JEREMY FRIEDMAN: I'm Jeremy Friedman, PR Director for Outlyr, the tournament operator for the Pelican Women's Championship.
First off, Dan, want to thank you and your staff for your hospitality today in hosting us here today. All of us at Outlyr, we are super excited about this tournament this year and working with you and your staff at the championship this year.
Before we get started, want to address somebody who is not here who we wish would be here who was a long-time member of the media. Her name was Lil Cromer. Lil passed away about a month ago.
Lil was a long-time member of the media here in the Belleair community. She was with Clint for years as staff writer for Belleair Magazine, now Stroll Magazine. The November issue is dedicated entirely to the Pelican Women's Championship and Lil's story.
Dan and Carla and Justin and the staff, you all know that Lil was also probably the biggest fan of this tournament. Mayor, you remember this in the first town hall meetings, that when Lil would be there, when the tournament was kind of going through the approval process, Lil was not shy. (Laughter.) She was not shy about voicing her opinion about how this is going to be great for Tampa, great for the Pelican, and great for the Belleair community. Carla, you did an amazing job last week on the toast we had at the club, so just want to just call that out.
We all miss Lil and we wished she was here. We know she's here in spirit. With that, I know she's looking down on me going, Jeremy, come on. Get on with it.
So I'm going to go ahead and get on with it. We have a couple of really good roundtable sessions that we're doing today. First off, just thank everybody for being here at Pelican Women's Championship media day.
Our tournament is going to be November 7th through the 13th, in a couple weeks. Lexi, Brittany and Brittany, thank you for being here today.
Mayor and staff, thank you for being here.
Justin, Carla and the golf club staff, thank you for all your hospitality today. We appreciate it.
Before I bring up the first panelists, I want to kind of go into just some little tidbits about the tournament this year. The tournament field, it's shaping up to be the strongest in the tournament's three-year history.
We have seven of the top 10 in the world; 15 of the top 20 that are currently entered to compete. It's going to be a field of 120 players here for an elevated $2 million purse, which one the largest purses on the LPGA Tour.
This is also the final full-field event on the LPGA Tour before the season-ending CME Group Tour Championship.
We've got a tremendous week of programming here at the tournament during tournament week. Friday, November 11th is Veteran's Day, so we are going to have some special programming on Veteran's Day to celebrate and honor our heros who defend our country.
So all military, active, reserved, and retired, they're all going to have +1 or all going to have complementary admission to the tournament this year. We also have it's called The Hero Outpost. It's going to be on the 12th hole, which you'll see not a minute when we do our close it to the pin.
It's kind of our exclusive hospitality for our heros to watch the tournament and to enjoy the championship this week. Yesterday also started our tournament build here at the course. So we had scaffolding here yesterday. Couple of our vendors were here yesterday.
So Ryan Dever and our operations staff were out riding around yesterday. So it's starting to build. Literally starting to build to our championship in a couple weeks.
Finally, just wanted to shout out tickets. So tickets are on sale. So they're on sale exclusively at PelicanLPGA.Com. We have a few different ticket options. We have daily and weekly grounds tickets, and then also we have what's called a lightning lounge, which is our exclusive hospitality on hole No. 12, which you'll see in a little bit with our friends and the partners at the Tampa Bay Lightning.
Without further ado, that's the intro before we get things going. I want to bring up to the stage Dan Doyle, Jr., Marci Doyle, and Gary Koch. If you all could come up to the stage.
We'll do proper introductions. Everybody knows this group. Dan Doyle, Jr., his family owns Pelican Golf Club.
DAN DOYLE, JR: I want to thank -- so we have a fellow, Chief Doyle is out there. We also have to thank him. Another Doyle in the room. Without him, I mean, he's the one who kind of protects this place day and night.
MARCI DOYLE: No doubt.
JEREMY FRIEDMAN: 100 percent. Chief, thank you. Thank you for everything that you all do.
So Dan's family, so they own Pelican Golf Club. This is a special place for the Doyle family because Dan grew up playing here and he learned how to play golf here.
So I'll ask you about that in a minute.
