THE MODERATOR: All right, welcome to the media center ladies. Please be to be joined at the Founders Cup presented by U.S. Virgin Islands by on my right, Adela Cernousek, Cassie Porter, and Jessica Porvasnik.
Ladies, all three of you are rookies coming into your first year on the LPGA. Just very excited to hear what your excitements, expectations are for the first week as rookies.
ADELA CERNOUSEK: There is a lot of new things. Everything is so exciting. I've been waiting for this time for a long time. Like this whole offseason I've been like trying to like kind of talking to LPGA players trying to know how things are going to be prepared the best I can.
Yeah, now I am just like I'm super excited and can't wait for the tournament to start.
Q. Any talking to Stacy? I know her husband was your head coach there.
ADELA CERNOUSEK: Yeah, Stacy and also Austin Ernst. She used to be one of our assistants at A&M, so both of them.
Q. Cassie, same question for you.
CASSIE PORTER: Well, it's just amazing to be here really. Being on the practice green and the range with all the girls I watched play on TV, it's really surreal. I was walking down the fairway yesterday, it was a Monday, and it's really hard to believe.
We've worked for this for most of our lives and to be here is pretty cool. Had a practice round with Lexi this morning, which was unbelievable. So, yeah. Really excited.
Q. Jessica?
JESSICA PORVASNIK: Yeah, it's going to be a super exciting week. It's a dream come true and it's crazy to be out here with all these faces that you've looked up to and see them walking around. It's like wow, they're right there.
So I'm super excited and looking forward to a fun week.
Q. For you two, Jessica and Cassie, both of you got here through the Epson Tour; top 10. Talk about how the Epson Tour helped prepare you for this week. Cassie, go ahead.
CASSIE PORTER: Yeah, I think it's the best thing you can do to prepare for out here. You're playing against the best in the world, but I feel like the depth on the Epson Tour is pretty matched.
So, yeah, I'm feeling really good going into the week. Being able to survive a year on Epson and to finish in the top 10 is pretty -- it's a great achievement, and, yeah, really excited to keep that going this year and hopefully carry it through.
Q. Jessica?
ALEXANDRA SWAYNE: Yeah, I think it's a good match. You have roughly 20 events out there every year; a little more than that out here. Kind of prepares you week in and week out. Maybe the schedule might be a little different out here with the four rounds, but it's pretty comparable. The grind out there is going to continue out here.
Q. Adela, you obviously got in through qualifying. I know maybe made a later decision on whether you would go back to school or come here. What went into the decision, and how excited were you to make it all the way through qualifying to get out here?
ADELA CERNOUSEK: Yeah, it was a very tough decision. At first when I play second stage I was just going to play second stage. No matter what happened, I was just going to play the tournament and finish school this semester.
I think the fact that I tied for first made things like change a lot of things for me and my family was like, yeah, you maybe want to think about this a little more. Like take your time for this decision and everything.
Yeah, in the end I decided to turn pro, and so it was awesome that in the end I was able to make it through because it was a tough decision to leave school. I love A&M. I love everything about our team and environment there.
So it was a really hard decision, so I'm glad I was able to make it at the last stage.
Q. Any plans to finish out school online or anything?
ADELA CERNOUSEK: Yes. I still have six, seven classes to graduate. I'm not taking any classes in the spring but in the fall again, yes.
Q. For all three of you, Jessica and work down, you talked about the excitement for being out here. Any time you do something new there is anxiety. What are you most anxious about?
JESSICA PORVASNIK: Throughout the year just kind of getting out there, this week in particular, just trying to figure out how the week kind of starts off. I've got a lot of meetings and whatnot. I'm just super excited and I guess anxious, too.
I'm kind of curious to see what the fan base is like. Playing on the Epson Tour we get some crowds; some are better than others. I am curious to see what that's like.
CASSIE PORTER: Yeah, I think being anxious is good. You know, I think it means it means something. Being excited, I mean, being on a stage like this there is always going to be only nerves. I think if we can use that it's probably a really, really good thing.
Yeah, as Jess said, it's just excitement really. As I said before we worked for it for so long, and being able to use those nerves and have the privilege to be nervous is pretty special.
ADELA CERNOUSEK: I would say I think the schedule and the length of the tournaments, because I think I'm used to college tournaments mostly. In college it's just one practice round and then two rounds in pretty much two days -- three rounds in pretty much two days, so everything is super fast.
I think just getting used to the rhythm out here and then, yeah, playing that many tournaments in the year, weeks in a row.
Q. It's only been a couple days. Has anything surprised you yet?
JESSICA PORVASNIK: No.
CASSIE PORTER: I love getting three sets of balls in your locker, having everyone on site. The PING guys are on site. You don't have to call Arizona and be like, hey, can I please...
They're just right there and ready to help. Having everything just, yeah, on site is amazing.
Q. Adela, anything?
ADELA CERNOUSEK: No. Nothing I can think of right now.
Q. Last one from me: Golf is a game of goals. I'm sure setting out last year beginning of the year you had goals for the end of the year. Have you done that yet this year? And if so, what are they?
JESSICA PORVASNIK: For me it's definitely to keep my card for next year and also to just go out there, enjoy the moment, and I mean, I'm shooting for the stars, so a win would be great.
CASSIE PORTER: Love that.
Yeah, I have a few goals. I mean, to keep my card is obviously a really big one, like Jess. But looking back on last year, being three rounds is hard to -- it's not like a four-round event. I feel like the extra round really makes a huge difference in the week.
And looking back I didn't really have too many total scores that were double digits under par, so I think that's probably a really big goal this year. I think that helps me kind of stay in myself and not be too overwhelmed by who I'm playing with or against.
But just have goals for yourself and turn up every day for me.
ADELA CERNOUSEK: I don't have any specific goals I would say. I think that's how I work. I don't really have any expectation. I just try to go out and try my best and see in the end like how, where it takes me. Yeah.
Q. Jessica, I know joined the Epson Tour in 2018; got back out here in 2025. When you held that card at the Epson Tour Championship and realized you had finally kind of achieved your lifelong goal, how excited were you to get started and get into the swing of things as an LPGA Tour rookie in 2025?
JESSICA PORVASNIK: Yeah, it's been a journey for me, what, seven, eight years now playing professionally. It was truly like -- it didn't really set in when I got the card that week, but now having the whole offseason, it's a great feeling. Huge dream come true.
Q. Cassie, I know you just said you played with Lexi this morning in a practice round which is probably a pinch -- me moment. Is there anything you picked up or anything you asked her about as, hey, I'm a rookie, any advice from one of the game's greats?
CASSIE PORTER: Gosh, yeah, I mean, I was standing on the tee and I didn't really see who was behind me and was going to join me. I just kind of turned around and was like, hi, I'm Cassie, and I was like, oh, yep. (Laughing.)
Yeah, but just being around someone like that. And I feel like I was saying to my caddie that we have this perception when you see them on TV. You feel like they're super humans. You know what? They kind of are.
At the same time, being able to play with her, we're all just human and we are all trying to do our best and have the same issues like what are we going to have for dinner and all that kind of stuff.
So that was really nice, to be with someone as amazing as Lexi but also just have such normal conversations. It was really cool.
Q. Adela, you've had a unique experience being coached by somebody that's the husband of one of the LPGA Tour greats. What's that lifeline been like to Stacy? Have you used that at all? Have you asked her anything about your own game as you've prepared to try to take on this year? Have you leaned on this in anyway?
ADELA CERNOUSEK: She helped me a lot last year mostly. More with also like decision stuff and like everything. Like she helped with her -- her dad caddied for me at Q-School, so that was a big help. We didn't talk much in this offseason. I seen her a couple times at the facility practicing and we been around, but nothing specific.
Q. Anything you learned from her father, her husband, Stacy herself, that has really stuck with you and something you've not only emulated in your amateur career but you'll take with you into the new chapter?
ADELA CERNOUSEK: Well, one thing Dale always told me is time goes by really fast, so just to try and enjoy everything and make things as normal as possible. And, yeah, just enjoy everything I think. That's what they all always told me.
Q. We've heard Cassie's moment. Jessica, Adela, anybody you've seen this week that you've been like, oh, my gosh, like I need to take a step back, not fangirl; got to put my serious hat on and be a professional?
JESSICA PORVASNIK: For me it was Nelly, and then to see all of her team that surrounds her week in and week out was really cool. I was like, wow, she's got a whole little posse there.
Q. Adela, anybody?
ADELA CERNOUSEK: Yeah, just played two holes with Nelly. That was cool. Yeah. I would say that was the best, yeah.
Q. We talked excitement; anxiety. What's the gratitude level for all three of you coming into this week and getting your start here at a beautiful facility?
JESSICA PORVASNIK: Super grateful. Can't thank everyone that surrounds me, family, husband, coaches, truly grateful to be here and I'm looking forward to a fun week.
CASSIE PORTER: Yeah, gosh, I think there are so many moments out here. If you're on the putting green, I mean, having the white picket fence around the putting green, amazing. Like so grateful.
There are just so many moments. Walking down the fairway, coming in here and seeing you guys, meeting all the staff. Everybody is so helpful and just so happy for you to be here.
It's nice to reciprocate that. Like I'm so happy to be here. So, yeah, just endless gratitude.
ADELA CERNOUSEK: Yeah, I'm so excited. I think I'm just so grateful for everything, all the people that helped me to get here. Just been so fun.
Yeah, just can't believe I'm here still today. Like even if I play a couple LPGA events in the summer last year, it never gets old. It's the best. Yeah, my dream life honestly.
THE MODERATOR: Thank you so much, ladies.
JESSICA PORVASNIK: Thank you.
CASSIE PORTER: Thank you.
ADELA CERNOUSEK: Thank you.
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