AIG WOMEN'S OPEN

August 24, 2024

Alexa Pano

Mixed Zone

Q. Nice back nine.

ALEXA PANO: Thank you.

Q. How many people out there know what your jacket is?

ALEXA PANO: I did see someone on 17 with a Yankees hat and my dad was talking about it. I get asked about it a lot over here because it confuses them more.

Q. How is it?

ALEXA PANO: I feel like it's pretty typical St Andrews weather. I feel like I've adapted to the wind pretty well. It's kind of just learning to play with it and it's kind of how an open should be. So you're very mentally prepared for it before you go out and play.

Q. If someone told you after the first tournament of the year, and showed you the season you've had since then, what would you have said?

ALEXA PANO: I don't know. I mean, I don't know. I'm just trying to do the best I can every week. I'm not displeased with how the season has gone. Of course every week I'm going out there and trying to win but I know I'm putting my best foot forward every week and that's all you can ask in golf. Sometimes it happens and sometimes it doesn't. I go out to practise each day trying to get better and that's all I've done this season. I wouldn't change anything. Just trying to do my best each week.

Q. Do you feel like this week could be a good push to get a captain's pick for Solheim or is that on your mind?

ALEXA PANO: I think at the beginning of this year, it was on my mind a little too much. I may be tried to push myself really hard for that and now I'm pushing myself for myself.

Just going to keep taking it day-by-day, playing the best I can and focus on this golf tournament, nothing else.

Q. You creeped up the leaderboard enough to be within shouting distance. What's your approach going to be tomorrow? More aggressive? What do you think?

ALEXA PANO: You know I don't think you can really get too aggressive on this golf course. You're going have to take a lot of the bounces that it gives you and play smart most of the time.

There are a lot of shots out there I wish I could have been more aggressive with it but you have to take what the wind and golf course gives you. It requires a lot of focus on every shot. So I think I'm just going to take it shot-by-shot like I have been the whole week.

Q. What's been your St Andrews experience prior, just practise rounds?

ALEXA PANO: Yeah, just practise rounds. I was joking around with the caddies earlier. I watch a lot of golf but I haven't really watched the The Open because it's very early in the morning. So I had no idea this week that on the 7th tee you had to play off of the Road Hole -- or off of the road.

So in the practise rounds, some of the girls were chipping off it. I think it was Allie Ewing, I was like, "What are you doing? Just take a drop." So that was new for me.

I knew about hitting over the hotel, though. And so it was pretty special.

Coming up the bridge on 18 was really cool. My dad and I have gotten a picture there every day. Yeah, it definitely lives up to the expectations that I had coming in.

Q. Is there anything that you can draw on from past experience? If you're going to win tomorrow, it's going to be from behind. Anything in your career, amateur or whatever, that you can draw on more?

ALEXA PANO: Yeah, my win last year came from behind. So I do have experience doing it. But like I said, on this course, you really have take it shot-by-shot. You can't be looking at the leaderboard. You can't be worried about what anyone else is doing except for yourself. That's been working pretty well for me this week, and just going to keep sticking to that for sure.

Q. (Have you talked to Stacy Lewis)?

ALEXA PANO: You know, Stacy is a competitor each week. So I haven't really spoken to her other than after we played a practice round together. Not much about Solheim. She's just a competitor out here like the rest of us, and I know she's the captain as well but yeah, just kind of like any other competitor out here for sure.

Q. What did you do for your birthday?

ALEXA PANO: We didn't do too much. I'm going to celebrate with friends and family when I get back home. But I went shopping and my dad got me a cake, so that was really fun, and we had a really nice dinner. One of our friends sent me another cake, so I've been loaded up on cake this week.

Q. (Off mic).

ALEXA PANO: There's not a lot around here, I hate to say but I went to the store and got these like jelly cats, which is kind of -- I think it's a European thing, I don't know and there's a really pretty bookstore over here and I got some books. My dad bought me a Bob Rotella book about confidence is key, which I thought was really funny. Just been having a good time this week. I love getting to walk around the town and stuff. It's been a very chill birthday but I wouldn't want to spend it anywhere else than here.

Q. Have you ever met Bob?

ALEXA PANO: No, I met him one time last year, actually, at Bob Toski's, I want to say 92nd birthday party, and he's a very nice guy. But I have not read his books or done any work with him. But my dad has read some of his books, so he swears by them.

Q. Will you crack it open tonight and read it?

ALEXA PANO: I don't know, I think that's more of a plane ride home thing. We'll see how the final round goes.

Q. What book --

ALEXA PANO: I forget the name of it. I'm more of a fiction kind of gal. I'm not reading golf-related stuff.

Q. What's your favourite fiction?

ALEXA PANO: I don't know. Maybe People We Meet on Vacation by Emily Henry or November 9 by Colleen Hoover. Those are probably my top two right now.

Q. Is there a relationship --

ALEXA PANO: Yeah, it was pretty random, actually.

Obviously I've been a lifelong fan and my dad has had season tickets for over 40 years now. So when I was on Epson Tour, I had a carry bag all year and I got a staff bag when I qualified for the U.S. Open. I don't have a college team to putt on it.

We put the Patriots logo on it because it was special to my family and whatnot and that was supposed to be a one week ordeal. I did an interview with the Patriots about it that week and didn't think anything of it but thought it was amazing.

Next week I was back competing on the Epson Tour and they wanted to make it more of a permanent thing and make the relationship official. So I've had on my bag ever since and on my shirt ever since I was on the LPGA, and so it's a really cool deal for me. They are supportive of everything I do, and to have something that you've idolised and watched on TV and be supportive of you is really cool.

I'm very excited for our event in Boston next week because I'm actually going to be doing stuff with the Patriots with that, as well, so I'm looking forward to that.

Q. Any perks --

ALEXA PANO: I don't know if it's anything other fans don't get. I have been to a couple of games. I've been on the field before the game last year at the Chiefs game, and I've gotten to meet the Krafts a few times which is really cool. They did help me get some Eras Tour tickets last year, so that was really cool. But yeah, like I said, they are so supportive of me and my golf and helping me out in any way they can.

Q. Who is your favourite Patriots player ever?

ALEXA PANO: Ever? Have to say Tom Brady but I'm also a big Julian Edelman girl. I think he's great.

Q. Have you met them?

ALEXA PANO: I met Tom Brady one time and I was super starstruck. He's a really nice guy, and I just kind of forgot for a moment that he can't just live inside my TV screen but it was incredible to say the least.