THE MODERATOR: We'd like to welcome Lara Tennant, Oregon, Portland native. What does it mean to you to be able to compete at this event here on your home course?
LARA TENNANT: Oh, it means everything. It is so spectacular. It's been such an incredible week already. But just the anticipation of having the tournament here the past year and all the hard work Waverley has put in to make it such a fantastic event, and to see the fruition of here it is and here we are and everybody is having a great time, I just feel very fortunate I'm here playing in it.
Q. What's it been like coming to the clubhouse over the course of this year and seeing the different steps in preparation, ultimately culminating in what we have right now?
LARA TENNANT: It's been really fun because I feel like I'm part of it, kind of in the back scenes, so I get to see everything happen incrementally.
Again, to be here and to see it all come together, it's pretty amazing.
Q. Are you going to have, I assume, a lot of friends and family coming out this week?
LARA TENNANT: I think so, but I have a 7:15 a.m. tee time, so I'm just hoping I don't oversleep.
Q. Also your daughter is on the bag this week; what does that mean to you?
LARA TENNANT: Oh, that's everything to me. I think every USGA event I've ever played in in recent years, I've only had family members caddie for me, whether it's my husband, my brother, my children, and my father, of course, in the Senior Am. It means the world to me. It's the only way I'd have it.
Q. You've played the course many, many times in the past. In your practice rounds the last few days, how has the course compared or contrasted to all of your experience here?
LARA TENNANT: You know, credit to Waverley Country Club and our golf course. It's not much different. It feels like home.
Q. You mentioned you've had University of Arizona, a little bit of a homecoming there. Can you talk about how many Wildcats are in the field this week and that experience?
LARA TENNANT: Well, I think we've definitely broken a record, so we have seven Arizona Wildcats playing in the golf tournament, two of whom are staying at my house, and four who played on the same team as I did in 1986-88. I think that's pretty fantastic.
The great thing is that we're still a really tight bunch. We FaceTime -- I had a party at my house just for the Arizona grads and a few or people, and we FaceTimed our old coach, and it was really fun.
Q. You mentioned early tee time tomorrow. You jokingly don't want to sleep through it. Talk about the honor of hitting the first ball at a USGA championship, and your third one here at your home club, Waverley?
LARA TENNANT: Well, it is a great honor, and I'm teasing about the tee time. But it's a great honor to be the first one to tee off, first ball in the air. In the 2000 U.S. Amateur I was the first one, as well, so I suspected I might have that tee time.
But what an honor to be here. What an honor to be a member here, let alone being a participant in this tournament.
FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports