we've played the hole twice, every day we hit the same club, but we decided to hit a different one. But it's done. Tomorrow I'm definitely not hitting that.

Q. What did you have on the short side? Just nothing really?

LEE-ANNE PACE: No, I couldn't really work with it. The bunker was wet and I was on a downslope. Where I got it I think was pretty much the best I could do. Nearly made the putt.