KPMG WOMEN'S PGA CHAMPIONSHIP

June 24, 2023

Stephanie Meadow

Baltusrol Golf Club

Press Conference

THE MODERATOR: Here with Stephanie Meadow. Do you feel like you're getting the hang of this golf course just when it's needed?

STEPHANIE MEADOW: Yeah, absolutely. Obviously the last two days played a lot different. Today was a lot nicer. We got really lucky with the weather.

But, you know, it's a great golf course. You have to hit good shots. You can't hack your way around. That's for sure. I'm just focusing on trying to hit to the center of the greens a lot of the time and go from there.

THE MODERATOR: Questions.

Q. It's a great way to start with a birdie on 1. Not seeing many of those. What did you do there?

STEPHANIE MEADOW: I hit driver and then hit 6-iron, so I had 180-something and hit an unbelievable 6-iron actually. It was a great way to start the day. And then made putt. Yeah, great start.

Q. Generally the day you're finding birdies out there. What was the quality of your golf?

STEPHANIE MEADOW: Yeah. You know, putter got hot a little bit, which is always nice, but I hit a lot of really good shots as well. I gave myself a lot of opportunities and just didn't put myself in any terrible spots, which is also a big key out here.

Q. Steph, I know it's not been the season you've been looking for, but you found something last week at Meijer finishing T13, best finish of the season. What did you find, and how much confidence and momentum did that give you heading into this week?

STEPHANIE MEADOW: Yeah, I just have a much better swing thought going on, and I think that gave me some confidence to see some irons fly really good.

It had been kind of trending that way in practice and at home, but that was the first week where I finally saw it, so it was great to see that kind of transpire last week.

Then I knew on a tough golf course like this, if I could just hit the same shots, then I would be doing pretty good.

Q. You got married a few weeks, maybe a month now ago?

STEPHANIE MEADOW: Two months, yeah.

Q. To have that perspective away from the game, how much has that helped you when things aren't really going your way out here on the course?

STEPHANIE MEADOW: Yeah, you know, I have a great life. I'll put it that way. I do what I love. Golf is not who I am, but it's what I do, and I have a family back home, a doggy, in-laws, mother, everybody that supports me. No matter what happens out here, I go back to that, and you can't ask for much more.

Q. How much are you looking forward to being in contention at this golf course at this venue at this major championship?

STEPHANIE MEADOW: Yeah, I mean, this is why we practice, right? That's it. This is why I do what I do, and I'm just going to enjoy it.

Q. For those of us who are just getting to know you, describe how close you are with Leona Maguire and what it means to you maybe right now to see the two of you in the top three of the same major?

STEPHANIE MEADOW: Yeah, I can't think of anything much better for Irish women's golf, which is incredible. We have been close. I mean, we've known each other since -- I mean, she was probably 10, and I was 13 or something like that. So it's been quite the journey together for both of us to make it.

Obviously I was there last week when she won. It was great to kind of share that moment with her. I know how hard she works. I know how hard everybody works out here.

Yeah, we're great friends, and we stay on the road together sometimes. So it's just great for Irish golf.

Q. Do you have a particular favorite memory of you growing up playing junior golf together or anything?

STEPHANIE MEADOW: There's lots. I think -- oh, gosh, I don't know. I'll put it this way, I knew her when she was reading Harry Potter books, so that was a long time ago (laughing).

Q. If I could have one more on a different topic, what do you think of the par-5, par-5 ending to a round at a major, and what kind of opportunities might that open up at the tail end of tomorrow?

STEPHANIE MEADOW: They're both great holes. If you don't hit the fairway, you are in big trouble.

I didn't hit the fairway on 18 today, but got lucky with the line and was able to get over the water. The last two days I've hit it in the exact same spot one yard off the fairway and have had to hack out 50 yards.

Great risk-reward. Anything can happen coming in there, especially on 18.

Q. Can you talk about being in this position? I mean, you have won in Europe. You have never won here. Are you sitting there going, just keep it going, or do you press the gas or what?

STEPHANIE MEADOW: Yeah. I mean, I think pedal to the metal. I just try to do my best.

Obviously I have been out on tour for a long time, nine years. I want the win just as much as anybody else, but at the same time I need to stay within myself and focus on the process, but at the end of the day I want to win, and I'm not shy about being competitive.

Q. Did your time at Alabama take away your brogue a little bit?

STEPHANIE MEADOW: Yeah (laughing ), it did. I'm sure everybody is making fun of me. Now it's y'all.

Q. Stephanie, your professional career started off with a bang at a major. If you could go back, what would you tell that younger player then about what this journey is like, what it takes?

STEPHANIE MEADOW: It's had a lot of ups and downs, that's for sure. Probably a little more downs than I had anticipated standing there when I finished my first event.

But, you know, I still get to do what I love. No matter how hard it seems sometimes, you have to put it into perspective. It is nice to know that although that was quite some time ago now, that I still did it and I'm still that person. I think I can still draw on that going into tomorrow.

Q. We still have memories of the celebrations of Shane Lowry when he won the Open and the epic celebrations. If an Irish woman wins tomorrow here, what kind of celebrations do we expect here and in Ireland?

STEPHANIE MEADOW: I can imagine Portrush. There will be lots of drinks flowing. I always feel the support from home.

Obviously I've been gone for quite many some time now, but I go back three, four, five times a year. I still have family there, a lot of support. Every time we have an event in Ireland, there are loads and loads of people that come out.

I know they're rooting for both of us, and I hope that we can inspire some young girls in the process.

Q. When you look at the leaderboard right now and see that you're just one off, what kind of comes to mind? Are you surprised? Did you feel something like this was coming? What's kind of the first thing that comes to mind when you see the leaderboard right now?

STEPHANIE MEADOW: I definitely felt great yesterday. I played some really solid golf. I probably hit the ball a tiny bit better yesterday than I did today, but I made more putts today, and that's the name of the game.

Never surprised. I want to see my name up there. It's been quite the journey this year so far. But I guess I expected maybe people to go a little bit more in front, so I'm happy to be kind of done an hour early and still only one, two back, whatever it might be.

Q. Have you thought about what possibly on 24 hours from now, you know, how your life could possibly be changed or just staying in the moment and getting ready for tomorrow?

STEPHANIE MEADOW: Obviously we all think about it. That's our dream. I think it would be silly to say that I don't think about it.

But I think about it, but I know what I have to do to get the job done. So I'll just stay in the process and get a good night's rest if I can and come out and give it my all tomorrow.

Q. When you are on the green, as you are last week in Michigan watching a good friend win, how much inspiration do you draw from that? Does that play any role into this week in your excitement for the week?

STEPHANIE MEADOW: Yeah, I mean, when you play practice rounds with someone and you play with someone and you see that they can win, it gives you confidence that, well, I can do that too. There's always that aspect.

But I think just seeing, I don't know -- it's a great experience even if it's not me, right? For her to win, to see her hard work pay off, and I had a great week last week too. So just drew on all that experience. It was fun.