DOW CHAMPIONSHIP

June 25, 2024

Vanessa Borovilos

Sophie Stevens

Midland Country Club

Press Conference

THE MODERATOR: I'm here in the media center at the Dow Championship with Vanessa Borovilos and Sophie Stevens. Just ahead of the week, talk about how excited you both are for this week and this opportunity. Sophie?

SOPHIE STEVENS: Yeah. I'm stoked. This is my first LPGA appearance, and it's always been like a dream to play in one.

I think just coming on the grounds, seeing all the players that you know by name has just been awesome, and I'm stoked for it.

I'm not quite sure what to expect, but honestly, I'll just go out and have fun.

VANESSA BOROVILOS: Yeah, it's great being out at an LPGA event. We're still trying to find our way around here like through the locker rooms and everything, but to be able to tee it up against the pros -- we played with Danielle Kang and Ronni Yin today, and just to be able to talk with them and see who they are as people, it's pretty cool.

Q. Talk a little bit, too, Sophie about winning the Suzann Pettersen qualifier and what kind of decision went into picking Vanessa as your partner.

SOPHIE STEVENS: Yeah, honestly, what an opportunity to be able to play in that. I kind of made a last-minute decision to participate in it. I was like, you know, I need something to sharpen my game before I play in the Michigan Am, so my dad was like, hey, do you want to sign up for this, and I was like, sure, why not. So I gave it a crack, and I played really well. The last day it was still a bit of a struggle, but I was proud of the way I kind of held it together and fought through it, and then to be able to realize, hey, you just qualified for an LPGA event was awesome.

I'm super stoked to be here, again, and Vanessa is an amazing player. She's also a lot of fun to be around. So I was thinking through all the people I've played with, who's someone I would have a ball with but also be able to actually have success with, and Vanessa was an easy one because she's both those things.

I think we're going to have a lot of fun.

VANESSA BOROVILOS: I remember I was at Weston, my home club, when I got the call, and she's like, are you doing anything that week? I'm like, no, I'm free. So we decided to come down here, and we're going to have a great week.

Q. Talk a little bit about the team name you both have chosen and the walk-up song. Any reason behind it, the process that went into picking it? Any other options you had?

VANESSA BOROVILOS: We came up with it last night actually. We were having dinner downtown Midland and we were just playing ping-pong fooling around, and we were joking that we're, like, the kids in this event, so Sophie was like, yeah, we're the young 'uns, and I'm like, that's the name.

Q. And the walk up so much?

VANESSA BOROVILOS: Levels by Avicii. I've listened to that song for a couple years now before almost all of my events, and it's just a great song to get pumped up to, so I thought it would be fun coming up 18. Good hype song.

Q. Touching on being here and seeing some of these players that you've watched and grown up watching, what's it been like for you both to be in the same spaces as them, eating in dining with them, and is there anyone you're excited to meet or have already met this week so far?

SOPHIE STEVENS: Honestly, it's so cool. You see it all on TV, but then to be there and be in it, it makes you realize, hey, at the end of the day we're all just a bunch of golfers trying to perfect our craft.

I think it's super cool being there and being in it and living the same experience that they're living.

VANESSA BOROVILOS: Yeah, when I come here, it's still a bit nerve-racking. I'm trying not to mess up, trying not to get in the way of the other players. But they're all so supportive. They know what it's like being out here for the first time, so yeah, it's really cool to be here.

Q. Vanessa, Brooke Henderson is in the field, a very well-known Canadian golfer, the winningest of all time. Talk a little bit about what it's been like for you to look up to her and all the accomplishments she's had and kind of if you align your goals sometimes with that trajectory and if you would like to see yourself in Brooke's spot maybe.

VANESSA BOROVILOS: Yeah, I've looked up to her for many years now, just not only what she has accomplished but how she's gone about it. You always see her smiling out there, never gets mad or anything.

I got the opportunity to play a practice round with her in New Jersey last year at one of my events, and it was the coolest thing just to be able to talk to her and see how she's gone about the game and how she goes about tournaments.

But yeah, following in her footsteps would be really cool.

Q. Have you talked to each other about what college golf is like and the experience that you're hoping Vanessa has and what you've taken away from it?

SOPHIE STEVENS: Yeah, we actually talked about it a lot last night. I really enjoyed college golf so far. It's been so much fun. It was a lot different than junior golf, but just having that camaraderie between your teammates and having coaches always there to help you, just building that team around you has been such a cool experience, and also having good players -- like I'm going to a really good school right now. She's going to be at an amazing school. Having those really good players around you to just help sharpen your game, you learn different things from different people. She'll do amazing. I'm excited for the next three years I've got. It's been awesome.

Q. What are you looking forward to most about college golf based on what Sophie said?

VANESSA BOROVILOS: I would say the team aspect of it. Being in Toronto and doing online school, I haven't gotten to hang out with too many of my friends that I play against on a daily basis. To be able to practice with them and really just hang out, have a good time, can't wait for that, and can't wait to be rivals with Sophie.

Q. Sophie, you talked about winning the Suzann Pettersen qualifier. Talk about making your LPGA Tour debut in your home state. I'm sure you're going to have more family here this week. Talk about playing your LPGA Tour debut in your home state.

SOPHIE STEVENS: Yeah, it's super special. I love Michigan. I love this style of golf course. It reminds me a lot of the courses I've played growing up.

Just the thick grass, the smooth greens, like this is literally the type of golf course that I like. It's been a little different since I've played down south so much. You play all the Bermuda and all that. But it's nice being back up in this northern grass.

And just having family around, it's going to be a lot of fun. I just love playing close to home.

Q. As you're going to Texas A&M, I'm assuming that either you're going to go say hi to Stacy Lewis this week or she's going to go say hi to you if you haven't already. Are y'all meeting up this week? Are you chatting this week? Are you going to get some pointers from her as you go to Texas A&M next year?

VANESSA BOROVILOS: Yeah, my coach at A&M is trying to set us up for a little chat. We actually saw her when we were coming down 18. But yeah, it's going to be great to be able to be around her and get the wisdom off her of her many years on the LPGA Tour, so hopefully get to know her a bit more, and we're going to have fun.

Q. You two know each other really well. You said you're going to have the most fun together out of anybody this week. On the golf course, what's the strategy, because it's a team event? Have you talked about strategy on the golf course this week?

SOPHIE STEVENS: We've touched on it a little bit. We'll get into a little bit more as the week goes on. But she hits the ball a mile. There's a couple holes out there that I think would be good to give her the driver and let her rip it down there, especially in alternate shot.

Aside from that, we're just going to go out, have fun, keep a good mindset, and enjoy it.