So Marci Doyle is the Pelican Women's Championship executive director and my boss at Outlyr. She has been with us for about a year and a half. She came over from just up the road at I4 at the Arnold Palmer Invitational where she was CEO and tournament director there for many years.
And then Gary Koch, my long-time colleague at Golf Channel and NBC Sports. Gary is an NBC Sports golf analyst. I call him Mr. Tampa. Everything Tampa golf is Gary Koch; also a member here at Pelican Golf Club.
Dan, first question to you: So last year we joked that last year was year two, but it was de facto year one, right, because it was first year with spectators.
So from you and your family's perspective and the golf club's perspective, give me your reaction to and thoughts to year one of this championship and kind of your big idea of hosting a women's championship here coming to fruition.
DAN DOYLE, JR: So I would say year one, de facto year one, was a success. I think we averaged 7500 a day roughly. Total success.
But it was funny, about I think Saturday midday we started creating a list on how we can make it better for this year. So you don't get to enjoy -- I guess it is similar to business. We don't get to enjoy, hey, this was perfect at the end of the day, because we were already creating our list on how we were going to make it better this year.
But this all started, thanks -- I mean, he's standing in the back, Justin Sheehan called me one day while we were building the golf course. Literally it was a pile of dirt and said, hey, what do you think if we hold an LPGA event? Which I said, yeah, sure. Thinking there no way he'll pull this off.
And lo and behold, they came out and saw the place and we kind of gave them our vision. It was to make an incredible golf tournament for the women. I don't think we're there yet, but well on our way.
JEREMY FRIEDMAN: With that, what are some of the -- when you say you're well on the way, what are some of the big things that fans can expect from this year?
DAN DOYLE, JR: I'll start from a player point of view first. We asked the players, and they probably, you know, fill out a form at the end of it on improvements, or way to improve the tournament, and they probably think we don't read them.
Technically I don't think we're supposed to actually get them, but we do, and I read every one of them. We look at things on how to improve. So last year the putting green was a little small, so while we were shut down this summer we doubled the size of the putting green.
I don't know if the ladies have gone out to see it yet, but we took the crown out of top of the part that was existing and then we really doubled the size.
Another thing, so we gave away three Lamborghinis last year, and actually all the ladies took the cash, they didn't take the car. And for two reasons: One, insurance is pretty expensive on a Lamborghini; and two, there was no place to put their golf clubs. (Laughter.)
We didn't think that all the way through, so Marci came up with a great idea. I still liked giving away the Lamborghinis, so this year we are giving away the Lamborghini SUV so you can fit your golf clubs in it, and we're going to cover the insurance.
So it's constant. Now, look at them all. They're going, huh? So it's little things like that. I mean, they make suggestions on what type of meals we can prepare for them, so we want them to feel more welcome than our actual members feel here, and we want our members to feel like it does every day when they come here.
I want the ladies to say this is a must on the calendar. We're not going to miss this event.
Hey, we're year three. We've raised the purse every year since we started. You know, there is little things that we keep constantly working on.
JEREMY FRIEDMAN: And I'll do one more quick follow-up. So Pelican Golf Club is, as I mentioned, this place has a lot of history for you and your family. Just take us from not only you and your family as the owners of Pelican Golf Club but as a fan of the game, growing up and playing on this golf course, and having the LPGA Tour's best players here playing here.
DAN DOYLE, JR: I would drive by the place. Belleair is a three square miles roughly. Correct, Mayor? It's about three square miles, and obviously this is the main thoroughfare Indian Rocks Road. So you drive by it constantly. It was kind of getting beat up. Sad, but a lot of memories here. You would pay $120 when you were a kid and you could play unlimited from 2:00 on. You would come out and you would start playing, and you wouldn't stop until it was pitch black and your mother or father would pick you up.
Owning the golf course, we had six trees hit by lightning. When I was a kid and we would be out playing and it would start to rain and lightning, you would find the biggest tree to hide under so you didn't get wet. If I would've known how many trees got hit, I mean, I'm lucky to be alive.
But it's the center of town. It was kind of the diamond in the rough for the town because it just got neglected. There is country club down the street. It got neglected, and our idea was let's bring it back to its luster.
The neighbors didn't know what we were going to do. I think they were very nervous. We were talking about it at our table. They very nervous when we bought the property. I get it. They don't know what we're going to do.
