WTGL
Sunday, September 20, 2026
Palm Beach Gardens, Florida, USA
Motor City Golf Club
Lexi Thompson
Albane Valenzuela
Media Day Press Conference
Q. What is team golf like? What do you love about team golf?
LEXI THOMPSON: For me, team golf, it's so different because golf is such an individual sport that we don't get the opportunity very often to be able to be part of a team alongside a partner and get that interaction. So I love it. Anytime I can be part of a team, it's always like my number one goal to be there.
ALBANE VALENZUELA: I'll have to echo whatever Lexi is saying today. I feel like she's a veteran so she has all the good answers. Super exciting. I love team golf. I feel like especially growing up in Europe where we had a lot of team environment tournaments, this is just another sense of it.
This is really fun. Everything that TGL has been doing to help us as women and bring this competition here, it's so special, and now getting a feeling for it today, it's been really cool. Everyone is really interacting and super happy to be here. Really loving it.
Q. Lexi, you've been here before, but Albane, this is your first time hitting into a screen. What's it been like just experiencing SoFi Center, the technology, the atmosphere?
ALBANE VALENZUELA: It's unbelievable. It's way bigger than what I could see on TV before, and I think that was my first impression yesterday. Like whoa, this is actually a really big deal.
Just the quality of everything is unbelievable. The little attention to detail and how great the simulator is, how great the grass is, how great it feels. It's really special and fun. I hope the fans really get to interact and just watch a little bit more this off-season.
Q. Lexi, you've played for so long; what do you think about this?
LEXI THOMPSON: It was a no-brainer for me to be a part of the WTGL. Any chance that we're able to be able to grow the women's game, I think it's our highest priority. But I think it's something so different than our usual golf tournaments, our day-to-day rounds, and I think that's what golf needs.
It needs something a little bit different. Being able to see our personalities, how we interact with each other, not just the super focused rounds that we're playing week in, week out.
I think it just brings a broader fan base as well, eyes to watch women's golf. That's what we need.
ALBANE VALENZUELA: I'll again echo that. Obviously it's a great platform. This is a different form of entertainment, and I think that's something that we really need in women's golf, and that was lacking a little bit. When you look at the broadcasts, I don't think you could actually see everyone's personality, so this is a great stage, this is a great platform.
I think everything that TGL is doing in terms of media content, it's going to bring a different fan base, and I think that's something that we're really looking forward to. I'm just thrilled to be a part of the first edition.
Q. How were you approached about the idea of doing this, and how quickly did it come together?
ALBANE VALENZUELA: I think I heard about it two years ago, and I said, sign me up. Sign me up for everything. I thought this was the coolest thing that could happen to women's golf. It could not have come any sooner. I'm just thrilled to be here.
I was all in from the start, so just very excited to be part of the first edition.
LEXI THOMPSON: Yeah, exactly. I'm not too sure on exactly the time, but as soon as I heard about it and that women were going to be involved, it was a no-brainer for me to be a part of it.
Just being able to grow the women's sport, that's what we want big picture.
Q. Lexi, golf always has been such a take-your-time sport. What's it like with the shot clock in this atmosphere?
LEXI THOMPSON: Yeah, I think it definitely adds a little bit of added pressure when we're just playing our regular rounds. Of course we have our routine, but we don't think about how much time we're spending unless we're on the clock, actually, which we don't like that either.
But yeah, I think it's great, just to speed of pace of play. Of course the matches are probably only about two hours or something like that.
I think it's a great addition. Get up there, hit the shot, be committed. I think that's another great quality about WTGL.
Q. Being a Palm Beach native, do you think it's going to be good to have some fans here?
LEXI THOMPSON: I don't know about taking pressure off, but I think it's just great. Once we see all the fans in here just supporting us, no matter if they're supporting us or any other team, that's what we want. We want the crowds filled, the stands filled, and there's going to be a lot of my family members here, that's for sure.
Q. Who inspired you both to play golf?
LEXI THOMPSON: I would say who inspired me most, I've lived on a golf course ever since I was little, and my two brothers played professionally as well. Growing up and being able to watch them and trying to follow in their footsteps always has been an inspiration and kind of motivated me to get out there and beat them and just always have them to compete with. So I would say my brothers.
