Chevron Championship: Past champions optimistic about direction of the game despite tournament’s departure from desert
Some of the top women's players in the world addressed the media on Tuesday at the Chevron Championship in Rancho Mirage.
This is the final time the major tournament will be played at the Dinah Shore Tournament Course at Mission Hills Country Club before moving to Houston.
Based on this picture, it appears the final Champions Dinner was at the Edge steakhouse at the @RitzCarlton @RelxRnchoMirage. Prime choice. 🥩⛳️@Chevron_Golf @LPGA @MissionHillsCC1 @KESQ pic.twitter.com/m3Y2bYETA2
— Blake Arthur (@BlakeArthur24) March 30, 2022
Defending Champion Patty Tavatanakit
On what she has learnt and how she has changed since her victory 12 months ago…
I think every week you learn about what works for you, what doesn't work for you, what you do well to perform well or what you have to do to perform well. I think that's what I learned the most.
It's a learning curve these days, I would say. At majors I tend to be a little bit more in tune with what I'm doing. I want to be here more than just a regular event, because I do enjoy my time at home, but at the same time just being here and enjoying, embracing the beauty of it, of traveling and being on tour, is also important.
On how she feels she is playing coming into the week…
I would say my game, if anything, was better than last year. I feel like everything was more solid, everything was in place position-wise. Just a matter of the execution here and there. Didn't really have the timing going right for me at the right moment, but that's just golf and life.
On seeing her name plaque on the Walk of Champions…
I am honored to have my name right there next to all the Hall of Famers and past champions. Proud to put my name there. I actually took a picture with it. Just a nice feeling.
I mean, makes me love this place even more regardless how I do this week
World No 1 and 2019 Champion, Jin Young Ko
On why the Dinah Shore Tournament Course fits her game so well…
I don't know. I just trying to hit straight driver or everything, but this course fairways are narrow, so we need to keep the fairway. That's why I love this course, I love to play this course.
On how winning by five shots would be what she would consider her best performance this week…
If I win the tournament behind second place players, if like five shot behind it's going to be my best performance, I guess.
On how she has stayed around the top of the rankings since winning here in 2019…
So rather than the ranking itself, I'm very motivated to go on, to just focus on myself, to concentrate on what I'm doing, and that just makes me move forward, continuously just playing.
On the biggest difference in her game since winning The Chevron Championship in 2019…
Getting old! I need more stretching my body.
Well, before the three years ago and now and I had a lot of experience on my golf, in my golf, so I knows how to play better in the rough or bunkers or wherever, so it helps me develop more.
And as a person, I learned to love golf more.
Lexi Thompson, 2014 Champion who has since had a 7th, 5th 2nd, T20th, 3rd, 4th and T36
On how the Championship has changed since she won in 2014 and new title sponsor, Chevron…
I think it's been nothing but in a great direction. Each and every year it's improved hospitality-wise, golf course condition-wise. It's hard to get better than what it is, but it keeps improving, just the shape of it.
Even I went to the champion's dinner last night and people with Chevron, they're like, If there is anything we can do to improve on the event, please let us know. It's truly amazing to hear that, that they're willing to do anything to make it one of the top tournaments, and what it deserves to be.
I think it'll be a great partnership with Chevron.
But over the years everything has improved. The hospitality, the way they treat us, the golf course, nothing ever lacks.
World No.3, 2016 Champion, Lydia Ko
On new sponsors Chevron and it being the final edition at Mission Hills.
I mean, the biggest thing about this event is Poppy's Pond, I think. Obviously we've had multiple different sponsors that have sponsored this event, and I'm sure -- I'm going to miss the tradition of that and every year hoping to be the one that gets to make that leap.
At the same time, I referenced it earlier, when KPMG took over the LPGA Championship everybody was sad because there is so much tradition and history at that event, but what KPMG has done to that event, they've upgraded it on every level to the golf courses we play, the hospitality.
And I think sometimes it is hard to like take that step, but hopefully -- and I'm sure Chevron will do that, and we'll make it an even better tournament for the future generations and for us playing.
It will be a tournament that we're excited to play, and so there is pros and cons to everything I think.
On the course…
The course is in such good shape that I feel like as long as I play solid golf, you know, you're kind of going to play like -- what you're going to get is going to be a pretty true testament of like how you're playing.
So, yeah, hopefully confident, but when you tee it up on Thursday it always feels a little different. You got some adrenaline, some excitement going through you.
Yeah, just trying to stay positive, and I know that like I don't need to play perfect golf. I just got to play the best golf in this the situations I put myself in.