They probably thought we were going to put eight million townhomes here. We built this golf course, and I think this blew everybody's mind. We've got a beautiful golf course that's even gotten better. We have an incredible super that we brought in after year one who has this golf course really tuned up for the ladies. It's going to be a challenge this year.
So it was the diamond in the rough. It's now the crown jewel.
JEREMY FRIEDMAN: Diamond in the rough, now the crown jewel. Love that.
Marci, question for you. Similar question that I posed to Dan. So last year was year one for you as executive director of this championship coming from the Arnold Palmer Invitational. Give me your takeaways from year one. Also with fans here and then what can fans expect to enjoy and see as we have the championship here in a couple weeks?
MARCI DOYLE: Well, good question. I think last year was an official year one with folks being here, and one of the things when I first came to interview for this position after we first realized that both our names were Doyle and it was just meant to be, was that I got to know Dan and his dad, and their personalities were -- and I hope you take this as nothing but a compliment -- but very similar to Arnold Palmer as far as how he hosts people and wants to bring people in and is very humble about it.
Doesn't talk about what they do in this community, and they give back a ton. Them taking on this golf course and what they wanted to do was not about them, it was about this community and giving back.
So when I realized that and then seeing what last year was as our first truly opening up, it's a private club, but opening this up to the community so people could see what Pelican was truly all about, it was learning about the Pelican way.
It was fun. The week was just fun. Everything we did. Giving away the three Lambos. We had a sold-out women's leadership summit and had incredible speakers. We had a fabulous concert on the beach. Even our 30-minute rain delay we had was fun. We invited everybody into the golf cart, the cart barn, and these guys were handing out waters and chatting with them.
This year we're going to even upgrade that. As Dan says, it's all about, okay, how do we make it better. That's the mentality. The whole time we were having fun, but it was, we had a big ole fat list. All of us did, with the teams going, how do we make it better?
That's what Dan and Dan want to do, is they always want to be putting on a better show, and how do we make it better for everyone else. And that's not just the members. It's the players. It's the community. It's the folks that come to enjoy the event.
JEREMY FRIEDMAN: Gary, as a long-time Tampa resident, Mr. Tampa as...
GARY KOCH: Thank you, Jeremy. I'm Mr. Tampa. Okay.
JEREMY FRIEDMAN: And so we talked a little bit about this last year, but as someone who has, de facto co-host Valspar Championship, you did the Outback years ago. To have the LPGA Tour here in Tampa, specifically in Belleair, what does that mean for this city to have the LPGA Tour here in this town?
GARY KOCH: I think it's a huge compliment to the city itself, and especially to the Doyle family for their vision to bring the LPGA back, because for many years there was an LPGA tournament here in St. Petersburg. That has not been on the schedule for a long, long time.
The golf community in this town I think really enjoys having professional golf here. The support that we used to get at the Outback tournament was tremendous. The Champions Tour event. The LPGA event here, well supported. The Valspar event, well supported.
Just think of the number of golfers that are in this community. You know, it makes sense that we should have professional golf here in Tampa.
And for the Doyles to bring the LPGA back, a remarkable thing. Knowing the Doyles the way that I do as being a member here at Pelican, when they say they're going to get something done, they do it.
JEREMY FRIEDMAN: Well, so as a member of Pelican Golf Club, you were here last year. You were also a part of the broadcast last year, so give me your quick takeaways from last year with the fans here, and specifically the crowds that were gathered around 18 enjoying the play.
GARY KOCH: I think any time you're doing a broadcast you feed off the energy of the crowd. It was great to have people here last year. I thought the broadcast went extremely well. I was on for just a short period of time. Tried to impart a little bit of insider knowledge since I am a member.
But, you know, the scene around 18, fantastic. That's what you're looking for as a broadcaster or putting on a telecast. People watching equate people being there to the event being successful, so the more people we can get here and the more people that especially are around that 18th green, then the perception will be the event is extremely successful.
So I'm looking forward, Marci, this year and, Dan, for more people than we had last year, which I'm sure will happen as the word gets around. The perception will be that we had a very successful event.
JEREMY FRIEDMAN: Also as a member, you are going to play the course this afternoon. You played here several times. This is a historical Donald Ross design. Talk about it from a player perspective. What Brittany, Lexi, and Brittany can expect this coming championship in a couple weeks?
GARY KOCH: Well, I'm sure all three of the ladies would say that the golf course was in great shape for last year's tournament. I think it'll be even better this year.
You mentioned our superintendent Terry Kennelly and the job that he did over the summer. A lot of work. Again, suggestions as to how to make things better. Dan and his dad, we're going to get them done, and they did.
The golf course to me right now is in the best shape it's ever been in since it was opened. That says an awful lot.
I'm sure if the weather cooperates the greens will be fairly firm and pretty fast. They were the real challenge of the golf course. A lot of character in the greens. A lot of undulations in places. Really requires accurate approach shots to put the ball in the right place on the greens to give yourself a legitimate chance to make birdies.
I think the players will be very excited when they get here to see it.
JEREMY FRIEDMAN: Last question for you three before we bring up the players. So we recently announced for 2022 that Hall of Famer Annika Sorenstam is going to be hosting this championship. So the Annika driven by Gainbridge at Pelican.
Dan, first to you. Tell me about your excitement about having Annika coming in as co-hosting this great championship next year.
DAN DOYLE, JR: So we steal Marci from the Arnold Palmer, but with a -- dad and I basically lied to her and told her we were going to create this incredible event here, so we had to find the female version of Arnold Palmer, which I think we did with Annika.
That was a gift delivered back to Marci. We'll make some announcements during the tournament. It's coming with some other things as well.
Again, I think it just raises the tournament's caliber just another notch.
JEREMY FRIEDMAN: Marci, same question. As Dan mentioned, you worked for Mr. Palmer for years. As Dan said, now you have Annika coming in. Tell me about your excitement for 2023.
MARCI DOYLE: Well, and yes, just to be clear, Annika is starting in '23. We will be making a big announcement during the '22 tournament to kind of roll it out. We'll have her here, which we're very excited about.
What's interesting is Mr. Palmer and Annika were very close friends. You know this, right, Gary? She actually had both of her babies at his hospital. Had a very rough delivery during one of them and it was touch and go for a while.
First time she brought her baby up to see Mr. Palmer and hold the baby, they cried. Just so thankful that he was able to make it through. You'll now see him, little Will, not so little anymore, that's playing with Annika. He's got a great game, so he got it honestly from his mother.
We're so excited because she and Mike had been saying all along they wanted an Arnold Palmer Invitational for Annika. They've said it for years, and this is the guy that made it happen.
We thrilled to be able to bring her over here. What that means is Annika is now the title of the event. She has hosted. She has done several other events where she's played a role in it, but this is at a whole new level.
This is her baby, along with the Doyles. This is going to be her baby, and that has never happened on the LPGA Tour really with any LPGA player. We're excited to create that, maybe set that template in the game and take everything to a new level.
Again, it's all about how do we do it better. I would say that was a pretty good one, Dan. We're excited.
JEREMY FRIEDMAN: Gary, same question. Your reaction to looking ahead to 2023. You've had a long friendship with Arnold Palmer. Not only a part of the broadcast team, bit you won his tournament.
So looking ahead to Annika next year, so just give me your reactions to looking ahead to 2023.
GARY KOCH: Well, you want to make this the best championship that it can possibly be, you bring in arguably the best golfer, woman golfer of all-time. Pretty simple.
All the wins, all the majors. She's a wonderful representative of the game. I'm sure the community will rally around her. She'll be very involved. Having worked with her several times covering U.S. Women's Open, she's very well-prepared. I don't see her being the type of person who will just throw her name on there and not make sure that she's very involved and things are done the right way.
MARCI DOYLE: That's right.
JEREMY FRIEDMAN: Awesome.
MARCI DOYLE: Don't you just want to listen to his voice? Just keep talking.
JEREMY FRIEDMAN: Oh, yeah.
MARCI DOYLE: His voice is so lovely. It's lovely.
JEREMY FRIEDMAN: All right, guys, thank you. Gary, come on up to the host chair and now we'll bring Brittany Lincicome, Brittany Altomare, and Lexi Thompson up to the stage.
