Q. At what point today did you feel like you had a chance to win this golf tournament?
LEXI THOMPSON: You know, I really just try not to think about it. I holed out on 10 and made that birdie on 11. Figured I was somewhat close, but just tried to focus on my own game.
I knew I still had to continue to make birdies because I played with Leona the first two days and she's been hitting it amazing. I knew I had to make birdies to get even closer.
Q. As we've gone into a couple seasons without a win, sometimes you have played probably better than you have when you had trophies. What do you take forward giving yourself this many chances, and what's it going to take to hold another trophy?
LEXI THOMPSON: Yeah, I think it's all about just putting myself in contention. I've put in the work in the off-season, hours on the putting green, hours in the gym, and just working on myself and improvement.
There's all I want to see. As athletes we just continue to try to improve on our games and ourselves, and that's what I see. We just want to see the hard work pay off.
Just going to continue to work hard and stay in the moment and put myself in contention and hopefully a win will come.
Q. Lexi, 7-under par 65 in the final round of the Drive On Championship at Crown Colony. Three birdies on the front; another three on the back including an eagle today. You really made a run up the leaderboard. Had I think a lot of people looking up over at the leaderboards at times and seeing your name move up. What was it like to have that round and to see yourself putting forth that effort to climb the leaderboard and be in contention?
LEXI THOMPSON: Yeah, it was overall a great week. Just golf course is in great shape. Windy, so it played tough out there, but just had to stay in the moment because there was some birdie holes and birdie opportunities with how the course was set up.
Holing out on 10 and making the birdie on 11 I knew I had to be somewhat close, so I just tried to stay in the moment, focus on just doing my pre-shot routine and committing to those golf shots out there. I knew I had to make birdies.
Overall just a relaxing week. I enjoyed myself. I kind of pulled a back muscle my first round out here and I was just happy to get through the next two days.
Q. Was that a big factor in how you played this golf course the last couple days? Did it affect you very much?
LEXI THOMPSON: I didn't play any differently. It was just sore. (Laughter.)
But I would have to have a broken back to not play, so I fought through it. Took some painkillers and just managed to get around the golf. Obviously played well, so it was just happy to be out there.
Q. Yeah. You mentioned yesterday you played with Leona the last two days. What she's doing is probably not a surprise to you.
LEXI THOMPSON: Uh-uh.
Q. What do you think this will do for her to get a victory?
LEXI THOMPSON: Yeah, I mean, she's such an amazing player. I got to play a lot with her out here obviously the last two days, but junior golf as well. Just she has an amazing talent and she's been striping it and made a lot of great putts the last two days, so I knew coming out there was going to be -- birdies had to be made to kind of track her down.
But she obviously played great again today, and definitely well deserved. I think it will help her out a lot. She's an amazing talent.
Q. You mentioned you didn't do anything differently because of the back. So like you didn't go for the par-4...
LEXI THOMPSON: The drivable par-4?
Q. Yeah.
LEXI THOMPSON: No, that was a go-for. My 3-wood was either going to be over the green and my 2-iron was going to be short of the green, so I was just in between clubs.
No, I didn't play any differently. I just got it worked on before and after my rounds and just fought through.
Q. You're taking time off?
LEXI THOMPSON: I have six weeks off, yes, so that will help. (Laughter.)
Q. Can you take us through what the yardage was, what you saw, the excitement, the last time you remember holing out like that?
LEXI THOMPSON: I haven't holed out I don't think because besides a hole-in-one, but I hit my 2-iron off the tee, just kind of a placement, it's a shorter hole. I had 101 pin, dead into the wind.
I was in between clubs and I was talking about it with my caddie, Will. Do you think my 115 club gets there? It's going to be higher. So I'm like, I just want to keep the next one lower in the wind, so just chipped it. I saw it bounce and then I knew it went past, I guess it spun back.
I just went off the crowd to the left because it was tucked right. The crowd went nuts so I was like, All right. Like definitely great memory.
Q. And then just with the time off, do you treat it almost like a second off-season? Put the clubs away a little bit, or do you try to somewhat maintain some momentum from the early start of the year?
LEXI THOMPSON: Yeah, it's a great question. You know, with playing Shark Shootout in December I didn't get much of an off-season. Only had two, three weeks, so I'm looking forward to definitely putting the clubs away for probably a week or two, especially dealing with a little bit of a back issue.
But I'll be working hard as soon as I get back into it because I have things that I want to improve on and definitely get stronger.
Q. You know the state and this area from playing in Naples.
LEXI THOMPSON: Uh-huh.
Q. What would you think of the future of having an event either in Fort Myers or at this golf course specifically or whatever?
LEXI THOMPSON: Yeah.
Q. More of a true event.
LEXI THOMPSON: Yeah, I think so. You know, even with no fans allowed there was quite a few members that came out to support us. It was just amazing to see. We all just love having events in Florida, just in the States in general.
But overall from the west coast to Florida there is so many great golf courses, and this one especially was in great shape for us. Good layout. Maybe not walking friendly for the spectators. It's quite the walk.
But the hospitality was great. That's all we look for. We're just grateful we had another event here.
FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports