Q. All right, here with Lexi Thompson, 2014 champion of this event. I know you love playing here. How much fun has this week been from the champion's dinner to playing golf and playing your way into the weekend?
LEXI THOMPSON: Yeah, the champion's dinner is always a special way to kind of kick start the week. Just being alongside those names and just hearing the stories, it's such a special dinner. I always say that dinner and the Rolex dinner at the end of the year are the two biggest dinners to be a part of in golf.
I am honored to be a part of that.
Yeah, it's so nice to be here. I have my family here with me and it's just always a special event.
We're dodging the rain and the fog as best as we can. Yeah, the course is definitely playing pretty long with it being soft.
Q. How much are you able to take advantage of your length when it's this wet and playing this long?
LEXI THOMPSON: Yeah, a bit for sure. You know, you still have to hit it straight out here. There are some demanding tee balls on a few holes out there.
Just really being patient and taking the par holes and getting your par and running with those, and then knowing when you have a birdie hole to be more aggressive.
Q. Just how proud are you of your bounceback from yesterday to today to play your way inside the cut line with a really good score?
LEXI THOMPSON: I am very much. Coming into the week, if I'm being honest, I wasn't hitting it great coming off last week. Didn't really know what to expect.
But Monday through Wednesday I don't think I've ever practiced that hard and like worked with my brother Curtis on the bag and my dad, and just going back and forth with things that could possibly work.
Sometimes you just got to go out there and focus in on one thing and let it go. So I'm very proud of myself, and been having fun the last two days.
Q. Is there a big difference between Lexi the player that played forever and now Lexi the part-time player?
LEXI THOMPSON: I wouldn't say a big difference. I'm a same person. Golfer-wise maybe a touch because I'm not playing as much. When I'm still at home I'm still practicing and training. I love working out. I'm still striving to be better for when I do tee it up because every time I tee it up I still want to win.
It's not like I'm just going out here to show face. I'm still very competitive, and, yeah, but just trying to enjoy the few times I will play.
Q. Is that when you -- I mean, you come to an event like this and now you're top 10 and you got the weekend coming. Do you start saying, hey, I did this as good as anybody in the world? Is that still your mindset like you said?
LEXI THOMPSON: I mean, I feel like that's everybody's a mindset out here. That's what it should be. We all deserve a spot in this field and we should come out here knowing we're good enough to play.
So, yeah, I mean, like I said earlier, I'm very proud of myself coming into the week and just staying patient, especially with my game, and not letting it get to me.
Obviously have a strong weekend.
Q. What's the biggest difference between semi-retired Lexi Thompson and retired Lexi Thompson?
LEXI THOMPSON: The biggest difference, more vacations for sure. And not feeling bad about them. Yeah, I mean, you've I have a lot bigger breaks in between events than a normal player would, but it's nice. It's my 15th year. It's very I think well-deserved. I'm enjoying my off time and still practicing when I can.
Q. When you say the 15th year, what kind of emotions does that bring up?
LEXI THOMPSON: It's pretty wild to think I've been out here 15 years. Not going to say doesn't feel it. Days like today I'm like, wow, it really is.
But, no, I mean, it's been great. This is something I've wanted to do my whole life, but there is a lot more to life as well.
Q. How much adrenaline do you get by contending on the weekend at a major?
LEXI THOMPSON: Yeah, I mean, I have adrenaline every time I tee it up. I think that just shows how much you care and how much you want to play well and how much of the training and practice that you've put in that you want it to show once you go out there and tee it up or perform in any sport.
Q. Have you picked up any hobbies? Anything when you're at home?
LEXI THOMPSON: I always say that I should because I probably will be bored, but it's just so nice not doing anything. It's just so nice just sitting around.
I mean, I'll work out an hour or two a day and still practice here and there. You know, it's nice to just I don't know, I'm just going to binge watch a show, just sit on my couch.
Never really had the opportunity to do that that much, so it's nice to do that. But I probably will pick up a hobby. I'm looking into maybe volunteering at an animal shelter or something like that. I love animals. Something to keep me busy.
Q. What have you binged on recently?
LEXI THOMPSON: Oh, that's a good question. I'm watching Pulse right now on Netflix. Pretty good so far.
Q. Some of the players out here said that you're an inspiration because you've been out here a long time; still playing good. Does that strike you as a little, I don't know, odd that you would inspire other people out here, other players or...
LEXI THOMPSON: That means a lot to me first off, but I think we're all out here inspiring just the women in the game. I think that's the goal, to grow it and to leave it in a better place.
But as much as we want to beat each other out here, we want to see good golf. We want to see talented players come out here. We want to see the personalities and the way people give back.
So that's the most important.
Q. One of the things you mentioned in your retirement announcement or whatever it was, that you wanted to focus on your mental health. Has this helped you? Does playing out here knowing you don't have to play 25 times a year help you with your mental health or...
LEXI THOMPSON: Yeah, I mean, I think it puts me at ease a bit more not doing this week in, week out and only playing maybe around ten or so times during the year; allowing myself to have the normal life balance of going on vacations and traveling and doing nothing at home.
Just having that balance I think is super important for anybody's mental health, you know, in this crazy of an atmosphere.
FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports