WEBVTT - Morgan Pressel 0:00:06.080 --> 0:00:08.680 It's the Son of a Butch podcast. You guys know 0:00:08.720 --> 0:00:11.840 the drill. We come to you every Wednesday. This week 0:00:12.880 --> 0:00:16.520 Morgan Pressel, she was a standout on the LPGA Tour, 0:00:17.000 --> 0:00:21.000 won a major in her late teens, and is now 0:00:21.160 --> 0:00:24.759 on NBC Golf Channel, so if you're watching women's golf 0:00:24.760 --> 0:00:27.560 you will see her. She's doing an amazing job. I 0:00:27.600 --> 0:00:31.159 think she brings a tremendous amount of insight to the 0:00:31.240 --> 0:00:34.880 broadcast and really really excited to get to talk to her. 0:00:35.840 --> 0:00:38.400 This is a good one. I mean, this is this 0:00:38.479 --> 0:00:41.560 is a woman that you know, qualified for a major 0:00:41.680 --> 0:00:46.760 championship when she was twelve years old, and she's got 0:00:46.800 --> 0:00:49.600 a tremendous amount of knowledge. Talks about the women's game, 0:00:49.920 --> 0:00:52.720 talks about some of the great players in the women's 0:00:52.720 --> 0:00:56.520 game right now. She's also an assistant captain in the 0:00:56.640 --> 0:01:00.000 US Solheim Cup set up, which will be happening later 0:01:00.160 --> 0:01:03.640 this year. So sit back and enjoy a really good 0:01:03.680 --> 0:01:13.040 interview with Morgan Pressel. Morgan, the LPGA Tour just kind 0:01:13.040 --> 0:01:16.920 of getting underway, coming off what I think last year 0:01:17.000 --> 0:01:19.640 was a really really good year for the LPGA. What 0:01:19.680 --> 0:01:23.680 are you looking forward to in twenty twenty three? Well, 0:01:23.959 --> 0:01:27.640 I think there are a ton of big storylines. I 0:01:27.640 --> 0:01:30.480 do agree that last year was pretty unreal on the 0:01:30.600 --> 0:01:33.280 LPGA Tour and it's going to be tough to top. 0:01:33.360 --> 0:01:36.080 But I think one of the big storylines this year 0:01:36.120 --> 0:01:38.640 is all of the big events that we have coming 0:01:38.720 --> 0:01:40.520 up on the LPGA Tour. I mean we have two 0:01:40.560 --> 0:01:44.840 team events of course, Solheim Cup, International Crown. I think 0:01:44.880 --> 0:01:47.680 the biggest one is probably the US Women's Open at 0:01:47.760 --> 0:01:52.840 Pebble Beach and KPMG Women's PGA at Baltic's Rawl. Venues 0:01:52.880 --> 0:01:57.200 are just so important and to have those events really 0:01:57.520 --> 0:02:01.200 elevated to a different level being on those historic venues, 0:02:01.240 --> 0:02:04.280 I think it's going to be really neat. And then 0:02:04.320 --> 0:02:07.160 of course you have I mean, I think the way 0:02:07.160 --> 0:02:11.160 the LPGA Tours season has already started, Jin Yunko proving 0:02:11.200 --> 0:02:14.320 that no injury is going to hold her back. Certainly 0:02:14.360 --> 0:02:17.600 Nellie Kordak coming off of her injury last year coming 0:02:17.639 --> 0:02:22.080 back almost better than ever. Lydia Coo doesn't seem to 0:02:22.120 --> 0:02:26.600 have any end insight to her talent and ability. Oh 0:02:26.639 --> 0:02:28.600 my gosh, I feel like I'm just rambling. But then 0:02:28.800 --> 0:02:30.839 you have the rookie class too. I mean last year's 0:02:30.919 --> 0:02:34.680 rookie class is probably maybe the strongest rookie class we've 0:02:34.720 --> 0:02:37.040 ever seen, but this one's pretty darn strong as well. 0:02:37.120 --> 0:02:40.920 Maybe not quite to the proven level of last year's class, 0:02:41.000 --> 0:02:44.480 but you know, Lucy Lee and Alexa Pano, a couple 0:02:44.520 --> 0:02:46.760 of names that I think a lot of golf fans 0:02:46.800 --> 0:02:52.360 would know, some incredibly diverse international talent, proven winners on 0:02:52.400 --> 0:02:55.679 other tours like the Japanese Tour and things like that. 0:02:55.919 --> 0:03:02.400 So just some new faces, some really talented proven players 0:03:02.400 --> 0:03:05.960 over the last few years, and some exciting places to play. 0:03:06.680 --> 0:03:09.000 You mentioned two of the big golf courses that will 0:03:09.040 --> 0:03:12.120 be on the LPJ for the Majors, Pebble Beach in 0:03:12.280 --> 0:03:16.040 Balta Stroll Morgan. What do you think that going to 0:03:16.080 --> 0:03:19.400 those events? I mean, obviously the history that the men's um, 0:03:19.680 --> 0:03:22.280 you know that the men have at those events. Do 0:03:22.320 --> 0:03:26.360 you think that's why it's important to put the ladies 0:03:26.480 --> 0:03:30.560 on that stage and add to that history of those 0:03:30.600 --> 0:03:34.560 great courses. Yeah, I do, and I think it was 0:03:34.600 --> 0:03:37.560 really special last year. I was out um during the 0:03:37.880 --> 0:03:40.920 pro am event out at Pebble Beach last February and 0:03:41.000 --> 0:03:44.240 just kind of standing on the seventeenth hole, eighteenth hole 0:03:44.280 --> 0:03:46.760 out there and thinking, you know, in about a year 0:03:46.760 --> 0:03:50.960 and a half time, next summer, the LPGA players, the 0:03:51.000 --> 0:03:53.560 best women in the game are going to be playing 0:03:54.400 --> 0:03:57.480 on this same on these same historic holes where you know, 0:03:57.520 --> 0:03:59.760 we can all remember some of the greatest shots that 0:03:59.800 --> 0:04:02.440 have that have ever been hit. And that's why I 0:04:02.440 --> 0:04:05.200 think venues are so important. I think venues make the 0:04:05.320 --> 0:04:08.880 casual golf fan tune in because they've heard of Pebble Beach, 0:04:08.880 --> 0:04:11.680 they've heard of Baltus for all, they know the history. 0:04:12.040 --> 0:04:15.200 And I think back you know, playing of course, playing 0:04:15.240 --> 0:04:18.760 Saint Andrews and the AIGU Women's Open as well as 0:04:19.400 --> 0:04:21.640 I mean playing Royal trun was really special as well. 0:04:21.680 --> 0:04:24.560 And one of those venues that is a household name 0:04:24.600 --> 0:04:27.039 for a lot of golf fans and gets people to 0:04:27.080 --> 0:04:28.880 tune in. And what did they see when they tune in? 0:04:28.960 --> 0:04:31.960 They see some truly incredible golf. And I think it's 0:04:31.960 --> 0:04:34.000 going to be fun to see history being made. And 0:04:34.000 --> 0:04:37.360 you know, this isn't only one women's Open at Pebble Beach. 0:04:37.400 --> 0:04:40.200 They've committed to four US Women's Opens at Pebble Beach, 0:04:40.880 --> 0:04:44.440 so really they are so committed along with the USGA 0:04:44.560 --> 0:04:49.279 two creating women's history at such a historic venue. Yeah, 0:04:49.320 --> 0:04:51.440 I was talking to Marina Alex I work with, and 0:04:51.480 --> 0:04:53.680 Marina was saying that she needed to go up there 0:04:53.720 --> 0:04:57.040 and play a practice The guys play Pebble Beach, I 0:04:57.040 --> 0:04:58.880 mean pretty much the majority of the guys on the 0:04:58.880 --> 0:05:02.119 PGA Tour have played that tournament. They played that golf course. 0:05:02.200 --> 0:05:04.120 Some of them have played it in majors, but it's 0:05:04.160 --> 0:05:09.039 on the schedule every year you can play. There will 0:05:09.080 --> 0:05:11.640 be a lot of the girls on the LPGA Tour 0:05:11.720 --> 0:05:13.520 that that need to go up there and play practice 0:05:13.600 --> 0:05:16.880 rounds because they maybe haven't played that golf course, certainly 0:05:17.279 --> 0:05:20.520 nearly as much as the guys have. Yeah, I mean 0:05:20.600 --> 0:05:22.920 I was always I mean, the US Open in general 0:05:23.080 --> 0:05:27.280 is a venue that you don't typically play other than 0:05:27.320 --> 0:05:30.640 maybe once every ten years and maybe even less. So 0:05:31.080 --> 0:05:33.480 it was always for me a way that I carved 0:05:33.480 --> 0:05:36.560 out my schedule to make sure that I had an 0:05:36.600 --> 0:05:40.599 advanced practice round on the US Open venue because it 0:05:40.640 --> 0:05:42.400 was that important to me. It was something that I 0:05:42.440 --> 0:05:45.240 really wanted to know going in. It's a long week, 0:05:45.279 --> 0:05:47.440 it's a stressful week. If you can take away a 0:05:47.480 --> 0:05:51.200 little bit of that early stress or without having to 0:05:51.200 --> 0:05:53.039 feel like you have to really cram to learn a 0:05:53.040 --> 0:05:56.800 golf course within those three advanced days. I think that 0:05:56.880 --> 0:05:58.800 takes a lot of pressure off players. And I think 0:05:58.800 --> 0:06:02.119 we'll see, I mean what the Women's opens in July, 0:06:02.400 --> 0:06:05.520 so I think maybe coming off of Wilsher, the LA 0:06:05.600 --> 0:06:08.919 event or International PROWN, I think you'll see some players 0:06:09.040 --> 0:06:12.080 definitely take a stop up to Pebble Beach to learn 0:06:12.120 --> 0:06:15.080 because it's so nuanced. As we've seen on TV, the 0:06:15.160 --> 0:06:20.040 greens are so tiny, it's such it's all about placement 0:06:20.520 --> 0:06:22.320 the short game. I think the more reps you can 0:06:22.360 --> 0:06:24.279 get on a golf course like Pebble Beach, the better 0:06:24.320 --> 0:06:26.840 off you're going to play. And I think we will 0:06:26.880 --> 0:06:29.839 see who watch the social media stories of some of 0:06:29.839 --> 0:06:32.200 these players, because I would have no doubt they are 0:06:32.240 --> 0:06:35.400 going to make advanced visits. So given the fact that 0:06:35.440 --> 0:06:37.679 you've played the golf course, you've seen the golf course 0:06:37.680 --> 0:06:41.520 a lot a US Open venue at Pebble Beach, which 0:06:41.560 --> 0:06:44.479 of the players on the LPJ do you feel like 0:06:44.640 --> 0:06:48.719 that type of golf course sets up for well. I 0:06:48.760 --> 0:06:50.800 have had the opportunity to play Pebble a little bit 0:06:50.960 --> 0:06:54.360 and certainly have watched on television many times. I mean 0:06:54.760 --> 0:06:56.599 the story is how small the greens are, right, I 0:06:56.600 --> 0:07:00.320 mean they are so tiny and so that just in 0:07:00.400 --> 0:07:02.480 my head, we have poanna greens which can give a 0:07:02.480 --> 0:07:06.599 lot of players fits. You have really tiny greens that 0:07:06.640 --> 0:07:10.840 are quite undulating, so short game being one of the 0:07:10.880 --> 0:07:14.280 most important parts of your game. Of course, course management. 0:07:14.760 --> 0:07:18.000 I mean I the one player that comes back to 0:07:18.040 --> 0:07:20.960 my mind she checks every single one of those boxes 0:07:21.080 --> 0:07:24.880 is Lydia. Co had had such success at Lake mer Said, 0:07:25.080 --> 0:07:30.680 which is a similar climate, similar style golf course, and 0:07:30.960 --> 0:07:33.440 of course is proven on big stages. So that's really 0:07:33.480 --> 0:07:36.800 the name that keeps coming up in my mind when 0:07:36.840 --> 0:07:39.880 I think of if there's a player that is perfectly 0:07:39.920 --> 0:07:43.000 suited for Pebble Beach, I think it's Lydia's game. And 0:07:43.800 --> 0:07:46.160 you know, the way she's been playing lately, it's it's 0:07:46.200 --> 0:07:49.800 hard to doubt that how much of the way Lydia's 0:07:49.880 --> 0:07:54.760 playing right now is her golf. But also she recently 0:07:54.760 --> 0:07:57.080 got married, She's in a great place in her life. 0:07:57.880 --> 0:08:00.840 You know, you've you've done the same thing. I think 0:08:00.960 --> 0:08:05.720 it's it's hard sometimes for the fans to realize that 0:08:05.920 --> 0:08:09.840 having a personal life away from the golf course it's 0:08:09.880 --> 0:08:13.320 so it's it's a huge part of playing well on 0:08:13.360 --> 0:08:15.880 the golf course. And you know, I mean, I'm not 0:08:15.920 --> 0:08:18.240 surprised that Lydia is on this run because she just 0:08:18.320 --> 0:08:20.800 seems like it's not that the stars are aligning, but 0:08:20.840 --> 0:08:23.560 it almost seems like, Okay, her golf swing looks as 0:08:23.560 --> 0:08:26.960 good as I've seen it. Look, she's winning again, she 0:08:27.000 --> 0:08:29.720 gets married. She just seems like this is kind of 0:08:29.720 --> 0:08:32.240 a going to be a really good spot for her, 0:08:32.600 --> 0:08:35.199 both on the golf course and off the golf course. 