Lexi Thompson's Round 2 Press Conference at the KPMG Women's PGA Championship.
Q. Lexi Thompson is with us now at the 2025 KPMG Women's PGA Championship. Lexi, 2-under today. How would you summarize your second round?
LEXI THOMPSON: Overall, yeah, very solid. Got pretty windy even for the morning. It was blowing more than it did yesterday, so I knew I just had to commit to my lines out there.
It's a tough golf course, especially when the wind blows. If you miss the fairways you just have to take your medicine, pitch out, and try to save par any way you can, make the worst score, score a bogey.
So overall solid day. A lot of positives to take from it and made a few birdies.
Q. Said you made a few birdies; had three on the card. But those par saves you were making seemed much more significant than those birdies. Tell me about the 40-footer and some of the par saves you had out there.
LEXI THOMPSON: Yeah, made No. 10 a lot more difficult from my drive. Hit a great drive and I got it pretty close to the green, but they tucked the pin back right over there, so got a little greedy instead of just hitting it out to the left and ended up plugging it in the bunker.
I was like, okay, just get it on the green, two putt, make your bogey, get out, and I ended up making the putt.
So definitely a good thing there, a big positive. Saving pars out there are huge.
Q. Have you been able to play a little bit more free this season, just without having a full schedule to worry about, having to practice all the time? When you come to a place like this where it is so hard, do you feel like there is a little bit less to lose per se?
LEXI THOMPSON: I wish I could say that. Still when I'm home I'm grinding and practicing and still working on my game. Any time I tee it up -- even saying I was stepping away from a full time schedule, any time I tee it up I want to come out here and compete and win.
I just want to make sure I'm fully ready every time I tee it up. Yeah, I mean, puts my mind more at ease coming out here knowing that I'm not playing a full schedule, grinding week in, week out, and looking forward to the weeks off.
Q. I know your group was on the clock for a little bit today. How many holes were you on the clock and how does that impact you?
LEXI THOMPSON: Uh-huh. Yeah, we were on the clock. We were warned and then put on the clock for maybe two to three holes, two and a half holes, something like that.
Yeah, it's not ideal out there, especially when it's super windy and you have to back off shots because of gusts and everything like that.
But it happens. I mean, we fell maybe a hole behind. I didn't think that we were playing -- I mean, we were playing slow. It took three hours to play the front nine. But it's a difficult golf course. Pins are tough, and some holes are just really par holes that you can't really hold greens on too, and some holes you have to pitch out.
So it's difficult golf course to play quickly, safe to say.
Q. Were you on the clock when you were signing those autograph for those kids?
LEXI THOMPSON: (Laughter.) No. I would make sure of that. And even if I signed them, I would make sure that I wasn't first on the next tee.
But, no, that was well after.
Q. That's really generous of you.
LEXI THOMPSON: No, I don't think my players would like me if I did that.
Q. You had some good rounds and a good finish in the first major of the year at Chevron. Is it your experience that allows you to play well in major championships or is that just a matter of good day, good round or whatever?
LEXI THOMPSON: I think experience always helps, but I think just a matter of feeling good about your game, going out there, being confident, and having good days out there.
I think experience is just a bonus of course, but we're all out here and we have that experience playing under pressure and against the best in the world, so we know what that level is like. It's just all a matter of bringing it to the table.
Q. Did today seem like some of your rounds at Chevron where you really had it going and you were up there at the top the whole time?
LEXI THOMPSON: I can't say that I really thought about Chevron when I was out there, besides just being in Texas I guess. But, no, I mean, I was just trying to stay in the moment out there. Like I said, it's a difficult golf course so it's a matter of just really trusting your lines and knowing that the wind is going to bring it back.
And just being happy with pars. This is a good par golf course. Take advantage of some of the birdie holes like I think it's No. 7. They make it kind of drivable, so I got on the green there.
But just take advantage when you can.
Q. Obviously being in Florida heat is no big deal for you. Curious, the difference between your early start yesterday or late start yesterday and the early start today.
LEXI THOMPSON: Yeah, it wasn't as hot this morning. I would say the hardest thing to me was getting back to my room at 9:00 p.m. and waking up at 5:30. Eating dinner at 9:00 and saying that you have to go to bed now.
It was such a quick turnaround. Your body is physically tired from the heat and walking and then making sure -- you know, I can function off three to four hours of sleep, but it's not going to be great function.
Making sure you get good quality sleep, good breakfast, and make sure that you're ready for this morning's round.
Q. Do you think there ate extra preparations that you have to do for this kind of heat and this kind of course?
LEXI THOMPSON: I think so. With the heat in general it's just super important to make sure that you stay hydrated, drink as much water as you can, get the electrolytes in as well; just eat the right nutrition as well. Making sure the energy level stay up.
The heat is draining for sure. I'm used to it in Florida, but it's still heat. It still gets you.
Q. You put yourself in position to be in contention over the weekend. Curious if you allow yourself to this what it would mean if you do get it done this weekend?
LEXI THOMPSON: I think it's just something that I'm going to take one shot at a time. When you get to thinking too far ahead of time it just gets to you, so I'm just really going to embrace the moment. I might go out and hit a few extra shots on the range, make sure I'm feeling good going into the weekend, and come out on the weekend and just hope for the best.
That's all I can do.
Q. You typically have a brother on the bag. James on for two weeks now.
LEXI THOMPSON: Yep.
Q. How is he helping you and how did that come about?
LEXI THOMPSON: Yeah, James has been great. Just started working with him last week. I also used him one week last year as well, so I knew him. We get along great out there. It's definitely helpful.
Yeah, my brother Curtis is actually playing this week so I was like, you know what, you need to be home with your family or out playing. So I was very grateful for him to come out and help me when he could.
Now I'm just going to use James for this week and next week and then I have a long time off.
Q. Lexi, one of the few subpar rounds out there this morning. What have you learned you have to do well around this golf course to be successful.
LEXI THOMPSON: Hit the fairways, that's for sure. When you miss the fairways out here it basically a pitch out. The rough is pretty thick and kind of just goes straight to the bottom. But it got windy out there today, so just trusting your lines and really committing to your shots out there.
Q. Your group was put on the clock at 13. How did that impact you over the closing stretch?
LEXI THOMPSON: It's not ideal, especially on a golf course that is pretty difficult, and then with the wind, because it gets gusty and you want it back off the shots and you are on the clock so you don't think you should.
It's tough, but it happens. We need to pick up the pace a little bit, but did what I could.
Q. You are right here in the mix heading into the weekend for the second consecutive week out here on the LPGA Tour. How would you describe the state of your game right now?
LEXI THOMPSON: Yeah, it's been a work in progress. Been working extremely hard on my game, on every aspect of it, and it's kind of coming together. I am just trying to find one thing that I can really focus on and really commit to every time I step foot out here.