GARY KOCH: Welcome, ladies. I don't think our new guests here need a lot of introduction. Brittany Altomare and Brittany Lincicome are both local. Live here in the Tampa Bay Area. And Lexi came very close to winning the Pelican Women's Championship last year.
All three members of Solheim Cup teams and some of the best players on the LPGA Tour. So welcome. Great to have you here.
What makes this Pelican Championship so special?
Lexi, start us off.
LEXI THOMPSON: All right. It's really tough to pinpoint honestly. Last year I would definitely consider that probably the first year for it with the amount of people that we got out here so support the event.
I would say any tournament can just provide a good golf course. This obviously does. The hospitality we receive from the Doyle family and just all the workers here, it's just so welcoming and it's been a top tournament definitely on my list.
Yes, it helps that it's in Florida and we're all based in Florida, but it's the welcoming, the hospitality that we receive here that really makes the event special.
BRITTANY LINCICOME: No, I was thinking the same thing. Whether it's from just the amenities in the locker room to the little gifts that we get throughout the week, obviously a beautiful golf course, wonderful driving range, bigger putting green. Apparently some girls complained about that, which is weird. (Laughter.)
It's just the little things that they're really taking into consideration about just trying to make this event bigger and better. The purse size, obviously fantastic. Everything about it is just really top notch and just cool to see the Doyles and how much they care about the LPGA and taking care of us.
We love what we do, and it's sponsors like them that make us really love our jobs more for sure.
BRITTANY ALTOMARE: Yeah, I would say when we talk amongst the players about what our favorite tournament is, yeah, the golf course is nice, but that kind of comes second to all the hospitality stuff. We really talk about the food and the locker room and the practice facilities and the hospitality.
The Doyles do a great job of that, and I think that's why people come back.
GARY KOCH: Okay. Both of you or all you have referenced the crowd that was here last year. As entertainers, how important is it to have big crowds?
BRITTANY ALTOMARE: I think it's super important. I mean, some of my favorite events, like Solheim and even some of the events in Asia where we get big crowds, I mean, it's a lot of fun to play in front of people. I think during COVID when we didn't have fans we really missed that. I think we took that for granted. And now to have fans back and come back, it's what we play for I think.
LEXI THOMPSON: Yeah, exactly what Brittany said. I mean, I think the fans make the game, and to see the amount of people that they got out here to support this event was truly remarkable.
To be able to come up 18, have the clubhouse as the backdrop with the American flag, but also to just see the lines of people behind the green, I mean, those are the moments we play for, to be in front of crowds and just hear the chants.
Or whether it's Solheim or here, just hear people clap and see them support us. They make it so much more enjoyable.
BRITTANY LINCICOME: Yeah, same. Like Brit said, during COVID it was hard. Like you didn't have the fans backing you, getting that adrenaline and the momentum going.
When you're playing well and you can kind of get all the fans on your side, cheering for you, you're really like pumped up to want to play better and show off a little bit in front of them.
So I think last year we had good numbers, but I feel like this year it's going to be even better. Everyone knows about the tournament now. Obviously Jeremy and them have been promoting it really well that we're coming to town.
I think more people are going to come out this year just wanting to see it, especially if the weather is nice. It's a beautiful golf course for them to come out and walk around and watch some good golf.
GARY KOCH: Okay, I mentioned the Brittanys are local, living here in the Tampa Bay area.
You've got the mic, so I'm going to ask you first. Is it harder or easier playing a home game?
BRITTANY LINCICOME: Depends on how you're playing. (Applause.) (Laughter.)
Obviously if you have your family out and you're playing well -- or even not. I mean, they're there, they can support you, and you can always look over to the crowd and see a familiar face and kind of maybe pump you back up get you back making birdies and get off that bogey stretch.
Now having two small daughters, my second daughter is going to get to come out and watch me play for the first fist time, so I'm really excited about that, to get her out and come wash.
But I have a three year old, so she loves golf and loves being out there. So I can look over to her and that should just create lots of birdies for me because she's so happy all the time and she loves watching mommy play golf.
So she knows when I put on golf clothes. She says, mommy go play golf. It's cool to have her be a little bit older and come out and watch and see what I do, and hopefully I can show off a little bit for her.
BRITTANY ALTOMARE: I mean, I think it's exactly what she said. Depends on how you're playing, but also like to be able to sleep in your own bed or cook your own meals at home and stuff. I think it's an advantage for sure.
And having the support of the crowd. So, yeah.
GARY KOCH: Okay. Back to you, Brittany. You mentioned your second child. You've been on maternity leave from the LPGA Tour and this will be your first event back.
How is your preparation going? What are your expectations for the week?
BRITTANY LINCICOME: I should probably start playing more than once a week to get ready. When somebody said it was two weeks away I was like, oh, is it really? It's sneaking up on me way too fast.
Yeah, I shut it down the end of June at 33 weeks; had my daughter at 36 weeks. Just slowly getting back to it. Obviously a little bit rusty, but I'm hoping it's like riding a back and going it's just going to come right back to me.
Excited, like Brit said, to be able to sleep in my own bed and just kind of drive over. You know, definitely two weeks ago I definitely needed to get out there a little bit more, but it's obviously -- it is what it is. Just quick turnaround.
But looking forward to it. I haven't been out -- feel like I've been away for so long. It's only been a couple months.
Excited to tee it up and get back into it for sure.
GARY KOCH: Well we're looking forward to watching you.
Lexi, you almost won this Pelican Women's Championship last year. You lost in the playoff. Does that provide any added motivation for this year's event?
LEXI THOMPSON: Definitely a little added motivation I guess you can say.
It was an amazing week. Played some great golf, and obviously amazing competition to play against. Didn't have the outcome that I wanted, but I learned a lot from it. I always say, you're always learning, never failing.
So I learned from that week, that day, what I could have done better, and I just moved on, took the positives from it. I'm definitely looking forward to coming back and playing again. Hopefully get some great weather.
I was out on 18's green and I was like, this is pretty amazing. It is in perfect shape. I'm like, I want to go play now. But I'm just really looking forward to coming back and playing in two weeks for the event.
GARY KOCH: What do you feel like you learned from last year?
LEXI THOMPSON: You know, from last year and just every experience, I feel like every time I tee it up there is something to be learned. Last year in particular I would say maybe just being more relaxed. I just needed to maybe be in the moment a little bit more and just make sure I slowed down a little bit.
But I think that's just golf. It's such a mental game and you're always learning. I just took the positives and I played great. Just wasn't my day come down to it.
But took it and learned, and here we are.
GARY KOCH: Okay. Well, we expect you to be right up at the top of that leaderboard again this year. Brittany, 67th on the CME Globe standings at the present. Just a couple weeks left if the season, including here. What are we going to do to move up in the standings?
BRITTANY ALTOMARE: Hopefully win. (Applause.)
GARY KOCH: Right here would be great.
BRITTANY ALTOMARE: No, I mean, you know, that's the goal when you tee it up in a tournament, is to win. Looks like there is going to be an incredible field, a strong field, so just going to prepare the best I can the next couple weeks and hopefully play my way into CME.
GARY KOCH: Is there one area of your game you think needs more improvement than others?
BRITTANY ALTOMARE: I actually think more on the lines of what Lexi just said, relax, stay in the moment. This year I probably have gotten too far ahead of myself a little bit, putting a lot of pressure on myself.
I mean, I've been in contention a few, you know, times throughout the years and it just hasn't happened yet, so maybe just relax, stay in the present moment, and just focus shot by shot.
GARY KOCH: Okay. Sounds good. Good plan. Now we got to execute.
BRITTANY ALTOMARE: Yes.
GARY KOCH: For all three of you, what are the keys to playing this golf course well?
BRITTANY LINCICOME: Ask Lexi. (Laughter.)
LEXI THOMPSON: He asked all of you, everybody. But you want me to start? The greens I definitely think are the tricky part of this golf course.
I mean, there are some demanding tee shots out there that you definitely want to keep in the fairway. I don't know how the rough will be this week, but the greens are the tricky part. There are some approach shots as well that you just want to get it on a certain section of the green and give yourself an opportunity, and some greens are just par holes or par greens.
Yeah, just getting it on the right tiers, especially No. 18, which I did not. But, yeah, you can play it aggressively, but at the same time, there is a few approach shots that you're just like, all right, let's just get it about 20, 25 feet left or right and give myself a chance. Par is great; birdie is bonus.
BRITTANY LINCICOME: I totally agree. There are definitely holes you can attack and definitely holes you need to -- like No. 2 you just kind of, get me a par and let's just kind of move on.
Last year there was a drivable hole which I thought was really cool, really fun. Just kind of changes it up a little bit from our normal just regular golf. That was exciting.
But like Lexi said, you definitely got to keep it in the right sections. I feel like being a longer hitting --, being aggressive off the tee and trying to feed it through some areas to have the shorter club into the green, especially if they're firm and fast like we're anticipating Terry getting them, definitely is helpful.
So if you're driving it well I think you need to take advantage of that and have the shorter clubs into the greens, but definitely you got to miss it in the right spots. It's a game of misses anyway and you definitely need to do that out here and not have the putts where you have to go over humps and elephants and -- or chip it across some humps, which is very challenging.
So definitely missing it in the right spot is key for sure.
BRITTANY ALTOMARE: Basically what they said. I mean... (laughter.)
I mean, I just think my dad has always said there is six, six, and six: Six hard holes, six easy holes, six medium holes. I just think you got to know when you are in the position to attack and be aggressive and know when to just play it safe and where to miss it.
GARY KOCH: And I would assume that all three of you feel like now that you played here a few times that you probably have a better idea of those things, right?
BRITTANY ALTOMARE: Yeah.
LEXI THOMPSON: Yeah.
GARY KOCH: Yeah. As Jeremy mentioned and was talked about in the announcement about Annika Sorenstam becoming the name title of this event starting in 2023, what does it mean to you guys?
BRITTANY ALTOMARE: I mean, to have somebody like her with her history and what she's done for golf during her career, I mean, it's pretty special to have her part of the event.
I think it just elevates the tournament to the next level. Like I said, the Doyles, I mean, when they want to do something, they not only do it, they do it right. They make it special. I think it just elevates the tournament to the next level.
LEXI THOMPSON: I would definitely agree. I think it does elevate the event in general. Annika has been a great woman golfer and done so much for the game of golf. It's great to have her a part of the event.
Whenever she's involved with something she's very hands-on and involved, so it's not just sticking Annika the name on it. It'll be great to have her support and her involvement with this event.
BRITTANY LINCICOME: Great. Now it's my turn.
No, same. I've known Annika for a long time now, and like these girls said, she's super hands-on. Any time she comes out she's super welcoming. If you need anything, she's always there to help. Just having her name on this event will only elevate it.
Obviously she's been on tour a long time so she's got some insight of what makes a tournament good and can help elevate it to the next level for sure. Excited to see her here in 2023.
GARY KOCH: Great. Jeremy, can we see if anybody has a question from the audience?
Questions for the ladies?
Q. I know it's still a new tournament obviously, but are you starting to get that feeling like it's the end of the year, last full field, like kind of like a relief of it here or like, oh, we're coming here, and is it getting like as familiar with the spot on the calendar, playing here more often, the fans coming? Are you kind of getting that feel like this is a good spot, it's the last tournament of the year, you know, that type of thing. Is it still too new to kind of...
BRITTANY LINCICOME: Two in Florida is nice.
LEXI THOMPSON: Yeah, I would say we all look forward to this event. I know it's only a few years in for it, but it's an exciting one for us. I think our last two events of the year are the ones that we look forward to the most. I mean, being in Florida we definitely look forward to being able to drive to them.
But it's just a top notch event, the way it's run, and we just really look forward to playing the golf course because it's always in perfect shape for us as well and have the support that we do like we did last year. Hopefully get a lot more people.
But, yes, it's the end the year, but I think we get more excited for the end of the year because of these two great tournaments coming up, especially this one.
GARY KOCH: Thank you, ladies. Thank you very much. Appreciate you being here. (Applause.)
JEREMY FRIEDMAN: Ladies and gentlemen, thank you, Gary, thank you. Everybody here, thank you very much.
FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports