THE MODERATOR: All right, well welcome everyone into the virtual media center here at the ShopRite LPGA Classic presented by Acer.
I'm happy to start us off today with the 2011 champion Brittany Lincicome. How are you doing today?
BRITTANY LINCICOME: I'm doing great. Got to play nine holes super early this morning in front of everybody, and it was so peaceful out there. So beautiful. It was nice to get it done early, and now I can take a nap later.
THE MODERATOR: We're back after a week off and an eventful Portland Classic, something I don't we've really had to deal with in a while, but it is 2020.
We were just talking about that was the first event I think you've played since coming back on the LPGA Tour without Emery by your side.
BRITTANY LINCICOME: Yeah.
THE MODERATOR: Was that different for you? I know you said in December you had a week off from her.
BRITTANY LINCICOME: Yeah, I got to sleep a little bit more, which is good. She's a great sleeper. Yeah, it was sad. First day or two I cried when she left. Luckily Brittany Lang let me hang out Shea a bunch, so I got to at least be around a baby a bit, which was good.
It's hard. It's hard being selfish and wanting to take Emery with me every week, but then obviously my husband doesn't get to see her every week at home. I'm trying to share, but obviously I want her to travel with me every week. She's out this week and then she will go home next week. We're trying to share, but it's definitely hard and I miss her.
THE MODERATOR: Did it do anything with how you prepared for the tournament? You said you got to sleep a little bit more, but usually you have to kind of -- I feel like do your whole practice schedule around Emery and her feeding and everything. Was there any big changes like that?
BRITTANY LINCICOME: No, not really. My mom travels with me every week so it's super easy to leave Emery with her and I can do my schedule as normal. So it was pretty much the same.
We played actually early practice rounds in Portland every day for whatever reason. Just keeps happening that way where I forget to book practice round times so I'm at the 7:00, 7:30 time every day.
Yeah, it's more when she's not around. Like we were doing puzzles and my caddie and I were hanging out watching TV an doing stuff. And when she's here it's following Emery around, seeing what she's getting into. She's so busy now that she's walking. She keeps us on our toes, but it's awesome.
THE MODERATOR: Just looking at what you've been able to do since the restart, you've been able to make every single cut since coming back. Now that we've had quite a few events out of the way since picking it back up in July, how do you feel about your game recently, and what are some of the things that may have surprised you since restarting?
BRITTANY LINCICOME: Yeah, making the cut has been awesome. Obviously I'm super happy. I feel like I make the cut on the number and then I kind of finish towards the end, so I need to figure out how to get back to the top of the leaderboard.
Obviously taking time off from maternity and having Emery and the slow start to this season, it was almost like a full year break, which I've never done. Getting back into the swing of things and get into a rhythm when you have a week, a week off mit's hard to get a rhythm. So that's been challenging.
And then the whole competition part of it. You know, playing at home with your buddies and trying to practice is great. When you come back out and tee up in the an LPGA event, the pressure and nerves even for small tournaments, doesn't have to be a major, Toledo, Atlantic City, small events still make me super nervous.
Just trying to get out of my own way getting back to how I used to play and being carefree. I thought after having Emery it's not a big deal anymore. I can go home and give her a hug and still see her smiling face and know I still have this beautiful daughter.
But I still get super worked up and super nervous on the golf course. It's silly. This is my 16th year as a pro and I still get super nervous. Hopefully I can overcome that here soon and get out of my own way and go play golf freely.
Still dealing with a thumb issue. I have to wear a brace and tape it on there, so I think just getting used to that, too, just feeling that with my grip and everything. Getting used to everything is taking more time than I thought.
THE MODERATOR: It's been a little bit since you've been to the Jersey Shore. I think 2017 was the last year here.
BRITTANY LINCICOME: Uh-huh.
THE MODERATOR: Definitely some changes because of COVID, but how excited are you to be returning here to Seaview?
BRITTANY LINCICOME: Yeah, so excited. I've won here. I feel like I have so many good memories here. The way it falls in the schedule every year, this event is just never in the right spot for my schedule, which is so unfortunate, because like I said, I've won here, I have good memories here, I love the golf course and everything about it.
So I'm happy to be back this year. Happy to be teeing it up. Again, going to pull from those good memories.
It's a bummer. Normally previous times I've been here like a banner of all the past champions have been up and my picture has been up there, so I can see that and kind of reflect and have the good memories.
Not so much grandstands and banners up this time, but still a lot of good memories and looking forward to the week.
THE MODERATOR: I know you've won quite a few times; you're major champion yourself. What do you remember if you go back to 2011? This is such a prestigious event, one of our longest running tournaments here.
BRITTANY LINCICOME: Yeah.
THE MODERATOR: What do you remember from your win here?
BRITTANY LINCICOME: Okay, the only thing I can I remember (audio cut out) tall fescue as well. I just remember it being the hardest shot. I hit like a great shot into the green. Pulled a little left; no big deal. Should just be on a bunker; easy up and down.
But I remember the tall fescue being in my way and having to like hack the ball out. I was so just excited to get it on the green. I think I hit it to like five or seven feet. So pretty close, pretty good shot from what the lie was, and then I made the putt.
Had to wait for the next group to finish I'm pretty sure to realize that I had actually won because the player didn't birdie. I just remember that shot being so hard. That's the only shot I can remember on the last hole. Just thinking that, God, this was supposed to be like an easy up and down going for the par-5 in two, which are my favorite, and getting up there and the lie was horrendous and having to hit this like miracle shot to win.
THE MODERATOR: It's so interesting hearing when people remember. I remember the last shot on the last hole, and it was so hard.
BRITTANY LINCICOME: Yeah, normally I remember the bad shots unfortunately. (Laughter.)
THE MODERATOR: There are definitely some changes here, changes out there on the course. You were talking that I think you've been able to see the course and you've practiced on it.
BRITTANY LINCICOME: Uh-huh.
THE MODERATOR: What have you seen and how is it going to fit your game for this week?
BRITTANY LINCICOME: I think it should fit pretty well. There are some long holes, some short holes, so you definitely got to kind of take advantage of those. The par-5s I think it's going to be where you're going to make the most dramatic moves, especially I think it's number 3. It's pretty short par-5. Most of the field should be able to get there in two, and I need to capitalize on the par-5s better.
I used to be a long hitter. Now I'm not so long I'm realizing now that I'm playing with these 20 year olds. But still being a decently long hitter, need to take advantage of the par-5s and those short holes for sure.
I have to hit a few 7-woods, 3-woods off some of the tees and just be more consistent out there. So be more consistent, hit more greens and fairways, and take advantage of the par-5s.
THE MODERATOR: All right. With that, I think we will open it up for questions.
Q. Two-part question for you: Since having Emery, how has your attitude toward golf changed? What does it mean to you and the other moms out here to have the child care support system that the LPGA provides for you?
BRITTANY LINCICOME: Oh, gosh. Both great questions. Having Emery, like I said earlier, I feel like if you have a bad day on the golf course that doesn't matter anymore. I still have this beautiful child at home. Your perspective of golf, it's not life or death anymore like it used to be, or in my mind it used to be life or death if I had a bad round, because I still have that beautiful angel at home who's going to give me a hug. Now that she is walking she can run to me. It's the coolest feeling ever.
All the other moms, it's such a great time to have a baby on tour with all the other moms. What Smuckers does for us in providing daycare and the traveling Pack 'N Plays and strollers and toys we have, really makes my job and or jobs a lot easier knowing we can still go play golf and do our jobs and the kids are well taken care of back at the hotel or a local business with our daycare ladies.
I think Bardene has been with us for almost 20 years, if not 20 years. I've know I've seen her since my rookie year on tour growing up watching all the kids grow up. Definitely gives you peace when you're out there golfing to know that the kids are safe.
Q. How old is Emery now?
THE MODERATOR: Rick, is that it for you? You were muted. With that, we will move on Beth Ann.
Beth Ann?
Q. I wanted to ask you how this tournament feels different being a four-rounder in terms of how you might attack it a little bit differently mentally.
BRITTANY LINCICOME: Yeah, you know, three-day events are obviously really fun because it's the one last day that always seems to get you, or one day that always seems to get you. So three-day events are awesome.
But if I'm going to win an LPGA event, I always want it to be a four-day event against the top players in the world, hardest fields, just so when you win it's kind of justified. You played four rounds against the best players.
So four days I think is great. Obviously I like those three-day events, but getting a win in a four-day event means a lot more to me.
Yeah, it's going to be different. We've always played three rounds here, so I'm sure when I tee it up hopefully for that fourth round, I'll feel like, Man, we've been here forever. I think it'll be great. Obviously just need to make a few more birdies and just shoot a couple under every day and I think we'll be good.
Q. The list of champions here, there aren't fluke winners of this event. It's a stout list. What does it take on this golf course? What kind of game does it take to win and why do you think it's such a great list of past champions?
