SHRINERS CHILDREN'S OPEN

October 10, 2023

Michael Kim

Ben Griffin

TPC Summerlin

Quick Quotes

Q. I know you guys just played a practice round with Lexi. What are your thoughts on her game?

MICHAEL KIM: I thought she's hitting it great. This course is probably a little longer than what she's used to, but I thought she's hitting it really well, and she's going to have a good chance heading into this week.

BEN GRIFFIN: Yeah, I thought she was striping it. She was hitting it closer than us on a few holes, which is to be expected. She has a ton of talent, and she can handle it out there. It's a little different out here being a little firmer, a little different conditions, but I think she's adjusting well, and she played awesome today, and I think she can really compete this week and have a good chance at at least making the weekend. It'll be fun to watch.

Q. What impressed you both most about her?

MICHAEL KIM: I think her iron game was definitely a surprise to me. She's naturally going to have a little bit longer in, but she was hitting it close, like Ben said, so it'll be fun to see how it goes.

BEN GRIFFIN: Yeah, that's going to be the only tough part is the distance side, just having a little bit longer and us being able to reach maybe the par-5s and the drivable par-4. So we'll see how the course is set up. But honestly, her game is very good. She's not that far behind us off the tee. It was probably 20 yards on average, which makes obviously a difference. You can look at the stats and see that, but she can definitely handle this golf course.

Probably helps being at elevation, ball is going to fly a little further, and again, it's going to be really fun and exciting to have her on this side. It spices up the Fall Series a little bit. Hopefully it brings more attention to it, and I think it's good for growing the game. Really excited for her, and it's going to be fun to watch.

Q. Having Lexi out here on the PGA TOUR, how important is that for the game of golf and for little girls watching out there?

MICHAEL KIM: I think it's great. The ball series might need a couple more stars, and Lexi being out here definitely brings more attention to her and the PGA TOUR. I think it's great. There's going to be I'm sure lots of little girls out here following her, and it's great for the game of golf for sure.

BEN GRIFFIN: Yeah, it's awesome for growing the game. We've seen in the past I think she's the seventh LPGA player to play on the PGA TOUR. It'll be just cool. There's a ton of growth in the game already in these last few years through COVID, and this only helps everything, and it'll be inspirational for the kids to look up to someone like Lexi and make them believe that they can do it one day, too.

It's cool. It's a fun sport because it brings in anyone from wherever you are, whether it's gender or whatever, this sport isn't necessarily limited to one certain person. It's awesome to see that inclusion, to have her here, and it's going to be fun.