THE ANNIKA DRIVEN BY GAINBRIDGE AT PELICAN

November 14, 2024

Cheyenne Knight

Pelican Golf Club

Quick Quotes

Q. Okay, I'm here with Cheyenne Knight after her first round here at the Pelican Golf Club. Good day by the looks of it. Just one bogey on the card; solid birdies. How do you feel after the round today?

CHEYENNE KNIGHT: Yeah, I definitely got kind of lucky with like making a few putts, especially like the save on 18. I made one off the green on 16.

But like managed my game pretty well. I played this course a lot and I feel like I just -- you got to know where to miss it and just kind of if you miss it in the wrong spot just take a bogey, not get too greedy.

Drove the ball well. So, yeah, it was okay. Yeah, it was good.

Q. Awesome. I know you're 82nd right now on the CME points list. How big of a goal is getting into next week for you? Are you trying not to think about it? How does that feel there?

CHEYENNE KNIGHT: Yeah, I think I looked at the points. I think I have to win. I don't even know if second place will get me in. Yeah, so just really trying to -- I feel like kind of my goal or just like what I'm looking at is next season.

Just right now trying to improve. I switched coaches kind of in August, and just slowly getting back on track and just kind of playing better golf. So, yeah, trying to see some improvement this week and just take it into the off-season and just like build for next year.

Q. How would you characterize the season?

CHEYENNE KNIGHT: Yeah, it hasn't been good. Yeah, I don't know. I feel like golf, it's my job and it just hasn't been a good year.

But I have a lot of things going for me in my personal life. I get married next year. Yeah, it's been disappointing.

It was disappointing not to make Solheim. Yeah, I just haven't played good. So I had to make some changes. You know, working hard and not getting better and kind of like getting worse was kind of what was happening.

So I just really had to take a step back and be like, yeah, like what I'm doing right now isn't working so we need to find something else that does.

So, yeah, I think like, you know, there is lows in everything. This year hasn't been great but I have a lot of other good things going on in my life.

Q. Who do you see coach-wise?

CHEYENNE KNIGHT: Jeff Smith. He's been great. Just I've learned a lot about my golf swing and what my body does. I saw him right before Portland. You know, it's hard to go one lesson and then go plays links golf and all that, but I really enjoyed what we worked on.

Yeah, just makes a lot of sense to me.

Q. What was the biggest revelation with your swing?

CHEYENNE KNIGHT: Yeah, I think it was just a different -- like I can look at my swing and kind of tell like what doesn't look right.

But Jeff has really taught me a lot about my body, especially like my back and what I do in my swing. Like, yeah, the club gets in a bad place because of what your head and your back do.

So, yeah, I think it's been a lot of the like biomechanics and stuff. So he's super smart and I've really been grateful for him.

Q. And then what does it say about you kind of mentally to have your back against the wall this week, not that you're in danger of losing your card, but top 80 better than top 100. What does it say about you that you've been able to so far, put a round together, and make a charge at that top 80 and I guess top 60 at this point?

CHEYENNE KNIGHT: Yeah, thankfully I have winner's category so I'm top 80 no matter what next year. Yeah, I think I've done it before in my career. I guess that's what I kind of keep telling myself.

Like there is a lot of golf left to play but I've done it before. I needed to like win in 2019 to keep my card.

Yeah, we have a ton of golf left to play and really like my only goal this week is to improve every day and just see some improvement going into the off-season.

If I get to play next week, that's great. Yeah, just really taking it one day at a time.

Q. When did you get engaged?

CHEYENNE KNIGHT: I got engaged in March, so, yeah.

Q. How did you two meet?

CHEYENNE KNIGHT: We met through mutual friends actually. So, yeah, so that's been fun, doing the wedding and stuff like that.

A lot of fun things to look forward to. Yeah, golf hasn't been great, but I have great fiance, great family, great friends. You know, golf just hasn't been great.

Q. What kind of golfer is he?

CHEYENNE KNIGHT: He's an improving golfer, you know. (Laughter.)

Yeah, I think I need to be a better coach. I think that's what he says.

Q. Speaking of pressure, is there something kind of freeing about knowing, hey, this might be the last week of the season?

CHEYENNE KNIGHT: Yeah, exactly. Just trying to enjoy it more than anything. This might be my last time before playing in January, so, yeah, just -- yeah, I mean, I'm going to play next week or I'm not; then I'll have an off-season.

Yeah, it's freeing. I think it doesn't do much for me finishing 20th or something. Yeah, nothing to lose, you know. I mean, it's a stressful week for a lot of people, but for me it's just one or the other.