DOW GREAT LAKES BAY INVITATIONAL

July 18, 2023

Suzann Pettersen

Midland Country Club

Press Conference

THE MODERATOR: Welcome, Suzann Pettersen to the media center here at the Dow Great Lakes Bay Invitational. I know it's an event that is sort of close to your heart as a Dow Ambassador. How happy are you to be out here this week supporting your fellow LPGA players and representing Dow?

SUZANN PETTERSEN: Well, first of all, it's always great coming back out to see friends and familiar faces on the LPGA. I'm not around every week, so it's kind of fun to catch up and kind of see everyone in person.

I mean, it's always a great treat to come here to Midland. I've been here a lot of times over the years. I've had a great partnership with Dow, and it's been great seeing the partnership between LPGA and Dow evolve and kind of where it's going.

So it's fun to see how it's all coming together. This was a big dream of ours years ago that it would be fun to bring LPGA to town. I think it's the perfect kind of venue for an LPGA event.

It was fun to bring it and kind of bring a different format. It kind of spices up the schedule a little bit, and players might feel a bit more kind of relaxed, even though by the time you tee it up, you're all competitive by nature, but it's fun to see.

I think Dow has done a great job also being kind of the pioneer bringing a LPGA sustainable event on the schedule and the impact that that has. It's been great, and just have to thank Jim Fitterling and the entire team of Dow to what they pull together.

THE MODERATOR: You mentioned this being a team event, a fun format. There's another team event coming up later this year, Solheim Cup, which you are the captain of. Using this week to do any scouting on your end?

SUZANN PETTERSEN: I feel I've become an official stalker. Yeah, it's always nice to catch up with players in person. I feel like I've been talking to a lot of players, kind of communicating, but it's always nice to meet someone.

There are some Europeans here as well, so it's always nice to kind of get a bit more insight.

Yeah, it's closing up. Some decisions have to be taken in, what, five weeks from now. Yeah, hopefully this can help, but I still want players just playing good. It's kind of out of my power, but yeah, it's fun.

THE MODERATOR: Has to be good for you seeing players like Linn Grant just wins last week. How is the team, do you think, shaping up?

SUZANN PETTERSEN: Well, it's almost scared to say, but I think on paper we have some really solid top eight. I think it's the first time in the history that I've been a part of the Solheim that we have, I don't know, eight players inside I think it's top 35 on the World Rankings.

But at the same time they're all playing good. They're all kind of plugging along, do their thing. It works. So that's the great kind of fundamental to have.

Then if we can add another four players that can kind of help the dynamics, the spices, the energy to the team, that's a huge plus. I'm just really happy to see the core of the automatic eight qualifying through the rankings playing well. It makes my life a little bit easier.

THE MODERATOR: Any questions?

Q. As the captain, you're keeping your eye on so many players. I'm wondering how many of them are suddenly becoming very complimentary of Suzann when she walks about by. Hey, looking good. Everybody is trying to make a special impression.

SUZANN PETTERSEN: Well, I want to make it the other way around. I want to feel like I'm approachable to most of these girls. It's not an easy position. When you're not automatically qualified, you obviously have to try and prove to me and the captaincy team that you're worth the pick; right?

So I just want people to be comfortable around me, and I'm trying to be quite transparent with most of these players.

By now it's starting to narrow down a little bit. The short list is getting a little shorter, but at the same time there's still a lot of golf to be played.

You have this week. You have two majors, and then you have two other regular events. There's still a lot of golf to be played, and there's no decision that's been made.

So there's another five weeks. Yeah, I won't be able to tell you any of those names before those five weeks are over. We need those five weeks to see how we can kind of compliment the complete 12 players.

Q. Time flies by when you were first were named captain, I'm guessing it sounded like it was forever off in the distance. Now it is basically tomorrow. I'm sure that's how it feels for you.

SUZANN PETTERSEN: Well, we've already had sleepless nights, nightmares. It's already closing in. I can feel it.

It's kind of nice to feel that as well, get the kind of adrenaline, get the -- it's like all the kind of -- the heart is really in it, so it's nice to feel the emotions kind of attached to it.

It's different being a captain. I've got to say it's much cooler being a player just getting on the plane, showing up and playing, knowing what you are doing. As a captain you are trying to facilitate for 12 quite strong individuals, and you just want to try and kind of frame it for them to have the best week of their lives; right?

Once they go to play, hopefully you've done anything in your power to make them feel comfortable and good about themselves to go out there and play their best.

THE MODERATOR: One more Solheim question for me. Like you said, you have five weeks. Majors coming up. What are you sort of looking for from that short list of players? What are those things that stand out to you as a captain?

SUZANN PETTERSEN: I'm looking for form. I want players who are playing well. I want confident players.

At the same time, I mean, you have four picks, and you can kind of -- however you want to shape it, you want to compliment the base of eight players that's already qualified.

It's in kind of our hands to kind of be able to shape that a little bit if we want, but ideally I want players who is playing well, and I want players performing to kind of make it easy for me to make those choices, and hopefully not all based on gut feel.

At the end of the day we have 12 players on the team, and I want everyone to feel as important, and everyone is as valuable.

Yeah, this is all a team effort, and I think it's important also to talk to players. Who do they think will be a compliment to the team? Who do they want on the team? There's a lot of aspects you kind of have to kind of get on top of and get around, but at the end of the day we'll sit down and see what players are playing well in five weeks time.

THE MODERATOR: Back to Dow, you're here this week watching, enjoying yourself as an ambassador. Maybe some rumors that you might have played. How much are you playing these days?

SUZANN PETTERSEN: Well, now I haven't played much at all because I've been literally like a TV addict watching every event on TV.

I enjoy going out to play, but it takes a lot of work to kind of -- there's a difference between going out to enjoy the game and competing on the LPGA. It kind of puts you in an awkward spot if you're not prepared or you don't feel like you've done enough.

Maybe one day I'll play a little bit more just for fun, but at this point in time with two small kids and kind of the captaincy and other obligations as well, I have enough on my plate, so yeah.

THE MODERATOR: Of course, you've got a lot going on. What events will we see you out at next and scouting?

SUZANN PETTERSEN: I'll be at every event moving forward until we pick the team in Ireland. So, yeah, I'll stay all week here, and then I'll obviously go to the Evian, Scottish, British, and Irish.

The players will get fed up seeing me being in their face talking to them, but like I said, like Linn said, well, you're officially a stalker now. I said, get used to it because it ain't stopping. So it will be fun.

THE MODERATOR: Thank you so much, Suzann. We look forward to seeing you everywhere.