DOW GREAT LAKES BAY INVITATIONAL

July 21, 2023

Stacy Lewis

Maria Fassi

Midland Country Club

Press Conference

THE MODERATOR: Here with Team Tex-Mex consisting of Stacy Lewis and Maria Fassi, our Arkansas girls. Really good shooting out there today. Can you tell us how you sort of got into a rhythm early? I know alternate shot is a tricky format, so how were you doing so well out there?

STACY LEWIS: Well, today, prior to the last two days, we got off to a good start. We kind of took a lot of time the last two days to get into a rhythm.

Maria hit it to about 3 feet on the first hole, so that's definitely helpful. But, in general, we both hit a lot of good golf shots today. You know, there are probably a couple of birdies that we probably even missed that we could have had. Overall it was a really solid day.

THE MODERATOR: Maria, what did you learn from maybe the first round of foursomes that you guys took into this round? Did you do anything differently, or did you learn something maybe from the first day?

MARIA FASSI: Yeah, I think what Stacy is saying. Even yesterday we were just not having just anything going. Like, we would make a birdie and then have to grind for a few pars after that. It was just hard to kind of ride the wave, if you will.

I feel like today that birdie on the first really helped us. I mean, we kept hitting very good shots from there on. I think in foursome you just really have to stay very patient and play smart. I think we did that today for most of the day.

Like she said, we've been hitting really good golf shots into tough pins and tough conditions, so I think it showed for most of the round.

THE MODERATOR: Obviously you dropped maybe two shots there on the last couple of holes, but still in a good position for tomorrow. How much are you looking forward to maybe being aggressive to chasing when we move back to four-ball?

STACY LEWIS: Yeah, we're in a position now where we just have to go post a number and see if it's enough. We've done it on this golf course. We know we can both make a ton of birdies.

Just be not forcing things and just letting them come as they come, but I like where we are.

THE MODERATOR: Speaking of which, I know you guys finished third here last year; right? Maria, what do you remember maybe about last year this course that has helped you guys throughout the week?

MARIA FASSI: Yeah, I think the golf course really sets up well for both of our games. I think it shows in foursome, but then in four-ball we can just kind of take it on in different weighs.

But I think we can make a lot of birdies. I mean, I think we shot 59 the last round last year. It was like a comfortable 59 in a way. It sounds like a lot, but we were just playing and playing our game.

I think today we're going to go home a lot happier maybe than the last two days with just the way we were hitting the ball, and we gave ourselves a lot of chances. So I think we can just continue with that for tomorrow. Like she said, we just go out and do our best and we see if it's enough.

THE MODERATOR: Stacy, last question for you. We've seen Suzann Pettersen walking around the grounds doing some scouting. I know you've been focused on playing, obviously, but have you been looking at any teams, match-ups, scouting at all this week?

STACY LEWIS: Yeah, definitely. Watching how the girls play, but also just trying to learn more about foursomes and four-balls and who plays well in different formats and what type of players you pair up together.

You can look at non-Americans as well because a lot of these girls we play with so much, I know their game. So there's kind of that equation that I'm still trying to figure out of who plays well in each format too.

Yeah, definitely paying attention. Happy that we've got some girls in contention here that could possibly make the team.

THE MODERATOR: Well, thank you so much, ladies.