HILTON GRAND VACATIONS TOURNAMENT OF CHAMPIONS

January 18, 2024

Ally Ewing

Lake Nona Golf & Country Club

Quick Quotes

Q. All right, Ally, solid first day here. Overall what's it like to re-kick off your season here at the Hilton Grand Vacations Tournament of Champions?

ALLY EWING: Yeah, it's good. Good to see everyone again. You know, really happy with the first round. Coming out of off-season probably better than I expected it to be if I'm going to be honest.

Yeah, happy with how today went. Just try to knock the rust off slowly but surely.

Q. Did you feel like once you got out there, obviously you've been doing this a little bit so you understand it, always takes the first day.

ALLY EWING: Right.

Q. What was the rusty parts you'll look to improve upon tomorrow?

ALLY EWING: Yeah, a couple of drives just here and there. And then, you know, just kind of getting back into the groove with Kurt and just making sure we're making solid decisions.

I think you get physically rusty as well as mentally, so just getting back into making sure we're thinking things through the right way.

If I take the ball striking that I had today, I would take it every single day of the week.

So, yeah, just maybe capitalize on a couple putts, hit a couple more fairways, and think through shots the right way.

Q. What was the off-season like for you? Were you back in Mississippi where it is a little bit colder than most people have their off-seasons?

ALLY EWING: Yeah, it was nice and slow. I really enjoy off-season and putting the clubs away, taking the time with my family. We spent a good amount of time in Mississippi as well as Texas where my in-laws are. Did some hunting in the off-season.

So, yeah, just a lot of great time and just really soaking in that time with the family that I can get that we don't really get in the middle of the summer.

I really enjoyed off-season.

Q. I know you played with last year's celebrity champion, Mardy Fish. What was that like for you? Have you played with Mardy in the past?

ALLY EWING: I have not. Obviously you hear that he's a great golfer. You see it because he won, but he's an exceptional person as well. The conversation was really light. It was fun.

You know, he plays some great golf himself, so accompany that, we had a great day today just walking around the golf course today.

Q. It's really interesting to have this be kind of the more fun season opener for just our tour. Hearing Mardy talk about his fandom of the LPGA Tour earlier in the week, what do you hope celebs leave this tournament with after playing a couple rounds with LPGA Tour winners?

ALLY EWING: One, they're very appreciative of our games. They're all usually very happy to just -- they don't want to really be in the way. It's really a fun event for us, as I said, to knock some rust off.

Then you play alongside people who have been great in their industry, sports, TV, whatever it might be. So just having these celebs come out and number one, they appreciate what we do. They know the hard work it takes to be great in our sport.

But then they're also a lot of fun to walk around the golf course with and hear about their lives and what kind of things they have experienced in their sport and industry.

You gain a ton of appreciation for what they have done as well.