Q. How old were you when you started playing?
LEXI THOMPSON: I was five years old, but that was like plastic clubs, wiffle balls on the patio. That wasn't like striping it out there.
ALBANE VALENZUELA: My dad was definitely the biggest influence. He was a great amateur golfer, played college golf at UCLA, and he's really the one that taught me how to play golf, brought me into this game, and I started when I was three years old back in Mexico City where my family used to live, and been playing ever since.
Kind of the same as Lexi, started with Snoopy golf clubs and slowly graduated.
Q. You said you played on a golf course down in Palm Beach County?
LEXI THOMPSON: In Coral Springs, Florida, Eagle Trace. It was TPC Eagle Trace at the time.
Q. You live now in --
LEXI THOMPSON: I live in Delray Beach. West Delray. That's my home.
Q. How strong is Motor City Golf Club as a team? You guys appear to have one of the stronger teams.
LEXI THOMPSON: I think Motor City Golf Club has a great team. We've played a lot of golf with one another, I would say. I've probably played less golf with you out of everybody. But we all get along so well. But yeah, definitely have a lot of strong talent.
I know there's a lot of talent on the other teams as well, so we'll have our hands full. But we're up for it.
Q. How do you feel about the number of matches? Is it enough for you guys? Do you wish it was more?
ALBANE VALENZUELA: It's hard to tell right now. I feel like it's great and they're really focused on making the best season out of it.
You also don't want it to be ultra long, not ultra short. I think you need a good balance. At the end of the day, this is entertainment, and so we're competing against other sports and different outlets.
I feel like they're going to do a great job of just showcasing what we're capable of doing, and hopefully there will be more seasons and different venues.
LEXI THOMPSON: Yeah, agreed.
Q. For both of you, in comparison to traditional golf, how do you see the interaction with fans in this environment?
ALBANE VALENZUELA: I think it's super fun. I remember even Solheim -- and Lexi has played in many more than I have -- but just getting the fans energized, getting the crowds, getting the songs, I think it just gets everyone a little bit more hyped up, and I think it's a different way of engaging with younger fans maybe that we don't get to have on the LPGA. It just gets people more excited.
The fact that you can scream and shout and just be super loud, I think it just gets everyone's adrenaline up and hyped up. This is so cool.
LEXI THOMPSON: Yeah, I would definitely agree with that. We're so not used to that in our tournaments. Everybody is super quiet, and it's like you can hear a pin drop.
But here the crowds are going to be loud and cheering you on, and that's what we want to see. We want to see the excitement for the game of golf and for us and cheering us on.
I think it's just an amazing difference that golf needs, especially the women's side.
Q. Lexi, you mentioned that your goal is to try and grow women's golf. What do you think the WTGL adds to the women's sports landscape overall?
LEXI THOMPSON: Gosh, I think everything. I think it's just a different side of golf that the normal fan doesn't see. They don't get to see our personalities, us mic'd up, us talking through our strategies and how we go about hitting each and every shot, and our strategies with our partners as well, the hammer strategy and all of that.
There's just so many things that a fan doesn't see in our day-to-day rounds that I think will bring a lot more fans' eyes to us, especially getting the coverage that we have on ION, ESPN, and ABC. That's what we need. I really think that we're moving in the right direction with this.
Q. Your team actually has six players because you --
LEXI THOMPSON: I'm hoping she helps me out a little bit.
Q. When you talk about expanding women's sports and showcasing women's sports, that's an interesting part of showcasing how women, especially how LPGA golfers, have competed while pregnant or shortly after having a baby. What do you hope to show other women through kind of competing while going through a pregnancy?
LEXI THOMPSON: Yeah, for sure. I've definitely thought about it. I haven't played as much this year, not because of pregnancy or anything, I've just tried to step away a little bit because I've been out here for 16, 17 years.
But yeah, it's definitely a little bit different, but I just want to show women being pregnant doesn't stop you. You can still achieve what you want. Of course it might slow you down towards the end a little bit, but you want to just take the time for yourself and your upcoming family and your growing family.
But yeah, I'll see how big I am come November, December. We'll see how this works. We'll see if she sticks with me throughout the team.
FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports170985-1-5464 2026-09-20 18:48:00 GMT
