CME GROUP TOUR CHAMPIONSHIP

November 24, 2024

Marina Alex

Tiburon Golf Club

Quick Quotes

Q. All right, here with Marina Alex. Some festivities today as it was announced during the broadcast that this would be your last round out here on the LPGA Tour. What went into that decision, and tell me about what has happened the last 15 minutes.

MARINA ALEX: Yeah, start at the 15 minutes. It's been amazing. Emotions, but great emotions. Friends and family, you know, my childhood coaches, like my godfather who was my putting coach for the longest time, the head pro from my home club in New Jersey who also lives in Florida now.

They've seen the beginning and now the end; it's kind of sweet. Teammates and friends and everyone. So it's been great.

Q. I know emotions...

MARINA ALEX: Yeah.

Q. What are kind of the emotions of saying good-bye?

MARINA ALEX: Yeah, it's hard. Everything -- it's always hard to say good-bye. I know this is what I want and it's the right decision for me right now. That doesn't change the fact that this is a life that I built for the last 11 years out here and golf has been my life since I've been a kid.

So we're about to enter a new world of a new identity. It's great, but change is never easy.

Q. Saw some shirts out there.

MARINA ALEX: Yeah.

Q. Explain the shirts to me.

MARINA ALEX: I think they chronicled the last 10 or 11 years, different moments of my career captured on T-shirts, which was really sweet.

My long-time sponsor Golf4Her who has helped me do all my apparel for the last decade put that together and all my friends were here wearing them. College teammates, friends from the Tour, friends of friends. It didn't matter. My roommate for five years, best friends -- everyone has been here to support me, which is shocking and amazing and really makes you feel so blessed and loved.

Q. Were there any kind of -- what were the thoughts and feelings on the first tee today?

MARINA ALEX: Yeah, the first tee was like business as usual. Wasn't feeling anything until we got to 18 and I was like, oh, man this is the last drive I'm going to hit and the last shot and putt.

Never say never. If there is an opportunity to try and qualify for a U.S. Open or play a U.S. Open I probably will, but as far as playing out here, you know, this chapter has closed.

I'm really thankful for it to be on such an exceptional note.

Q. I know you were maybe intentionally planning to walk away quietly.

MARINA ALEX: Yeah, and the difficulty with that is I wanted to tell the people out here that I've known for so long that I'm not going to be back. I have some unbelievable friendships. I think there is an unwritten bond so many of us have out here just through traveling and the hardship, the good and the bad.

I don't want to whine and say this life is terrible. It's amazing and we know that. But it's challenging. It's hard. We all kind of share that struggle. For all of us who have known each other for an extended period there is a lot of intertwined just bonds and relationships.

I wanted to tell them all in person that this was kind of going to be the end, and then it's word of mouth. Tell one person might at well tell 20.

As far as making announcement, I hadn't really thought about it. This is going to be the announcement I guess, so here we are.

Q. I can get behind that. Looking at the young people that you inspired out here, Lilia Vu has looked up to you.

MARINA ALEX: Yeah.

Q. What legacy does it mean -- what kind of legacy --

MARINA ALEX: Just try and put your best foot forward out here and be as kind and relatable to everyone that you can. You're not going to be everyone's best friend and I know that and I've made mistakes and blunders out here. That comes with the territory of being so close.

Just trying to provide an example to lead by and how to treat each other, how to treat fans, the Tour, the sponsors, and the staff. It's not always easy and not always hard, but you just got to try your best.

I hope that's the one thing I left behind.

Q. What are you most proud of?

MARINA ALEX: I don't know. That's a loaded question I feel like. I'm proud of sticking it out probably maybe a little bit longer than I mentally wanted to if I'm being honest.

I was really down in the dumps at the end of last year and I almost contemplated not coming back. I wanted to come back because it's really odd, I have -- there is one really like triggering moment. It's not triggering in a bad way. Just a moment when Suzann retired at Solheim. I was on the opposite side of that. I thought that was one of the most incredible things I've seen from a player. I was like, wow, that's really cool. Way to go out on top. When you know you know, and that's that.

I always wanted in some fashion that for myself. You never are going to get that fairytale experience, you know, win, walk away. Japan was pretty close. Had that been a different circumstance, I don't know what that would've led to. But I'm so happy for the last month of golf.

It's truly -- golf doesn't owe you anything. To be able to at least get a little bit of feeling like it's the best golf I've ever played and I'm leaving with that, I'm really thankful for it.

Q. I know everybody always wonders what's next. Sleep and some alcohol?

MARINA ALEX: Yeah, that question is way too complex. Things will develop and something will -- the path that is next will show itself over time.

Right now, I'm just really ready to rest my brain and mostly like my heart. This is a hard job emotionally and I'm finally ready to hang that up and not live and die by the golf course.

I'm really looking forward to that.