0:08:35.280 --> 0:08:38.920 Do you think that that's important and was that something 0:08:38.960 --> 0:08:41.960 that you felt as well when you were playing? Yeah, 0:08:41.960 --> 0:08:44.600 I think balance is really important. I think that's kind 0:08:44.640 --> 0:08:47.400 of what you were gearing towards there. It is balance 0:08:47.679 --> 0:08:50.200 and harmony within on and off the golf course. Golf 0:08:50.320 --> 0:08:54.120 is such a tough sport and as golfers, we beat 0:08:54.120 --> 0:08:57.720 ourselves up. I know that I certainly did. And you know, 0:08:57.760 --> 0:09:01.560 it's really easy to take golf home you and I 0:09:01.600 --> 0:09:03.920 think it's just so important to have that team around 0:09:03.920 --> 0:09:07.880 you that doesn't allow golf to be or everything because 0:09:08.440 --> 0:09:10.920 it feels like that. It feels like that for us 0:09:11.040 --> 0:09:14.520 as public figures, people who only see us as golfers, 0:09:14.600 --> 0:09:17.320 and there is so much more to every single player 0:09:17.360 --> 0:09:20.679 out there, but sometimes it's just so hard not to 0:09:20.679 --> 0:09:22.760 take it home with you. And I would say I 0:09:22.800 --> 0:09:25.880 am very guilty of that. And I think what's really 0:09:25.920 --> 0:09:29.319 impressive with Lydia specifically is, if you want to call 0:09:29.360 --> 0:09:31.800 it a slump, she was still playing some pretty darned 0:09:32.000 --> 0:09:36.240 impressive golf. But to have been at the top of 0:09:36.280 --> 0:09:40.520 the game and fallen down a little bit, especially to 0:09:40.600 --> 0:09:43.520 her standards to mentally. I mean, we all see the 0:09:43.559 --> 0:09:46.440 physical changes, but I think and I think you would 0:09:46.440 --> 0:09:49.880 agree the mental side to watch her mentally and is 0:09:49.920 --> 0:09:53.200 that a case of hard work she's done on the 0:09:53.240 --> 0:09:56.400 mental side of her game. Is that the extra balance 0:09:56.440 --> 0:09:59.080 and happiness off the golf course. Is it a combination 0:09:59.120 --> 0:10:02.240 of all of that. I mean, she looks so much 0:10:02.280 --> 0:10:05.360 in control and she truly has nothing to lose, nothing 0:10:05.400 --> 0:10:08.199 to prove to anybody, And I think for any athlete, 0:10:08.240 --> 0:10:15.280 that's a great place to be. You want a major championship, 0:10:15.440 --> 0:10:18.240 you know, before you were twenty years old, what do 0:10:18.280 --> 0:10:22.920 you feel like is the biggest part of doing that, 0:10:23.080 --> 0:10:27.400 because like you said, majors are different, They're long weeks there, 0:10:27.600 --> 0:10:30.760 and when you win them. I've always said this, I've 0:10:30.800 --> 0:10:33.240 been lucky enough to be around players and work with 0:10:33.280 --> 0:10:36.880 them when they won major championships. There's something different about 0:10:36.920 --> 0:10:39.720 them that week. I can't kind of put my finger 0:10:39.760 --> 0:10:42.320 on it, but there's always something a little bit different. 0:10:42.360 --> 0:10:44.720 So the test to win one of those, what do 0:10:44.720 --> 0:10:48.679 you feel like is paramount that you have to do 0:10:48.720 --> 0:10:52.760 those weeks? Well, I would say that I would look 0:10:52.800 --> 0:10:57.520 back on my career and think about every major that 0:10:57.600 --> 0:11:00.800 I played and how I felt Sunday when it was 0:11:00.800 --> 0:11:05.760 all over compared to any regular season event, and the answers. 0:11:05.760 --> 0:11:09.800 I was exhausted, I was more mentally fatigued than I 0:11:09.880 --> 0:11:16.200 was physically fatigued, And it just Majors just make you 0:11:16.320 --> 0:11:20.400 think in a different way. It's the biggest stage, bigger pressure, 0:11:20.840 --> 0:11:24.520 bigger moments, especially when you're in contention on Sunday, and 0:11:26.080 --> 0:11:29.640 there's just, I think, such a different thought process that 0:11:29.720 --> 0:11:34.120 goes into major championship golf course. They are traditionally more challenging, 0:11:34.320 --> 0:11:39.560 traditionally longer, rough, faster greens, all of those things that 0:11:39.800 --> 0:11:42.720 you think about when you think about a major. And 0:11:43.559 --> 0:11:46.040 I think it really is the mental aspect, and I 0:11:46.120 --> 0:11:49.040 think we see the very best players in the world 0:11:49.120 --> 0:11:51.160 have that intangible the thing that you can't see, the 0:11:51.200 --> 0:11:54.000 thing that you can't record on a stat sheet or 0:11:54.440 --> 0:11:56.880 you know whatever, whatever it is, something that you really like, 0:11:56.880 --> 0:11:58.440 you said, you can't put your finger on it because 0:11:58.440 --> 0:12:02.000 you can't see it. And I think that's really what 0:12:02.200 --> 0:12:04.640 truly separates the best players, the ones who time and 0:12:04.840 --> 0:12:10.360 time out can can perform under that immense pressure and 0:12:10.559 --> 0:12:16.600 under those challenges in the spotlight of Sunday major championship pressure. 0:12:17.000 --> 0:12:20.360 While we all know that they're mentally fatigued even coming 0:12:20.360 --> 0:12:22.520 down to that point, they have another gear where they're 0:12:22.520 --> 0:12:27.240 able to stay focused, not allow those distractions to cloud 0:12:27.960 --> 0:12:31.439 their thought process and their routines, and they're able to 0:12:31.480 --> 0:12:34.800 get it done. You played in you qualified for the 0:12:34.920 --> 0:12:39.200 US Open when you were twelve years old. Did you 0:12:39.400 --> 0:12:43.360 immediately like that situation or where you're like, Wow, this 0:12:43.440 --> 0:12:46.040 is really because I mean, to make the jump from 0:12:46.040 --> 0:12:50.440 playing AGGA and junior golf to then play in women's 0:12:50.520 --> 0:12:53.280 US Open, I mean that is a massive, massive jump 0:12:53.520 --> 0:12:55.559 and you're twelve years old. I mean, are you even 0:12:55.600 --> 0:13:00.360 aware that of what pressure is at that age? I 0:13:00.440 --> 0:13:02.960 had no idea, to be honest with you, and I 0:13:03.080 --> 0:13:05.520 played in the Women's Open before I played in an 0:13:05.559 --> 0:13:07.920 ajj event because a j g A at that time 0:13:08.040 --> 0:13:11.240 had an age limit of thirteen, so I hadn't even 0:13:11.520 --> 0:13:16.240 played in an aj g A event yet. So I 0:13:16.280 --> 0:13:19.680 remember playing in the qualifier, like my grandfather signed me 0:13:19.760 --> 0:13:21.880 up for the qualifier, and I was like, oh, why 0:13:21.920 --> 0:13:24.200 are we, you know, us open qualifying? What are we doing? 0:13:24.280 --> 0:13:29.200 Basically He's like, oh, just for practice, and yeah. I 0:13:29.240 --> 0:13:34.560 was like okay, you know, And I remember vividly I 0:13:34.600 --> 0:13:37.240 was four under with two holes to play and I 0:13:37.280 --> 0:13:41.160 had actually never broken seventy and I bogie the last 0:13:41.160 --> 0:13:43.360 two holes. I was more upset than I did break 0:13:43.559 --> 0:13:49.040 seventy and the qualifier. But I really had no idea 0:13:49.120 --> 0:13:52.640 at that time when I left that qualifier that day 0:13:52.679 --> 0:13:56.160 what that would mean for me, for my life, for 0:13:56.280 --> 0:14:01.280 my career. But getting to Pine Needles, um, I remember 0:14:01.320 --> 0:14:03.080 I didn't even want to leave the locker room. I 0:14:03.080 --> 0:14:07.120 didn't want to leave the dining room area. We had 0:14:07.160 --> 0:14:08.719 some rain delays, and I just wanted to sit there 0:14:08.720 --> 0:14:11.240 because I wanted to soak up this this atmosphere of 0:14:11.600 --> 0:14:13.560 being in the same room as people who I had 0:14:13.600 --> 0:14:15.880 looked up to for years, and that was really the 0:14:15.960 --> 0:14:18.440 moment for me when I said, Okay, this is what 0:14:18.480 --> 0:14:20.120 I want to do. I want to play golf. I 0:14:20.520 --> 0:14:24.520 want to compete in these events for my life. And 0:14:24.560 --> 0:14:27.040 that was I went home and really, I mean I 0:14:27.080 --> 0:14:29.960 was certainly a serious golfer at that point, but that 0:14:30.080 --> 0:14:33.040 was when I put that goal on that vision board. 