THE MODERATOR: Welcome inside the press room at the Walmart NW Arkansas Championship presented by P&G.
We're joined by Arkansas alum and Solheim Cup captain, Stacy Lewis. Stacy, what's it like being back in Arkansas?
STACY LEWIS: It's awesome. I always love coming back this time of year. I love the fall in Arkansas. It's probably my favorite. The leaves haven't quite started to change yet, but it's an awesome time of year to be here.
Hard to believe it's year 16.
THE MODERATOR: What have you been doing since you have been back? Seen some familiar faces, old friends?
STACY LEWIS: Yeah, been running. Feels like we just been running from one thing to the next. We had a deal on Monday month night with which sponsor, Stephens. Had Maria, Gaby, and Brooke and my coach Shauna there. We did a little Q and A and got see a lot of people there.
And then the pro-am and just throughout the week just being here, you know, at the pro-am party just seeing a lot of familiar faces. It's been a lot of fun so far.
THE MODERATOR: Being back at this golf course, Pinnacle County Club, obviously a place you're very familiar. That first amateur win in 2007. What kind of memories flood back when you step on this property?
STACY LEWIS: Gosh, a lot. I mean, I can go back to in college we played a home event here a couple years. But, yeah, honestly the win in '14 is probably the most special. I think of the putts I made down the stretch and making that one on 18.
Then I remember sitting inside here and the clubhouse with Shauna just waiting for the end and learning that I won, just having her there and the celebration that ensued.
So it's just -- I have so many memories here. It's hard to pick one. It's just such a cool place for me. It's a cool week. Cool to see how the town being and the city has grown. We were at dinner last night talking but I think the first year of the tournament the Pinnacle exit wasn't even here. The exit off the highway wasn't even here.
It's just really amazing to see the change to the community and how the community continues to support the event.
THE MODERATOR: Now that you have been named United States Solheim Cup captain, I'm sure you've been back since that announcement. But being here now and having that role, a really elevated role in women's golf, what's that been like? Have people been fan-girling?
STACY LEWIS: Yeah, a little bit. I get a lot of questions about what are you working on, what are you doing, it's so cool, how busy are you.
Just a lot of the questions. People want to know what's going on which I think is great. We're creating some buzz around it and girls are excited. I did a dinner last night with four potential rookies, just to help them be a little bit more comfortable with the process.
They're excited. They're wide-eyed and they want to hear all the stories. It's just cool. I remember that process 11, 12 years ago, so it's just cool to see it through their eyes.
THE MODERATOR: What does it mean for you to be able to -- I mean, obviously you've played on lots of Solheim Cups, but what has it meant for to you represent this community, represent -- now you live in Texas -- but be able to represent all your different communities being in this role now?
STACY LEWIS: I mean, I just think back to all the people that have helped me to get to where I am. I've specifically thinking of Shauna. I mean, I've had some great coaches in my life, and a lot of what I'm doing with these girls is what she did with our team when I was here.
And little things that she did, trying to create the right environment and what you expect out of your players and things like that, I just, you know, I always say I wouldn't be the person or the player I am if I hadn't come to the University of Arkansas, and it continues, the trend continues into the role as captain.
I just think of all the things I've learned from Shauna over the years and I how much of it I'm putting into this year's team.
THE MODERATOR: We're almost exactly one away, =364 days I think technically from the Solheim Cup.
STACY LEWIS: One less.
THE MODERATOR: How is your prep going? I'm hearing you're getting some help from one of your partners.
STACY LEWIS: I am. Well, first we finalized the clothes this week, so clothes are done, so we can check something off the list.
I am. So this is something I've been working on for a couple months now. I was reading a book about last year's Ryder Cup and got wind of the stats programs that the U.S. Team and the European Team have used for the last three Ryder Cups.
Up until last year when KPMG started the Insights program, we haven't had stats. We've had fairways and greens and putts, and that's basically it. You can't get a whole lot out of that.
We finally have stats, and I got excited reading this book. I'm like, wow, this could really help us. So I started doing research trying to figure out how I was going to make it happen. Kind of did interviews with both companies.
So 21st Group, which we already work with as a tour, they're the ones that help us kind of derive our stats. They put them all together and things like that.
They actually work with the European Team for the Ryder Cup, but they're going to work with us in Spain, help us really dive into those stats. And then KPMG of course got wind that I was working on this and they offered to pay for this entire thing for 2023.
Because it's expensive. It's not in our Solheim Cup budget. Budget was set before I was captain, so I knew I was going to have to get a little bit creative. When they stepped up and said, we want help you, we want to make this captaincy easy, we want to make sure you have all the resources that guys have had over the years, just a natural progression for them of not only do we have stats now, but now we're able to really use them.
THE MODERATOR: Kind of a move for equality I take it.
STACY LEWIS: It is. It truly is. The guys have had it for the last three. Why shouldn't we have it? Sometimes you just got to get creative.
THE MODERATOR: Questions.
Q. You were talking about coming here to be an Arkansas Razorback and having such a strong tie to the University of Arkansas; you're sponsored by Tyson Foods.
STACY LEWIS: Yes.
Q. What's it like having a sponsorship with a company with such a strong tie to Arkansas?
STACY LEWIS: Right, so, gosh, I've known Mr. Tyson himself since college, and I tell you right out of school he was a huge sponsor of mine. It was before there was a logo on my shirt. He's been a huge supporter of mine over the years.
I'm really proud to wear this logo and take it around the country. The number one question I get is do I get free chicken nuggets. That's in the number one question.
The way Mr. Tyson and Tyson Foods has supported me over the years, not just now, but really from the start, has been really special. I know that he's cheering for me and everybody here at Tyson Foods is cheering for me as well.
Q. We are. Thank you.
STACY LEWIS: Thank you.
THE MODERATOR: Speaking a little bit to that Arkansas connection, a lot of the Razorbacks have been playing really well as of late. Maria Fassi spoke at Cincinnati about the mentorship she's shared with you; obviously Gaby won a couple weeks ago in Toledo. You've kind of taken on a mentor role, which I'm sure somebody did for you back in your early days. What has that meant to you to be able to start to mentor some of the players from your alma mater and see them really have success?
STACY LEWIS: Yeah, it's been really cool. I mean, to see Gaby's success and kind of riding the roller coaster a little bit, and then to see Maria really working through a lot of stuff over the last two years.
I think the coolest part is they're listening. You can tell these younger girls a lot of things, but they're actually listening and they're paying attention.
I had a lot of great people that helped me along the way, and just kind of I guess I'm getting to that age where it's now I'm in that position of helping these younger players.
I know they're watching, they're paying attention, noticing the little things. I guess it's just kind of a natural thing. I had so many great players help me out that now it's my turn.
THE MODERATOR: Speaking of that -- heading -- looking at the rest of the season as a player, obviously you have all these different hats you wear now, but you're still out here trying to compete.
STACY LEWIS: Yes.
THE MODERATOR: How would you assess your 2022 so far, with just a handful of events left?
STACY LEWIS: Frustrating. The golf has been frustrating. Definitely hasn't been where I wanted it.
Obviously the week at Dow with Maria we played really well together, but outside of that it's been inconsistent, been a rollercoaster.
But for these last few events I really want to make it to CME, kind of keep my streak going there. So that's the really focus, is these next three weeks try to have some good finishes and work my way back up there.
THE MODERATOR: I feel like the last few captains -- well, I know the last few captains we have had haven't really been in a playing capacity. How much more challenging does it make it to go out and compete when you have a lot of other things on your plate?
STACY LEWIS: It's hard, but I feel like I'm a pretty good time manager, and just being really good about being where I am. Right now I'm Stacy the golfer, and when I'm with my daughter I'm with my daughter, and when I'm -- last night I was Solheim Cup captain.
It's just putting different hats on and keep rolling with it. It's been so great to be out here with these girls, and just to help them feel a little bit more comfortable with being around me. I know some of those girls last night were a little bit star struck the first time they played with me or saw me.
So it's just getting them more comfortable. It's going to help them going into next year and going into the Solheim Cup, so it's important that I keep playing. I enjoy it. That's number one.
THE MODERATOR: Got a pretty good pairing this week and Jennifer Kupcho and Gaby Lopez, very connected to you obviously.
STACY LEWIS: Yes.
THE MODERATOR: ESPN+ is going to be out here for a second week. You are in one of the feature groups obviously for ESPN+. It's something that's run the gamut, being on the LPGA Tour for as long as you have. How exciting is it to see ESPN+ really take on a feature group streaming role and give us all of that coverage?
STACY LEWIS: It's awesome, something I've been pushing for for a while. I didn't obviously see any of it in Cincinnati, but I know was part of a feature group and asked people that did watch it, and they said it was awesome, it was great. And also just the announcers on now informed they were on the players and knowing players' stories and being able to tell that.
It's another avenue for fans to get to know us a little better. Especially just watching one group all day, you really do get to know those players a little bit better.
So hopefully we can continue to kind of push the bar with that, make it something we have every single week.
THE MODERATOR: Just looking ahead to this week, obviously talking about CME, what are some of your goals here in Arkansas this week?
STACY LEWIS: I would love to have a chance to win on Sunday. I love being in contention here. It's so fun. It's always a birdiefest. I don't think you can go into this tournament saying, I want to win. Scores are low. You got to go make a ton of birdies and just hopefully be close enough on Sunday that you can make a run.
It's a sprint and you just got to do the best you can.
Q. You mentioned your daughter. Just wondered if she's here, what have you been able to tell her -- I know she's young -- about Arkansas and being here, and what's it like playing with her as a working mom?
STACY LEWIS: Yeah, she is here. She pretty much travels with me every week. Our daycare program is so great. It's easier on my husband and I to just have her out here with me. She knows we're in Arkansas. She doesn't quite understand it all. It's funny to see her -- she sees my picture in various places around, whether it's the hotel or here.
But, I mean, I think she knows how special this place is. She will at some point. Trying to push the, Go Hogs for this weekend especially? We have a house divided. My husband is the coach at Texas A&M, so pushing the Go Hogs right now so that she's cheering for the right team on Sunday.
THE MODERATOR: One more follow up to that. Have you taught her the woo pig sooie yet?
STACY LEWIS: Oh, yeah. She doesn't know the whole thing but, she goes, woo pig sooie, so we'll get her going on the right track.
FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports