THE ANNIKA DRIVEN BY GAINBRIDGE AT PELICAN

November 12, 2023

Alison Lee

Pelican Golf Club

Quick Quotes

Q. All right, here with Alison Lee after the final round at The ANNIKA. Alison, great round today. 'In contention. What was going through your head while you were playing?

ALISON LEE: Yeah, I mean, honestly, I knew I had to make a lot of birdies out there. I tried to take like an aggressive mindset and do the best I could to attack pins, make birdies when I could.

I feel like I missed a lot of really good putts I could have made. Could have hit it a little bit better. Obviously Lilia had a great round out there. Ended up losing it by three, which is, I mean, amazing. I put myself in contention again. Always fun to be in the hunt, you know, to be in this position.

Q. What's it been like the past few weeks playing really good golf? What's that felt like for you? Anything you've been working on in particular?

ALISON LEE: No, I mean, I just feel like I've turned a corner. Feel like I've been playing great. Feel like I've been playing really confidently. Golf is fun when you pick a target and you can actually hit that target. Reading the putts right and making some good long ones, too.

So golf has been really fun for me the last month. Thankfully, you know, we have one more tournament to go. Obviously it sucks that I'm starting to play really great at the end of the season, but going to take a lot of positives from it into next week.

Q. You just celebrated Lilia, a former teammate, right?

ALISON LEE: Yeah.

Q. What was that like celebrate with her?

ALISON LEE: It's really cool to see Lilia play some amazing golf this year. You know, I know her first year on tour she struggled a bit, and she struggled to kind of find her way back on tour.

But to see her thrive has been really fun to watch and really inspiring.

Q. To be playing this good of golf this late in the year with one more event, a lot on the line next week, how good are you feeling head into Tiburon?

ALISON LEE: Yeah, I feel really good. I am hitting the ball really great. Hitting a lot of good irons, making some really good putts.

I feel like that's obviously the key. Also just I do feel really confident. I do. I feel really comfortable over the ball. I feel like, you know, it's kind of cliche to say, but it's definitely -- I'm having fun. I'm like playing more confidently, playing more aggressively, you know, not playing from a nervous standpoint or worried position I guess.

I feel like I have a lot of the weight lifted off my shoulders because this is the end of the year now and just going to try and give it my all.

Q. Is that what has been key to your calmness? You look a lot calmer now.

ALISON LEE: Yeah, I would say so. I think the calmness also has a little to do with being really tired. I want to say next week will be my 27th event this season, which is a lot for me.

But, you know, I mean, if I could, if we had five more weeks in a row I would play it because I feel so good about my game right now.

Hopefully going into next week I can could play like how I played this week. If I do play like I did this week next week, I'll be really happy.

Q. I imagine you've seen Lilia play a fair amount of golf through the years. What have you seen different in her this year?

ALISON LEE: Yeah, I've known Lilia since she was -- I mean, since she was probably 13, 14 and I was pretty young as well. She's always been a really good golfer and pretty dominant golfer in her age group, in junior golf, college golf, all that stuff. It was only a matter of time until she was going to shine like this.

Q. Is there one aspect about Lilia this year that has most impressed you in making that leap?

ALISON LEE: I would say her confidence. You know, her first rookie year on tour she struggled a bit. I'm sure that took a lot of mental toughness to get through that period of time. I think when golfers go through that, a little bit of struggle, you do appreciate it more when you come out on top and when you can get past that hump and you can come out and win out here, play consistently good golf.

I feel like you have this weight lifted off your shoulders because you know what it's like to, you know, be at the very bottom. To be able to see your hard work pay off, I feel like it's a very gratifying experience for her to be able to be here.

Now she's just cruising. She knows what it's like to play bad. I think now that she's playing some amazing golf, she knows what she needs to do to stay in this place, and I think she's just cruising now.

Q. Any irony in that as well you're playing you got to get past her?

ALISON LEE: No, not at all. I've got through my fair share of struggles as well. I know exactly what it's like. The toughest part when it comes to coming out of the struggle is being able to come out of it on top and coming out here and being able to compete.

I've been there. Like going in missing cuts every week, losing my card, to now coming out here and being in contention again. I mean, I feel like that part in itself is a big accomplishment, and obviously to come out here and win multiple times in one year is even grander.

She already did the hard part now, and so this is all a testament to her hard work.

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