0:14:34.680 --> 0:14:37.760 I mean, when you get thrown into that situation, you're 0:14:37.800 --> 0:14:40.600 either going to sync or you're you're going to swim. 0:14:41.080 --> 0:14:46.120 You getting into competitive you know, women's golf at the 0:14:46.240 --> 0:14:49.840 highest level as a twelve year old. Um, did you 0:14:49.880 --> 0:14:56.120 feel like you were too young and around adults or 0:14:56.240 --> 0:14:59.240 did it all just feel kind of normal? Because from 0:14:59.240 --> 0:15:01.960 then on it just kind of became what your life was, right, 0:15:02.000 --> 0:15:06.200 I mean, you just basically were that type of player. 0:15:06.360 --> 0:15:09.240 You were always going to do the things, you know. 0:15:09.720 --> 0:15:13.320 I mean, you had a really stand out junior career. 0:15:13.360 --> 0:15:16.040 And do you feel like getting into a situation like 0:15:16.160 --> 0:15:19.000 qualifying for US Open early early on in your career 0:15:19.600 --> 0:15:23.520 maybe gave you an advantage throughout the junior stuff that 0:15:23.560 --> 0:15:26.920 you played. I think it gave me a lot of confidence. 0:15:27.320 --> 0:15:30.200 I think twofold one, it gave me a goal, something 0:15:30.240 --> 0:15:32.840 to work towards and to. You know, it did give 0:15:32.880 --> 0:15:37.920 me confidence, and I think in my longtime coach Martin Hall, 0:15:38.680 --> 0:15:43.720 I think, you know, he said qualifying was a very 0:15:43.800 --> 0:15:46.880 impressive thing to do. But really I shot two rounds 0:15:46.880 --> 0:15:50.760 of seventy seven. So you know, as a twelve thirteen 0:15:50.840 --> 0:15:53.440 year old, I just turned thirteen, you know, to break 0:15:53.440 --> 0:15:57.360 eighty on a US Open golf course at twice, I mean, 0:15:57.520 --> 0:15:59.920 you know, we think about breaking eighties. But it was 0:16:00.160 --> 0:16:02.320 a tough US Open golf course. I mean that year, 0:16:02.600 --> 0:16:05.360 I believe carry Webb ran away with it and was 0:16:05.400 --> 0:16:08.240 one of the only players under par. It played really, 0:16:08.280 --> 0:16:12.440 really tough, and I think he was I think that 0:16:12.520 --> 0:16:14.680 was the moment where he was like, Okay, you know, 0:16:14.840 --> 0:16:16.520 she's got some game and can play it. And of 0:16:16.520 --> 0:16:18.360 course I wanted to do better. I wanted to make 0:16:18.360 --> 0:16:20.320 the cut, and I had all these ideas going in. 0:16:20.360 --> 0:16:24.360 But truly it was for me a wonderful learning experience. 0:16:24.760 --> 0:16:29.240 I had a ton of media attention being the youngest 0:16:29.280 --> 0:16:30.960 to qualify. I think I don't think that I was 0:16:31.040 --> 0:16:33.760 quite prepared for that. That's what I got there. But 0:16:34.080 --> 0:16:37.760 I would say I embraced it. I'd say that I 0:16:37.880 --> 0:16:39.880 enjoyed it. I enjoyed it enough to know that that 0:16:39.960 --> 0:16:41.120 was what I wanted to do with the rest of 0:16:41.120 --> 0:16:46.040 my life. Have you been a mentor to do you 0:16:46.040 --> 0:16:47.920 feel like over your career when you see a young 0:16:48.360 --> 0:16:51.280 a really really young girl get out on the on 0:16:51.320 --> 0:16:54.080 the LPGA tour um, you know, under twenty, do you 0:16:54.080 --> 0:16:56.840 feel like you want to play a practice round with 0:16:56.840 --> 0:16:59.760 her and sit with her, you know, in the dining 0:17:00.200 --> 0:17:02.840 and say, listen if you ever need help. I went 0:17:02.880 --> 0:17:05.320 through this at a very young age, and you know, 0:17:05.440 --> 0:17:08.480 and do you feel like that's something that you can 0:17:08.520 --> 0:17:13.399 do and part of your obligation now having gone through it? Definitely? 0:17:13.720 --> 0:17:17.320 You know, I had players who were exceptionally helpful to 0:17:17.320 --> 0:17:20.640 me when I was a rookie on tour and starting out. 0:17:20.880 --> 0:17:25.040 And you know, I mean, the LPG has a wonderful program. 0:17:25.080 --> 0:17:27.720 It used to be the like Little Sister, Big Sister. 0:17:27.840 --> 0:17:30.359 Now it's the pod system, a little bit different, but 0:17:30.440 --> 0:17:35.720 the same idea of matching up veteran players with rookies 0:17:35.920 --> 0:17:37.760 to kind of get them off to a good start, 0:17:37.800 --> 0:17:40.040 introduce them to somebody right off the bat. I mean, 0:17:40.240 --> 0:17:42.520 how lucky was I My big sister was Julie Inkster, 0:17:43.240 --> 0:17:46.280 and I know and truly one of my best friends 0:17:46.280 --> 0:17:51.520 in life. So what a mentor I had growing up. 0:17:51.600 --> 0:17:55.119 And you know, it's still very close with Mike Mallen, 0:17:55.720 --> 0:17:58.560 bath Daniel, some of these players that you know, I 0:17:58.600 --> 0:18:01.560 really felt like I could go to whenever I really 0:18:01.600 --> 0:18:06.720 needed anything, and I have. I'm definitely in that position now, 0:18:06.760 --> 0:18:09.120 which makes me certainly feel a little bit old, but 0:18:09.640 --> 0:18:12.240 it's it's fun. I mean, I just actually got my 0:18:12.440 --> 0:18:14.640 email the other day from my rookie pod and one 0:18:14.680 --> 0:18:17.600 of them is Alexa Pano. We mentioned her earlier, you know, 0:18:18.240 --> 0:18:21.159 talk about a standout star who had a ton of 0:18:21.160 --> 0:18:25.000 media attention very early in her career and has a 0:18:25.040 --> 0:18:27.199 lot of pressure on her. So I'm excited to I 0:18:27.240 --> 0:18:28.800 know her a little bit. I'm excited to get to 0:18:28.840 --> 0:18:31.520 know her more, to see how she does this season. 0:18:31.600 --> 0:18:35.520 But to have that, you know, Jessica Kardo was one 0:18:35.560 --> 0:18:37.240 of my little sisters. I'm trying to think back to 0:18:37.359 --> 0:18:42.719 some of the different players, but it is it's it 0:18:42.880 --> 0:18:46.000 isn't an obligation. I don't know if an obligation, but 0:18:46.200 --> 0:18:48.560 you know, the right thing to do to really help 0:18:50.000 --> 0:18:53.000 the next generation, because you know, I was one of 0:18:53.080 --> 0:18:57.840 those bright eyed not really knowing what I'm doing. Just 0:18:58.440 --> 0:19:00.439 I knew golf, but I didn't know much more than that. 0:19:00.480 --> 0:19:04.080 There's so much more that goes into being a professional 0:19:04.160 --> 0:19:06.399 to playing on the professional tours. One of the toughest 0:19:06.400 --> 0:19:10.120 ones is, I think caddies, you know, hiring caddies, firing caddies, 0:19:10.119 --> 0:19:13.400 finding the right match there, travel, how do you manage 0:19:13.440 --> 0:19:16.320 demands from the media, How do you manage demands from 0:19:16.359 --> 0:19:20.240 your sponsor? How do you how does that? And obviously 0:19:20.240 --> 0:19:23.080 the right agent can certainly help, But you know, somebody 0:19:23.080 --> 0:19:26.439 who really has no experience there, to have a player, 0:19:27.080 --> 0:19:30.040 you know, whether that's me or not, any other veteran 0:19:30.080 --> 0:19:32.760 player on tour, I think is very helpful just to 0:19:32.760 --> 0:19:35.679 have a sounding board, somebody, you know, to talk to. 0:19:35.760 --> 0:19:39.080 I mean, Jennifer Kupcho, another one of my little sisters, 0:19:39.320 --> 0:19:41.200 you know, when she first came out on tour, and 0:19:42.600 --> 0:19:44.919 you know, I remember playing practice rounds with her and 0:19:45.000 --> 0:19:47.040 just getting to know her better. And it just gives 0:19:47.080 --> 0:19:50.720 a little bit of a comfort level, certainly to the rookies. 0:19:50.800 --> 0:19:53.080 And I'm excited to see the rookies fee off this 0:19:53.119 --> 0:20:00.760 week for the first time in Arizona. The Augusta Women's 0:20:00.800 --> 0:20:03.919 Amateur just around the corner. How big of an impact 0:20:04.000 --> 0:20:07.720 do you feel, like the powers that be at Augusta 0:20:07.800 --> 0:20:10.880 National having that as part of you know, the run 0:20:10.960 --> 0:20:15.560 up to Augusta the Masters, but a showcase for you know, 0:20:15.880 --> 0:20:18.359 girls junior golf. How important do you think that is 0:20:19.200 --> 0:20:23.119 in the landscape of women's golf. Yeah, I mean, I 0:20:23.760 --> 0:20:28.080 have always loved covering women's amateur events, and I've had 0:20:28.080 --> 0:20:29.720 the opportunity of the last couple of years to cover 0:20:29.800 --> 0:20:33.240 the US Women's am where you really get to see 0:20:33.600 --> 0:20:37.160 the bright future stars of the future, and for those 0:20:37.280 --> 0:20:41.760 ladies to be playing on Augusta National here coming up 0:20:42.280 --> 0:20:44.600 very soon. I'm excited to be part of the broadcast 0:20:44.680 --> 0:20:46.320 to watch it. We've seen I mean, I just mentioned 0:20:46.400 --> 0:20:49.440 Jennifer Kupcho, think about the duel that she had with 0:20:49.480 --> 0:20:52.679 Maria Fosse coming down the stretch. We talk about venues. 0:20:52.800 --> 0:20:59.240 Venues are so important and it's just iconic, and I'm 0:20:59.280 --> 0:21:02.560 excited to be part of it this year to see 0:21:02.600 --> 0:21:05.840 what unfolds. I got to know Anna Davis after her 0:21:05.880 --> 0:21:10.240 big victory last year, coming out of almost nowhere. Nobody 0:21:10.280 --> 0:21:13.119 had ever heard of Anna, and she has continued to 0:21:13.119 --> 0:21:17.760 play really impressive golf, just one the Stage Valley Junior Invitational, 0:21:17.880 --> 0:21:21.000 which I think bodes well for her heading into Augusta 0:21:21.080 --> 0:21:25.720 National Women's Ameter, which is similar in golf course certainly 0:21:25.760 --> 0:21:30.840 in location, and so I think she's going to have 0:21:30.920 --> 0:21:33.919 a lot of pressure heading into august National Women's Ameter 0:21:34.040 --> 0:21:37.600 on her. But it goes back to the venues. Venues 0:21:37.680 --> 0:21:41.119 are so important, and I think too, I think you 0:21:41.200 --> 0:21:44.320 see with drive Chip and Pott, we're starting to see 0:21:44.320 --> 0:21:47.080 it in our in our bios that we get week 0:21:47.119 --> 0:21:49.560 in week out with these younger players, oh, you know, 0:21:49.760 --> 0:21:52.520 Drive Chip and put Champion, you know, at this age. 0:21:52.600 --> 0:21:55.840 And I think that also is showing what kind of 0:21:55.840 --> 0:22:01.840 an impact that has had, especially on youngsters, encouraging them 0:22:01.920 --> 0:22:06.920 to get involved in the game. And I love I 0:22:06.960 --> 0:22:10.639 love the junior golf is cool, Like I feel like 0:22:10.720 --> 0:22:13.880 it is for youngsters to play golf where it really 0:22:14.040 --> 0:22:17.520 wasn't when I was growing up. And I think golf 0:22:17.560 --> 0:22:21.040 courses are much more receptive of junior's being out there 0:22:21.040 --> 0:22:24.399 and learning the game. And I really love to see that. 0:22:25.320 --> 0:22:28.040 You mentioned Danna Davis her win last year at the 0:22:28.080 --> 0:22:33.040 Augusta Women's Amateur. It was it was incredible to watch her. 0:22:33.040 --> 0:22:37.280 I mean it just the way that she went about it. Obviously, 0:22:37.320 --> 0:22:40.119 she probably didn't go in there with a tremendous amount 0:22:40.160 --> 0:22:43.400 of hype or buzz. She's one of the stars, so 0:22:43.400 --> 0:22:45.879 she can somewhat fly onto the radar. But if you 0:22:45.960 --> 0:22:48.280 look at you know, some of the superstars of in 0:22:49.000 --> 0:22:52.440