Q. Joined by Ally Ewing after a second straight bogey-free 4-under 68 performance at the CME Group Tour Championship. Looked back, you didn't play here last year obviously because of your brother's wedding. Looking back to 2019, you're at 49 straight holes bogey-free here.
ALLY EWING: How about that?
Q. Fun fact. What's going on with you and Tiburon?
ALLY EWING: I just feel like this golf course is so much about being smart, being aggressive when you can, which is kind of my game in general course to course.
There are certainly places you don't want to be out here, and if you can give yourself a lot of looks, I feel like that's kind of the -- how you play this golf course.
So I'm just trying to give myself repetitive looks on every hole, and I was lucky to kind of sneak out a couple of par saves in my opening few holes when it looked like a couple bogeys might come.
So very happy with that.
Q. You won the Bank of Hope Match Play obviously this year. Just seeing your gutsy performance there, I feel like was a testament to not only your competitiveness, but kind of showed exactly how much it can take to win, let alone a match play tournament but a regular 6tournament?
ALLY EWING: Uh-huh.
Q. Do you think with the elevated stakes here that a match play showing like you had in Vegas prepared you for a moment like what you're going to have this weekend?
ALLY EWING: Yeah, I think every time you find yourself in contention, match play, stroke play, you certainly have to, I feel like, be comfortable in that position.
So for me, just gaining that confidence the last couple years and getting those two wins, one stroke play, one match play, it certainly made me feel more comfortable.
This is 36 holes; still got 36 more. We've got the best players out here. It's certainly going to take great golf this weekend, but I'm really happy with what I've seen for the first two days, and just try to keep the same game plan and approach the next two.
Q. Some good Karma, too, having not played here last year to skip out for your brother's wedding, to come back and start off strong through 36?
ALLY EWING: Yeah, I made a joke with him. I was like, This is a pretty pricey wedding. You're costing me. They were awesome.
But, yeah, I'm just excited to be here. It's a great year-end event. What CME is doing to elevate our purse, elevate the game, I think we're seeing as a whole just a lot of the home that are jumping on board with the LPGA, and it's exciting to see people backing, and Mr. Duffy jumping in and adding the $2 million purse increase even next year.
So I'm happy to be here, and hopefully I can put together 36 more good holes.
Q. Since your win at the Bank of Hope you've had two T6 finishes and followed up with a missed cut and a T52. What's been the difference this week to follow up the strong performance from Pelican and be in a good position for the weekend?
ALLY EWING: Yeah, I think for me I really needed that had month between that Jersey event and last week at Pelican. I was mentally, physically pretty tired. For me, I just needed to kind of recharge, be back out here and be excited to be here.
I feel like I was kind of missing home and my body just felt really rundown. Being able to get the rest and regroup, physically regroup, I'm just really excited where my game is through 36 holes.
But golf is a crazy game, and we'll see what happens the next 36.
Q. What did you do while you were home?
ALLY EWING: I put the clubs away I think for a good couple weeks. My husband, Mississippi State, they hosted their home golf tournament, so I was able to be around for it, which is really important for me to support my husband, but also to support my alma mater in Mississippi State and have the privilege -- they named the tournament after me, changed the name.
So just giving back to college golf, and supporting my husband and his team. The girls are great. So just being around that atmosphere, kind of it reenergizes you too, to see the girls so hungry, because a lot of them are in pursuit to get here.
So a lot of fun. A lot time at home seeing the family, recharging the batteries.
Q. Was there any advice you gave them?
ALLY EWING: No. I kind of stay in my lane. I just try to encourage them. Just never -- really just be an encouragement. Tell them bogeys happen, bad shots happen, but at any point you can start making birdies and they're capable of playing excellent golf.
So I'm sure they're probably in the mindset of enjoying a little bit of an off-season, but eager to get back in the spring and play some more golf.
Q. At what point in the year did you realize you needed that had mental and physical break?
ALLY EWING: I think it's just kind of with the Bank of Hope, the match play tournament was so long. It was really grueling on me. I hung in there through the season.
I've still put together some good tournaments, and then Solheim mit's a long week. So I think for me, just I don't know if it kind of lingered, but as I got to that last week in New Jersey I just felt absolutely exhausted.
Mentally I wasn't hanging in there like I should've been, which is never a good sign for me, because I'm always on top of things and getting myself to hang in there mentally.
I'm sure my caddie could attest I wasn't on top of my game mentally that week as well as physically, so that was just big for me. And seeing last week some good results and through 36, good results here.
FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports