NW ARKANSAS CHAMPIONSHIP

September 28, 2023

Stacy Lewis

Pinnacle Country Club

Press Conference

THE MODERATOR: I'm here in the media center at the 2023 Walmart NW Arkansas Championship. Joined by local favorite and former Razorback, Stacy Lewis. Welcome to Arkansas.

STACY LEWIS: Thank you.

Q. So obviously busy week last week. You're here in Arkansas this week.

STACY LEWIS: Uh-huh.

Q. You haven't missed this tournament since the first time it was played.

STACY LEWIS: Yep.

Q. Why is this tournament special to you?

STACY LEWIS: That's part of why I'm here. I want to keep the streak alive and support the event. Yeah, I mean, I'm running low on energy, haven't played a whole lot of golf, so who knows what this week will be like.

Just to be back and see all the people that you know, in a familiar place, and try to get my body and brain back into normal routine and what I normally do.

That's really what this week is about.

Q. Being a former Razorback, what does this community mean to you and the fans and support you have here?

STACY LEWIS: Yeah, this tournament is so fun. Just 17 to going all around town and seeing all the signage for the event, the way the people support it, the way the sponsors and the companies support this week.

I think this event is so important to this community and area. For the golf team and the girls that get to play this week, it's a really big deal for them.

This tournament is important and it's important to me, and it's really important to this community.

Q. And so important you've won it twice, first in 2007. First year of it. Unofficial, but still. What do you remember from those wins? When you're here, do you relive some of those moments?

STACY LEWIS: Yeah, you do. Gosh, feels like forever ago now. Even the actual win in 2014. You still remember those birdies down the stretch and things like that.

And then just to think of how far this event has come since that rain-out the first year. It really could have taken us in any different direction. The way we were able to survive it and get through it as tour and turn the tournament into what it is today.

Q. Two-time winner of this, 13 time winner on the LPGA Tour, former Razorback. Have you given any advice to the players on the team now?

STACY LEWIS: Yeah, I mean, obviously I just got in town last night so I haven't seen anyone this week really. Yeah, still obviously Shauna and I are really close and we talk about the team. I always track them and what they're doing.

So it's just to be there for some advice if they need help with -- a lot of it becomes that transition from college golf professional golf. That's honestly the hardest part of what those girls have coming up.

So just to be there for that, and then supporting once they get out here. With Gaby and Maria has kind of come to me for a lot of advice here lately, which has been pretty cool. Just to be able to work with them and create those friendships.

Q. And like I mentioned before, busy week last week for you. What did you learn most about yourself through the process last week and the preparation?

STACY LEWIS: Just I guess I was proud of myself of how much I trusted the process and what we had in place. It's very easy to second-guess yourself or you kind of get under the gun and you have to make a decision in the moment.

I really trusted our process of our stats and the facts and what we held as true. Really stuck to the plan. I guess I was most proud of myself. There are some moments where you're kind of like do I go a different direction? No. This is what we talked about, what we've worked on. This works. You need to stick to it.

Q. With the excitement of being back, how excited are you to have it back in the States next year at Robert Trent Jones Golf Club?

STACY LEWIS: I'm excited it's only a year away. At first that seemed a little daunting, but now I'm glad it's only a year away. It's going to stay fresh in my mind, the players' minds. They are going to be so motivated when we get to DC. That is one thing I know I am not going to have to worry about.

Q. Seemed like there has been some momentum this week for breaking a tie and how do you do that and so forth. Given how much daylight is left, is there a practical way? Take a Four-Ball team? How could you maybe do that?

STACY LEWIS: Yeah, they asked me about that on Sunday when we finished. At the time I was kind of torn on it, of what should you do. The more I thought about it, it's just we put so much work into this, so much time and so much energy, to end in a tie it's like a terrible finish. Just a blah finish.

I do think there needs to be a playoff. I would do a team format. Like one of the first two days where you got to send your best two players and let them go duke it out.

I think the event deserves that. It would be a cool way to finish on Sunday other than just a team retaining the Cup.

Q. Can you remember playing really well in a tournament, coming in cold where you haven't practiced a whole lot?

STACY LEWIS: No. I was trying to figure out my last round of golf was Friday of Portland which was four weeks ago tomorrow, so that's why everybody was asking if I was going to play the pro-am today and I said yes, because I need to play a round of golf.

I practiced a couple days sporadically prior to Solheim, and then I hit a few balls yesterday. So we'll see. (Smiling.) Sometimes no expectations is a good thing.

Q. One more a little bit off topic question. There is a big football game this weekend. Arkansas versus Texas A&M. Any rivalry there?

STACY LEWIS: There is rivalry in our household, but my husband knows who I'm cheering for. His employer knows I'm cheering for, so that's okay. Yeah, I'm excited. Hopefully the Hogs can pull it out.

THE MODERATOR: Thank you for your time.

STACY LEWIS: Thank you.