THE MODERATOR: We will get started here. Welcome inside the press room at the Trust Golf Women's Scottish Open. We're here with 2022 Chevron Champion, Jennifer Kupcho. But she's also won two events this year, the Meijer LPGA Classic and the Dow Great Lakes Bay Invitational with partner Lizette Salas.
It's been a year. You get that first win at Chevron. I mean, the floodgates are, the proverbial floodgates have opened. What's changed?
JENNIFER KUPCHO: I think just my confidence. I think after getting the Chevron win, it definitely helped me a lot. But then after getting the Meijer win, I mean, the leaderboard was stacked. Not that Chevron wasn't, but I did have a pretty good lead. Going down the stretch at Meijer and to come out on top, I think really, really boosted my confidence and that's what's made me so comfortable out here since then.
THE MODERATOR: Obviously got that win at the Dow as well. What was that like to play with somebody like Lizette who I wouldn't say helped you through your Solheim Cup experience, but you spent a lot of time with her at Solheim and to get out and play with her and see her win her first event since 2014. Talk about that experience.
JENNIFER KUPCHO: Yeah, I didn't know she had not won in that long of time and for that to be her second win out here, I had no idea. We just went out there and had fun. We played really well at Solheim together and had a great time that week. We were looking forward to the week in general, no matter how it went. We started out having fun the first day and it just continued throughout the rest of the week and we played really well. To have both of us win, it was really cool.
THE MODERATOR: Three wins in one season is a lot, and we still have quite a bit of the season to go. Where is your head at right now? I know you're not a player that likes to think about golf off the golf course that much but when you come out to tournaments, do you have a renewed level of like, I'm Jennifer Kupcho and I'm here and we are going to go out and win?
JENNIFER KUPCHO: Honestly, not really. I think there's so many other things going through my mind right now. I mean, obviously I've been through the whole wedding thing but I'm still planning a reception that's coming in October. So that's in the back of my mind.
I haven't done all of the travel for even starting in Canada, I don't have that whole stretch done. It's a whole lot of stuff off the golf course, as well.
But to be able to just come out and focus on golf when I am here, I think that's been a really good separation for me from the real adult life out there as well.
Q. How excited are you about these two weeks to play links golf, and what's your experience been of links golf?
JENNIFER KUPCHO: I'm really excited to play some more links golf. I think when I came out here as a rookie, it was -- I didn't play very well, and quite frankly, I just said I don't like links golf. But then last year with my caddie, he was very experienced in links golf and I think that really helped me with the whole experience to learn how to play it.
Now, I mean, I'm excited to go play instead of dreading the weather and dreading the golf course and everything like that. I think it's just a whole different experience now that I've played well last year at the British Open to be able to be here again and play links golf, I'm excited for it.
Q. Is it a bit mental more than anything rather than the challenge itself; if you can get your head right mentally, you can play links golf?
JENNIFER KUPCHO: Yeah, for sure. I think you kind of have to take everything with a grain of salt out here and go out and have fun and see what you can do with different shot types. I mean, it's the same thing when you're in the weeds or in the trees in the U.S. You're like, I'm going to try and you will this shot off and see how it goes. I think that's kind of the mindset you have to come into links golf with.
Q. Have you had a chance to play Dundonald this morning or do you still have to go out this afternoon?
JENNIFER KUPCHO: No, I'll play in the Pro-Am tomorrow. I walked the back nine today but I'm not planning to play it.
THE MODERATOR: Let's deep dive on that a bit more. Obviously playing at the Amundi Evian last week, and coming here, it's different weather and different style golf course. Talk about your preparation for a week like this when you've come off a hot ball week playing off the side of a mountain into a flat, windy, cold and wet week.
JENNIFER KUPCHO: Yeah, I think really just for me specifically this week, I got in late yesterday, and wasn't planning to practise yesterday and really not go out today. To be able to go see the golf course today was good for me, but I think it's really just trusting my caddie that he knows where to hit the shots, where to go and where the misses are.
So I think it's just that is the mental thing is to know where to hit it, hit the misses, basically, because you're not going to hit it right where you want to.
THE MODERATOR: Are you a player that typically relies on your caddie for that?
JENNIFER KUPCHO: Oh, yeah.
THE MODERATOR: Are you a person that wants to know all the numbers?
JENNIFER KUPCHO: Not necessarily. I think it's more so I trust him and like -- basically trust him that he's done his work. So if I don't know a golf course, like I can just trust where he's going to take me and where I should hit it. He knows my game very well.
THE MODERATOR: This has been -- I mean, Scottish golf, it's been a big year. You've had so many things crammed into five, six, seven weeks. How cool is it for you to be here, be at the Home of Golf, play links-style golf when it's been such a monumental year for this part of the world?
JENNIFER KUPCHO: Yeah, I think it's definitely exciting to be here. It's always fun to be here in Scotland at any point just because of golf and that's what we love to do out here. So I think we're all excited to be here and see how this week goes.
THE MODERATOR: You mentioned it briefly, but you talked about learning to like links golf. Was there a specific moment? Was there a specific event that you finally just felt comfortable out there?
JENNIFER KUPCHO: I think it was just last year at the British. Playing at Carnoustie, it was -- I mean, just walking those fairways. I feel like that was the real links golf, first real links golf that I've played. Not that the other courses we played haven't been but it was more of a fair links golf test, and I really experienced that and loved it.
THE MODERATOR: As we look ahead to next week as well, I know you're a player that typically likes to play the week before a major. But how much does coming here, having this experience at Dundonald, getting your feet proverbially wet for the links, help you prepare for the year's last major?
JENNIFER KUPCHO: Yeah, I definitely think it's really important. When I was looking at my season coming into this, I asked my caddie if I should play because I really didn't want to. I wanted to take this week off but going home to the U.S. doesn't really seem like any better idea. To come out here, I think that's the main goal this week, to get used to a little bit of links golf and get into that mindset.
I also have a hard time with -- the turf is harder over here, so I usually have wrist issues. So playing two weeks in a row can be a little bit hard. So trying to limit that as well. Trying to limit how many balls I hit so that I can play well next week.
THE MODERATOR: How do you pace yourself? We played Evian last week. You have this week at Dundonald which is sure to be a really, really great week and a very tough test, and next week, as well. This part of the season is thick. How do you pace yourself?
JENNIFER KUPCHO: Usually taking Mondays off, doing very little on Tuesday, doing a little bit of practise. I think some players are different -- a lot of players are different than me where they feel under prepared if they don't go out and see some of the golf course before a Pro-Am.
I don't have that problem. I don't have that mindset. If I'm out there, I mean, again, it goes back to my caddie. I trust that my caddie knows what he's doing and has the best thought in mind.
So I can go out there and play and I think that's one of my strong suits is being able to play Monday and Tuesday, essentially, off.
THE MODERATOR: We're looking forward to seeing you out there this week. Good luck.
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