THE MODERATOR: We are joined by defending Pure Silk Champion, Bronte Law. This is the site of your first career LPGA Tour victory. What do you remember from 2019?
BRONTE LAW: A lot more people. It is strange being back given the world is so different now from then. It does bring back so many fond memories, but one of those being the fans. And, yeah, hopefully things can get back to normal soon and we'll be able to, I heard that there's going to be a few more out this week, so that's exciting.
But yeah, just great to be back and we'll kind of get glimpses and memories as I'm walking on the golf course Sunday, so that's kind of cool.
THE MODERATOR: Tickets are being sold on the Kingsmill website, so the general public can come. Just knowing things are trending that way, how much does that feed into your game and your mentality having that fan presence on the course?
BRONTE LAW: Yeah, absolutely, it's a big part of golf. I enjoy playing in front of the crowd. I think the fact that there are more people and it's starting to kind of get back to more normal-like ways of life, it's great news I think for the game and I think a lot of people took up golf during the pandemic, so hopefully we'll get even more people coming out to watch and we'll be able to grow the game even further.
THE MODERATOR: Coming back here for the first time since the win, you saw a familiar face upon check-in.
BRONTE LAW: Yeah, the first thing I noticed was how short I looked, and I just really hoped that it wasn't life size, which I then realized that it wasn't life size. It's slightly shorter. So I'm very relieved about that.
THE MODERATOR: When we can go through a year like 2020 with all the challenges and difficulties that many faced, and you can see yourself come back to a place as special as this in your golf career, what type of emotions did you draw on or just driving up, what kind of memory hit first.
BRONTE LAW: I think it just reminds me of how special a game that golf is. It can bring you so much. It certainly was absolutely incredible when I got that win and elevated my career in such a big way. It's something I'm hoping to build off. It is strange thinking back then because obviously each week you turn up to a golf tournament with the hopes of winning, but ultimately have to go out there and do the job, and although it is great to be back and have so many fond memories, it is really important not to dwell on those and obviously go out there and make sure that I gave myself the best opportunity this week of defending that title.
Q. How is the course playing different from years past?
BRONTE LAW: Yeah, they seem to have lengthened it up in places. Honestly my memory is shocking, so compared to two years ago, I'm not even really aware how different it is going to play. It certainly is always one of my favorite golf courses that we play on the schedule regularly. But yeah, I think it will be interesting to see come Thursday where to put the tees and they certainly have a lot more options this year with some of the placements, moving some of them back, and maybe a little bit more firmness on the fairways.
So yeah, it will be interesting to see kind of what they do with that in terms of some of the par 5s being reachable versus not being.
Q. This win in 2019 kicked off your biggest stretch of LPGA Tour play. What are the differences in your game looking back a couple years ago?
BRONTE LAW: I think the biggest differences are probably -- well, I would say I made a lot of changes in my swing that I'm really hoping are going to start paying off. I feel like there were certain things that had to be changed, and obviously that sometimes takes a little bit more time than anticipated. But certainly in order to have a long career out here, you know that you have to make sure that you look after your body and there were certain things in my swing that needed to be taken care of in order to kind of encourage longevity in my career.
Q. What were those changes?
BRONTE LAW: Less kind of arching of the spine angle through the ball, so staying a lot taller, and just feeling more of a sense of rotation on the way back, as opposed to, you know, lifting the golf club, I guess.
Q. Is that impacting your distance off the tee?
BRONTE LAW: I'm hoping that it's going to help. You couldn't do any of these things to hit the ball shorter, I don't think. Obviously I'm still young in my career but we are always working to get better and that obviously includes length off the tee for someone of my stature.
Q. And you've been more consistent this year than last year as those swing changes are starting to pay off. How mow advocating is making the Solheim Cup this year for you?
BRONTE LAW: Yeah, absolutely, I love playing match play. Anything that I need to do in order to make sure I'm on that team I will certainly be doing it.
Q. Have you had any discussions with Catriona about what those things are?
BRONTE LAW: Play well. I mean, it's quite simple, really. Play good golf and I'll put myself in a good position for getting a spot on that team.
Q. Are you naturally a patient person and have you been patient with yourself as you go through these swing changes?
BRONTE LAW: Am I a patient person? I don't know. I think it depends on the situation. I think I can be incredibly patient when I need to be and I found that I have been over last, you know, year and a half. Constantly reminding myself of the goals that I have and the necessary things that I need to do in order to achieve those.
I think like any other golfer out here, there's obviously times that are tougher than others, but I always try and use those times to better myself and add them all together to kind of make me a stronger, better golfer, and more resilient on the whole.
Q. Who or what prompted you to reach the conclusion that these changes for the sake of longevity needed to be made?
BRONTE LAW: Because I was having back problems. You know, I was in pain, having various different ailments week-in, week-out. I'm young. I shouldn't be having to deal with that, and so since I've made those changes, I need much less attention from physios. And that to me kind of speaks volumes.
So I just constantly remind myself of why I'm making these changes because the progression is never linear, and there will always be bumps in the road.
Yeah, I'm just willing to putt in the hard work and probably working the hardest I ever have in my career right now, but I'm looking forward to when those results start paying off.
Q. You prevailed two years ago here against a pretty impressive leaderboard. Did it make it that more rewarding to have that calibre of player chasing you but still get it done on Sunday?
BRONTE LAW: Absolutely. We have such a strong group of golfers that play out on the LPGA and there is incredible depth out here now, and obviously to win any LPGA event is a great feat, but certainly in great company like that, it does make it even more impressive to look back on myself.
But I think that -- yeah, I think that winning an LPGA event is -- it's easy to look at other things that are involved, but ultimately, winning is winning, and you know, I wouldn't ever want someone else to not feel like they had won because there was a weaker field. You still have to go out there and win.
Q. You mentioned how much time you were spending with the physio before these changes. How much time was that week over week?
BRONTE LAW: Probably too much. I would have to see a physio after I played every day and after every practice round and middle of last year, I was really struggling. The cold weather made it worse. Every day I would have to go back to the physio because of the kind of damage I had done during that day. Making those changes now means I'm not putting my body under that wear and tear every day so that when I come off the golf course, I don't feel broken; I feel like I can stand on the range and put in the work that I need to do. That for me is really exciting because it means that I have to work even harder.
Q. When did you start those swing changes?
BRONTE LAW: Well, I tried to start them last year, at the beginning of last year, but struggled to play and make those changes and found that obviously with back problems and struggling with how my body was feel as a whole, it meant that I wasn't really succeeding that much. I couldn't put in the hours because my back was hurting and you know, it ended up kind of being just a long struggle of a year.
But I have a new strength and conditioning coach. I made a lot of changes on that side of things. I'm working at getting my body stronger every day. And since then, I don't come off the golf course in pain. I'm able to push myself and work harder. That for me makes the experience a lot more enjoyable. I enjoy hitting balls again. Whereas before, it was just not an enjoyable experience and one that, you know, obviously caused me pain.
Q. How far does Cardboard Bronte look like she hits it? A little shorter stature.
BRONTE LAW: I don't know, probably further than I was hitting it the middle of last year.
Q. Take us through last year, not exactly where you wanted to be, but how different of a place do you feel your game is now versus a year ago?
BRONTE LAW: I feel like I'm really kind of starting to see the other side of things. Obviously it's really difficult when you make changes, but you know, looking back, a lot of people would always say to me, like why are you making these changes. You were playing good golf. Like I was playing good golf, but I wasn't at the level that I wanted to be at, and for me, I won't just settle for like second best.
I maybe to my detriment will always push myself hard exercise want to get better, whether that's in life or in golf or in anything that I do. So for me in order to make -- like get to that point in my career, I knew I had to make changes, and you know, it was -- it was type.
You're getting older every year, so while my body feels good now and obviously at an age where I can still push myself, I felt like it was 100 percent the right thing to do. I'm a true, firm believer that hard work does pay off and I will get to where I want to be.
THE MODERATOR: That's a champion's mentality if I ever heard. Last one, the Aon Risk Reward Challenge, the hole this week is No. 15. What makes that hole so difficult or challenging, and what's your game plan to attack it?
BRONTE LAW: So 15 is the par 5. Well, they have a new tee box on that hole. So I'm not sure whether they are going to be using that all four rounds or one round or however many times, but certainly off the back tee makes it a lot longer. For me, it's such a narrow entrance that it kind of forces you into that lay-up.
For me, I don't mind having a wedge in my hand. I feel quite confident in being able to stick one in close. I think that the risk element comes from pushing that tee box forward and making it reachable in two with such a narrow entrance at the front of the green, it really requires a good, long shot into that green to hold that green. Certainly even pull off a birdie or an eagle.
THE MODERATOR: Thank you for your time, Bronte. Thank you everyone for joining.
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