BRITTANY LINCICOME: That's a great question. You know, it's not really -- I mean, it could be a long hitter's course. There are definitely some long holes. There is a par-3 that is 185 just to the front, so that hole will be playing over 200 yards most days.
Then again, there is also holes where you have to hit 7-woods and 3-woods and you have wedge. So I think you can make an decent amount of birdies each day if you're in the right spot. The greens will be the trickiest. They're very subtle. Even today I hit a few putts and I was thinking I played it right to left and went left to right.
So you have to really be careful of kind of the fall-offs and the roll-outs, too. I hit a few putts where it would roll out an extra three or four feet, so you have to be careful about those coming back. I think it's just whoever can make the most amount of birdies.
Q. Welcome back.
BRITTANY LINCICOME: Thanks.
Q. Just wondering what it's been like for you? You're a crowd favorite, I know. What's it been like to play without spectators watching you?
BRITTANY LINCICOME: It's such a weird feeling. Playing now it's almost like junior golf days when it was just your mom or dad or maybe your playing partner's mom or dad out there watching you. It's a weird memory there.
But I definitely miss the fans, especially at ANA or somewhere like that where you really feed off their energy. Even 18 here used to be a huge grandstand and people were filling that thing like crazy.
You feed off their energy. If you're playing well the crowd is obviously on your side, they're rooting for you, cheering for you. You can really feel that when you're out there. I definitely miss that part of it.
Really hope we get spectators back soon. It's definitely weird.
Q. Obviously in the pandemic a lot of people are struggling. What does it say to you that the sponsors of your tournaments are giving you this opportunity to play, to make a living during these troubled times?
BRITTANY LINCICOME: Oh, my God, it means the world. Every tournament could have shut down and easily said, Hey, we're loosing money. We can't afford to do it. We are going to take a year off. We totally would've understood that.
Especially ShopRite this week. I mean, grocery stores. You think about the pandemic at its worst, and these grocery workers are still there stocking the shelves for us and bagging or groceries for us and really stuck through this horrible time.
Obviously can't thank them enough for continuing to do their job. It was super scary there for a while, for the sponsors to still support us and have the tournament, this week especially. We had so many pro-ams here. This is where they entertain their clients, where they do most of their business.
For them to cancel all those pro-ams and still have the events for us and support us really means the world. We can't thank them enough.
THE MODERATOR: From me, when you look -- I know Beth Ann mentioned it earlier with the list of champions -- it is definitely a stout list. What does that mean to you? I know we talked about how you haven't been back in a couple years. What does it mean to you now that you kind of go through the list of champions of the Juli Inkster, Annika Sorenstam. What does it mean to have your place on that list as well?
BRITTANY LINCICOME: It's so cool. I remember when I turned pro, and every week my rookie year I was trying to hit balls next to a Juli Inkster or an Annika Sorenstam because I just thought it was so cool to be on the same driving range as them or to be even in the same category even a little bit as to be a pro golfer.
To be able to win events that have their name on the trophy already, it's really a dream come true. Really the coolest feeling ever. Yeah, I mean, like I said, it's just so cool to be even a little bit in their company.
Q. Lexi is coming on here a little bit after you and she made her pro debut at this event like a decade ago as a sponsor invite. What do you remember about the first time you watched Lexi hit a golf shot? Did you meet her as a junior player at all?
BRITTANY LINCICOME: I don't think so. I remember when she first hit the ball. She has such a unique swing, and how aggressively she swings at it. Just thinking like, Holy cow. It was crazy to watch and so cool to watch at the same time. Just it was a swing that I felt like I hadn't seen before, and how hard she hit it. I felt like I hit it pretty hard when I was younger, but she's a hole 'nother level of swinging hard.
I think she's done a wonderful job of learning her game, and I think her course management has been her biggest life saver. She knows when to hit the driver, when not to hit the driver, control that a little bit better, and I think that's why she's had so much success lately.
She's such a great player. So fun to watch.
Q. And did you watch Bryson at all.
BRITTANY LINCICOME: I did.
Q. What did you make of his -- as a long player yourself, what did you make of his...
BRITTANY LINCICOME: I mean, he just like overpowered everything. You still have to hit it straight, which is the most shocking thing. You see those guys hitting the ball and they're hitting it like 350 yards and it still goes straight, which is really impressive.
But, yeah, just watching him, he was taking lines that other people I don't think even saw. It was really cool to see. Obviously he had a game plan and he knew what he wanted to do, th and he went out and did it. I that's really cool. I think that's awesome.
THE MODERATOR: All right. I think with that, we'll wrap it up here.
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