AIG WOMEN'S OPEN

August 21, 2024

Lexi Thompson

Press Conference

OLIVIA McMILLAN: Good morning, ladies and gentlemen. I am delighted to be joined by Lexi Thompson. Welcome to St Andrews for the AIG Women's Open. Start by giving us your thoughts on the town, the championship, just how special this is.

LEXI THOMPSON: Well, it's such a special place. St Andrews, just walking around the town. The golf course is one thing. Amazing golf course. But just walking around the town, just the people that are out, they just love the game of golf. They respect it. They're just such genuine people.

I think all of us players just love coming back to the Home of Golf. The course is in great shape. Weather is a little patchy, but we expect that. But it's great to be back here, and hoping for the best.

Q. Is links golf a style of golf that you enjoy, or what are your feelings towards it?

LEXI THOMPSON: Yeah, I think coming over here, you have to learn to enjoy it because growing up in Florida, it's definitely a whole different game of golf. In Florida you get the number to the pin and basically you land it there and that's the only shot you have basically. When you come here, you have a lot of different visuals and a lot more shot making, I think, but it tests you. It really tests your patience and it tests what kind of shots you really have in your bag.

Q. I know you had a few weeks off and I know you're always grinding on your game, always grinding in the gym. What else did you do with your time away, and are you feeling refreshed coming into what's going to be a difficult week at St Andrews?

LEXI THOMPSON: Yeah, the first weekend I was home, I went to Siesta Key for the weekend and didn't bring the clubs and just chilled by the beach and really enjoyed some downtime.

Then the following few weeks I was grinding. I was practising a lot, training a lot, knowing that I had a good amount of golf left in the year and some really important events, especially coming into this week.

The weather in Florida is definitely not what I probably should have been practising in coming into this week, but it was good to get a feel for my game, working on it coming into this week.

Q. Has it hit you that this could be your last major maybe for a while? I know you've left it a little open-ended, but does it hit you this could be your last major at the Home of Golf, of all places?

LEXI THOMPSON: Yeah, sometimes it definitely hits me. It's a big deal to be here at the Home of Golf. St Andrews is such an amazing opportunity just to be able to play golf here, and what AIG does for this tournament has really made an impact on women's golf. I think that's what we really need to appreciate.

Yeah, I try not to think about it, I just try to stay in the moment and just really embrace the fans, embrace just being here and how lucky we are.

Q. What is the percentage that this might be your final major? Is it really high? Will you play in a major next year do you think?

LEXI THOMPSON: I've thought about it. There's a few that I'm obviously in, but yeah, I haven't put too much thought into it. Going into next year, I'm going to take some time off and just see how I feel, see how I feel mentally and where I'm at. But I know I have a few majors if I want to be able to tee it up there and get my game ready.

But yeah, we'll see. I haven't really thought about this being my last because there's more opportunities next year if I wanted.

Q. Was there a moment in your career when you learned to embrace a forecast like you're going to have this week?

LEXI THOMPSON: My first British I probably learned to embrace it.

No, I think every tournament. You don't know what kind of weather you're going to get. But when coming over here, you know it's going to be a little cooler. I'm from Florida so it was 95 degrees, so I knew I wasn't going to get that.

But you just have to embrace it. You're going to get maybe some unlucky breaks with some bounces, and with the weather you just have to be like, all right, I have it all in my bag, I'm ready, and just have to commit to the shot as much as you can. That's all you can do and just let the wind blow it or the rain take it and just hope for the best.

Q. Obviously play was cancelled on Saturday at this event in 2013. What do you remember about how difficult the conditions were then?

LEXI THOMPSON: On Saturday?

Q. Just the week.

LEXI THOMPSON: I was going to say, I don't think I made it to Saturday (laughing). I don't really remember the conditions. It's crazy, I don't have that great of a memory, but I do remember some certain holes out on this golf course. But it's what you get over here. It's a challenging way of golf. There's a lot of shots to be made and a lot more thinking involved, I feel, when you come over here.

But it really tests your patience and your focus.

Q. It's been a few years since Suzann had that walk-off at the Solheim where she made the winning putt and retired, and you obviously were there for that, to witness it. I'm curious what you thought about that, and if you were to win this Sunday, are you the type of person who would consider maybe doing the same, to be able to go out on top and winning a tournament like this?

LEXI THOMPSON: And just retire if I won? No, I wouldn't do that. There's a lot of golf events to be played the rest of the year. Just really taking it one shot at a time, embracing the moment of just being here is really special for me.

I was there for Suzann's moment, and it was kind of one of those things where you're like, unfortunately it was meant to be. It kind of all just ended up happening, I feel like, how God planned it for her, and nothing but happy for her. She's so talented.

But yeah, my path, I'm just going to take it as it comes and do whatever makes me happiest.

Q. I know you're still needing to qualify for a spot on the Solheim Cup team, but how hungry are you to be out at Robert Trent Jones golf club?

LEXI THOMPSON: Very hungry. Anytime I can represent my country, it's my No. 1 goal to be on this team. That's nothing like it. I feel like it brings out an energy and talent from all of us players that fans don't see every week. I think they really enjoy it. You're not only playing for yourself.

Golf is such an individual sport. We get the opportunity to bring 12 girls together, build those friendships and relationships, play under our captain that we look up to. It's something different. It's special.

Q. For a player that loves hitting your driver, in these kind of conditions with some of the winds you're going to be playing into, is it fun to rip a driver and not have to worry about it considering the wind direction?

LEXI THOMPSON: When it gets super windy it's all just a matter of controlling your ball flight really. I'll take some 3-woods out here because it is a lower ball flight than my driver, just see what I'm comfortable with.

But it's a matter of whatever club you are, just commit to the line even though it's not where you want it to end up. You're aiming way left or way right or taking way more club or way less. It's all a matter of confidence and commitment.

Q. Does Florida wind compare to this kind of wind at all in any given circumstance, or do you have any experience with Florida wind that lends itself to this kind of condition?

LEXI THOMPSON: I was talking about that today. Usually it is windy at home, and I'm used to practising in 20, 25 mile per hour every day, but the two weeks before I left for here, it was blowing 3 miles per hour. I was like, well, I'm practising my yardages for not going that distance when I come here.

It's good practice, obviously, because you dial in your yardages and get that solid contact feel, but when you come over here, it's just a matter of feeling the shots and visualising them.

Q. You've spoken about the psychological toll, since having announced your retirement, that being on the Tour year in and year out takes on you. Since you've made that announcement, do you feel any difference psychologically coming into this week? Is it less weight on your shoulders?

LEXI THOMPSON: Yeah, I think overall there is a little less weight on my shoulders after the announcement because it has been on my mind for a few years, so it's something that's been inside that nobody really knew about or what was going to happen.

But all of us players, we have our own battles. Everybody does. Everybody has their things they go through and how they deal with them. But everybody deserves to do whatever makes them the happiest.

But once I made the announcement, it definitely took a little bit of a weight, and I'm just trying to come out here, sign all the autographs, embrace the fans and really appreciate them and the sponsors and just be lucky that we're out here.

Q. Speaking to Stacy Lewis about the schedule and how demanding it is, is there anything that you think even if you leave the Tour on a full-time basis that could change to make it less all-consuming?

LEXI THOMPSON: The schedule for sure. I think all the travel that we have. It gets to be a lot.

I think the flow of schedule could be better. Certain events could be back-to-back that are close to each other. We travel a lot out of the country, but it is a global tour so that comes with it, and we're very lucky for the sponsors that we have out of the country, as well. It's not tournaments that we want to lose, but we also want to gain a lot more in the States, as well.

Q. I just wondered since you spoke out in May whether you feel you've opened up a conversation within the sport; people are more comfortable now, empathising with your position and sharing how actually they feel about life on Tour?

LEXI THOMPSON: Yeah, I feel like I've gotten nothing but love and support from a lot of players, as well, which has been great, because I didn't really know what to expect or what to think, what people would think of my decision or my announcement.

Like I said, everybody is going through things, and a lot of people don't know about it. It's just a matter of how well you hide it and how open you want to be about it.

I think it's important to share those feelings, whether if it's with close loved ones or just be open about it with somebody that you want to seek help with. It's not something that you should keep inside. You should not be afraid of sharing how you genuinely feel.

Q. Has there been any point in the last three months where you've thought to yourself, now that you've made the decision and told everyone that you've thought, maybe not? Have you had any doubt or anything like that?

LEXI THOMPSON: No. I haven't had any doubt. But like I said, it's just from full-time. I could tee it up a few more times next year. But I'm very content with my decision, and I think that's what will make me happiest inside.

Q. You know you're going to have a lot of free time on your hands next year. Have you thought about what you're going to do, how you're going to while away the hours?

LEXI THOMPSON: Well, I'm launching my Lexi Fitness app coming up in the next few weeks, so that'll be up and going very soon, and then next year I want to travel. I want to be able to travel and not play golf, so to be able to sightsee and do all the touristy things. Definitely looking forward to that.

I'll be 30 next year, so settle down, get married, have a family. That's my No. 1 priority.

Q. Anywhere specifically you're looking to go and travel?

LEXI THOMPSON: Greece is at the top of my list or South Africa. I have a few. So many people are telling me where to go, so I have a long list.

Q. Given your announcement and your obvious plans for the future, how much would it mean to you this week to go out and win here at the Home of Golf?

LEXI THOMPSON: It would mean the world to me, honestly. At the Home of Golf? It doesn't get much better than that. And being a major championship, it would be a dream come true. But there's so much golf to be played, and weeks like this you just have to stay in the moment and take one shot at a time, be patient, know there will be bad breaks or some bad shots. You just have to get through them with a positive attitude and keep on going.

But yeah, that would be a dream of mine. But a lot of golf to be played, a lot of great players out there. So I'll see what I can do.

Q. You were mentioning you would like to get married and have a family, et cetera. Would you carry on playing golf at all if you had a family, or would that be the end of it completely?

LEXI THOMPSON: No, it would be something I would do for fun because I think golf is such an amazing game for bringing families together, bringing people together and building those relationships. I think it's super important. So no, it's not something I would just stop. Family wouldn't stop that.

But professionally, I don't plan on having a family and playing professional golf.

OLIVIA McMILLAN: Thank you very much for your time today, and we wish you the best of luck this week.