CME GROUP TOUR CHAMPIONSHIP

November 19, 2024

Ally Ewing

Tiburon Golf Club

Press Conference

THE MODERATOR: All right, very pleased to be joined by Ally Ewing here at the CME Group Tour Championship. As we sit here in your final CME, how do you feel now coming into this one versus your first time here in Naples?

ALLY EWING: I remember my first one coming here, it was on the heels of my really unfortunate situation in Malaysia where I got really sick.

So my rookie year I was just really happy to be here. Honestly, wasn't sure I was going to be able to finish the week. So rookie year just kind of being happy to be here, and this year obviously a lot of different emotions.

Still coming in with probably my most consistent and best year that I've had in my career. So a lot of really good things, but I'm just looking forward to the walk and enjoying -- no matter what happens this week, I'm certainly going to be happy with everything.

Q. What are some of those emotions coming into the week?

ALLY EWING: Yeah, I think I am excited just for the next chapter. You know, I can't really tell you specifics of what that looks like, but I'm just looking forward to the small things. You know, I do love being home. I joke that my husband, he might get sick of me being home so much he might tell me to go do something else.

Yeah, just the small things. Really excited, but it is kind of bittersweet just to -- I know I'll miss competing, the people. The people are what make a Tour like this really special.

So I'm going to have things that I'm going to be able to savor and really miss, and I'll have things I'm not going to miss as much as sure.

Q. Last week you got to play your final round with Brittany Lincicome. How was that, and did that spark some pre-CME emotions knowing that could be you this week?

ALLY EWING: Yeah, it was super special, one, that you get to be a part of someone's retirement round like that. And then seeing her dad carry her bag on the last hole, you know, put my sunglasses on just to make sure if any tears were glowing that I covered it up.

Yeah, I think something like that is always super special. You do kind of look into the next week, the future of what it's going to be like for me.

Kurt is going to stay on my bag on hole 18, so I'll try to avoid eye contact with the family until after I finish hole 18 for sure.

Q. Obviously winner of the Founders Award, one of the LPGA more prestigious Rolex Awards. For you to be a player that your peers recognize with something like that, what does that mean to you?

ALLY EWING: Yeah, I think it's a huge honor. Any time something like that is awarded or given, it really does mean a lot. There are certain things that you work for and you earn, but I think having the respect of your peers, I think that just means a lot.

And people have made it super easy for me since I got out here to treat people the way they've treated me. I've been treated incredibly by my peers, so it's been really easy to just try to leave a good impact on everyone, both peers, fans, everyone.

I mean, people are what make things like this so special. In terms of when I look back on my career, this Founders Award will definitely be something I cherish for a long time.

Q. I know when you announced your retirement, I think I asked you actually how you were planning to celebrate. You mentioned a dog.

ALLY EWING: I did.

Q. There might be a new edition to the Ewing Family. Tell me about Rusty?

ALLY EWING: Oh, yeah, we have got more shedding. So there is hair everywhere. Could be hair flying around in here shortly.

Rusty is a Nova Scotia Duck Tolling Retriever. He is cute. Has very sharp teeth. But he is really sweet. We love that we have him as a part of our family.

My husband and parents are currently at our airbnb taking care of him. He could be deep in a nap or being on an absolute tear around the house, who knows?

I did get our puppy and it's been fun just having him around for a little over a month now.

Q. When you look ahead to next year, golf is not going to be as big a part of your life as it has been. What are you most excited for the next chapter?

ALLY EWING: Yeah, I think there are several things. There are just things that I miss, like I miss my bed. Just the little things like that. Making my own coffee at home. There are tons of things I'll miss about this Tour. I'll miss the people. I've always been a homebody though so the travel gets pretty tough on me.

As a Type I diabetic the routine of being at home will make management a little bit easier for me. And then there is the part if we're blessed to have kids down the road, starting a family, that's something we're definitely looking forward to.

Q. How engaged are you now with the Mississippi State Women's Golf Program, and how is that likely to change?

ALLY EWING: Well, I'm as involved as the girls want me to be and as Charlie will allow me to be. I don't really overstep or anything like that. I do like to just pop my head in. If I can contribute in any way to practice ideas, or, you know, I don't think I'll hesitate to go play nine holes with them on occasion. Weather permitting. Now that I have control over when I play, I'll definitely be a fair weather fan.

To be a part of golf, I mean, I love the game. The more that they want me to be involved, definitely I'll jump in and lend a hand. Be completely up to them.

Q. Have you let yourself think about what Sunday might feel like?

ALLY EWING: Yeah, in some regard. I have thought about it in terms of who all is gonna be here. I've got a lot of family coming to support me, so I'm sure it'll be bittersweet. I'm a pretty emotional person, so I've handled it really well through the year.

I don't know if I've just done a really good job through the year, but I've also known -- I think what's been weird is I've known since the very beginning of the year this was it for me.

I've had these moments throughout the year. I looked at my caddie at the U.S. Women's Open first round and I said, this is my last U.S. Open. I don't say that to put pressure, but let's go enjoy it. Let's make the most of it.

I had my best U.S. Open finish. I'm not saying that that will be the same as here. Certainly way more towards the end of the book.

I'm sure I'll be overcome with emotion at some point. I think there is just for me personally so much more to life than golf. Even though this door is closing and I'm moving on in life, I'm going to be sad, but also looking forward to that next chapter.

Q. Last week's slow play popped up a little bit. Do you think that's an issue on the LPGA?

ALLY EWING: I mean, I certainly think it can be. Now, next year I'm going to be hopping in a golf cart zipping around in my retirement.

You know, it's always been a topic of conversation since I've been on Tour. I do think with some players it's an issue. You have your fast players and we all know who those are.

I don't have any answers, but it definitely is hard to play with at times, and I'm sure it's super hard for the rules officials. Every year at the end of the year they're like, how are we going to make this better?

You know, people are playing for their livelihood so I get it why people take their time. I think there is a line we have to draw.

Q. This year with Nelly playing well, with an increased interest in women's sports, Caitlin Clark, you could say there was an opportunity for the LPGA to maybe grasp that moment and ride that wave and go past that even. Do you think the Tour did that?

ALLY EWING: In terms of? Sorry, I'm not sure I fully understand.

Q. In terms of increasing interest in the Tour and getting more eyeballs on women's golf. Do you think that was captured?

ALLY EWING: Well, I know I've never seen -- in terms of Caitlin Clark last week playing the pro-am, I've never seen that many people around one group in a pro-am. So the excitement I think just to see a current dominant female basketball player who plays golf from time to time come in and play our pro-am, that was huge for a turnout.

I ran out on to the 18th fairway to get a picture with her myself because I played basketball in high school. I think there is always opportunity to reach a little bit higher. I think the LPGA has done a great job in growth.

So in terms of just doing better and better, I think we are doing better. I think tons of opportunities that we can look to use as we move forward.

Q. My 16 year old nephew is trying to break 80 for the first time. What's one tip you would give him?

ALLY EWING: My tip would be go to a tee box that makes that realistic, and then when you break 80 on that tee box, move back a box. So I would move up to a tee -- like probably some people would say that's not good. I think scoring is scoring and you have to learn to score.

You know, shooting 61 from the women's tees or from the forward tees is still really hard. You still have to golf your ball. I would encourage him to go to a tee box where he feels like he can attain that and steadily move back and keep challenging yourself that way.

Q. How did you know that this was the last year?

ALLY EWING: I had a pretty good idea two years ago that I was going to have two to three more years in me. I think also, not to get into too much personal detail, but I'm a Type I and down the road if we are blessed kids that will be a high risk pregnancy for me; I'm 32 now. I'm not the youngest player on Tour anymore either.

So you just put a lot of things into the equation and this was just the right timing for me. When I looked at my career I wanted to play good golf as I finished my career. I didn't want to just fizzle out. Fortunately, knowing this year was my last year I've played some of my best golf.

So I think that's just how I drew it up. I know that doesn't make a lot of sense to people, to stop playing when you're playing good golf, but that's just how I wanted to do it.

Q. Was there ever a point in that great golf that you thought, maybe one more?

ALLY EWING: Absolutely not. If anything, it gave me more and more peace. The better I played, and really, too, like Solheim was high up on that list, being on this team. Then I knew that was my last Solheim. Being able to finally win one, that was really special, too.

So I never looked at my family or my husband at any point in the year and said, I don't know. They kind of would poke at me a little bit. Yeah, I knew and I've had peace all through the year. That's even more solidified my decision.

Q. It's been a long time since someone has dominated the LPGA with seven wins. What makes Nelly Korda special?

ALLY EWING: Well, I think winning is hard in general. To do it seven times in one year is just -- I mean, that's just absolutely incredible.

To have the consistency -- did she win six in a row at the beginning of the year? Five in a row with a major championship in there. It's unbelievable golf. As a teammate, it's been a lot of fun to join her on Solheim Cup teams.

It's great for the game. I don't know if everyone on Tour would say that, but it's pretty incredible to see somebody dominate like that.

And Lydia's year on top of that. To have two players that that have played such great golf, it's been fun to I think just be a part of it. I think the main thing we're finding out is and Florida golf seems to be pretty hard to take away from Nelly.

She's played a lot of good golf in a lot of different states, but seems like Florida she holds down pretty good.

Q. As you look back on your career, do you have a few moments in that time that you will cherish and always remember?

ALLY EWING: I mean, obviously the wins are pretty special, and I think they're really easy for me to remember because the first one was on my birthday, second one was on my husband and I's first anniversary.

The third one, you know, kind of sad that the date is that memorable, but September 11th. So three dates I'll always be able to remember.

And then you've got Solheim Cup weeks are just the best weeks that there are. Even the three that I was a part of that we lost, like those weeks are just incredible weeks. I love team atmospheres.

I certainly love competing as a individual, but when you get a group of people together that are working towards a common goal, that's so unique. Wearing the red, white, and blue for your country, like I'll say that forever, just how special those weeks are.

I mean, I could bore you to death with a bunch of different random things from my entire career. I think really to cap it off this year, to be receiving The Founders Award. When Vicky called me and told me I had been voted by my peers to receive that, in the gist of what I tried to accomplish in life, leaving an impact on people and leaving a legacy regardless of how many wins that I was able to accumulate, I think an award like that just really means a lot to me, to know that how you treat people really did does go a long way.

Regardless of how many wins I were to have at the end of my career, people will always remember how you treated them. So that's what's probably going to stick with me forever.

THE MODERATOR: Thank you so much, Ally.

ALLY EWING: Thank you.