THE MODERATOR: All right, joined by PGA and LPGA professional Stephanie Connelly-Eiswerth. Welcome to Sahalee. How has the week been so far?
STEPHANIE CONNELLY-EISWERTH: Thank you, it's been great so far. Got in late Saturday evening, got situated. Got the car, got over here to Sahalee. Played Sunday, played Monday, a little practice yesterday, and then did some exploring.
So it's been great.
Q. So after playing Sunday and Monday what do you think of the golf course?
STEPHANIE CONNELLY-EISWERTH: It's beautiful. The trees are just so impressive. It's kind of magical. I like the alleyway, right? It's kind of like hitting on a bowling alley. Hits beautifully. Plenty of room in the fairways really. Greens are perfect.
Yeah, I like it. Sets nice to my eye.
Q. So it's always the same question: How do you balance your work with being ready to compete in this kind of event? What's your secret?
STEPHANIE CONNELLY-EISWERTH: It's a challenge, that's for sure. I think it's been really good for me transitioning from playing, trying to make it out here on the tour, and now I still have the ability to compete and enjoy the game that we love. Still get to participate and play golf.
But it is a challenge. I certainly do practice as much as I did full time. I think it's good. I have to be smart are about my practice. You appreciate the opportunity to be out here. I enjoy and look forward to going to work and helping my students, and I think that having to turn it on and off has actually been pretty good for me.
Yeah, it's a challenge.
Q. Since your time you were on tour, playing Symetra, the difference of how they train, practice, the technology, can you describe it?
STEPHANIE CONNELLY-EISWERTH: The technology has changed a lot, or there is more, more access to it, I think. Go down to the range and everyone has a TrackMan. It's out there. Video, everything. Even the fitness has changed.
It had gotten more important when I came into college and playing, but now people travel with their physio, you train a little bit differently for sure. A lot more time spent I think on the golf course than strictly just practicing at the facility.
So, yeah it's changed a lot. The golf keeps getting better. The girls are stronger. They're more accurate. I mean, it's just fun to watch it. It's really -- it's impressive to see how these girls work.
Again, it has changed a little bit but it keeps getting better.
Q. I guess the other thing is compared to them, how big is your team and who is on your team?
STEPHANIE CONNELLY-EISWERTH: How big is my team? Yeah, my team is probably a little bit smaller. But I do, yeah, I keep up on it. I do workouts at home. I have a guy that I work with who is a PGA professional. My director of instruction that I work under, he's -- I've been working with him for a couple years now on my own game. My husband caddies, so that's a little bit different may be.
But, yeah, you have to have that team, right? I trust the professionals that I work with, respect, and recommend them. So I think it's key to have all of those aspects, not just for my competitive side, but it's good for life, too, right? Especially the fitness side.
Q. From a standpoint of comfort, how has it changed for you the more times you get here and just your comfort level? How has it grown?
STEPHANIE CONNELLY-EISWERTH: I think I'm much more used to more people being around, the grandstands, a lot more going on on property. I think my first year I was very anxious about all that being the newbie out there.
I never -- I played the U.S. Open, qualified for the Open in '15 but when I was playing I was only ever on the Symetra Tour so didn't get the big taste of LPGA, which is even a bit bigger.
So it's gotten more comfortable over the years. I'll still have those nerves. It's a major championship. I want to do well. A lot of people back home watching and supporting me so you want to represent our club well and our family and friends.
But I think you're used to the schedule, and getting out here and my preparation has changed just a little bit. Like to spend a bit more time on the course and really just enjoy the experience of being out here.
Q. What do you look forward to when you get home? I'm sure the people you teach have a million questions for you. What's it like for you to share your experience here and how does that help you in your teaching?
STEPHANIE CONNELLY-EISWERTH: I think especially with my teaching, I can relate so much to my students because I am playing golf. I'm competing and I understand exactly what they're going through and constantly trying to improve my own game.
It's exciting to share just the experiences of who you're next to on the range or who you walk by in the lunchroom. Especially with I think or junior golfers that they're actively watching the tour and, oh, do you see Rose Zhang or Nelly Korda? It's like, yeah, I was right next to them on the range the other day.
So that part is really cool. Plus just the messages from them of supporting me. I so appreciate it. It's really cool to be out here for sure.
Q. So with the Corebridge team, there's a little difference between the men and women. With the men they're all PGA professionals. With the women we have a combination of LPGA, PGA. You are both. What made you become a PGA professional?
STEPHANIE CONNELLY-EISWERTH: So I entered the LPGA program first. I was still towards the end of my playing career and there was a push to get players to start coming into the program and just sharing that there are opportunities still in golf after a playing career.
A lot of people go outside of golf or might stay in, but just to keep us within the game. And so I was interested in -- if I was going to stop playing, I want to still be active with the game, so the teaching aspect was very important to me. I felt like that was going to keep my outside, maybe out of the office.
I like to be hands-on and that's a good space for me. I went through the program there. Couple fellow PGA pros really pulled me into it and with the playing experience, you know, it was, okay, there is this whole network of PGA professionals and also that competitive side that brought me into it.
Q. Do you think that's the ideal combination?
STEPHANIE CONNELLY-EISWERTH: I do, yeah. I absolutely enjoy being an LPGA and a PGA member. You know, there is benefits to both. Each organization is great in their own right. I think it can only open opportunities to be a dual member.
Q. Back to the present. Your aspirations and vision for this week here?
STEPHANIE CONNELLY-EISWERTH: Always the goal has been to I want to play the weekend. You know, I may not be in the Top 5, right? You never know. You can always catch lightning, right? But I want to play the weekend. I just want to enjoy the whole experience and take it all in.
Every time you play, the course is a little different. Your game is at a different place each year you come. Hopefully it's peak, but to have a game plan, go do it, enjoy the walk, spend some time with my husband and hopefully we are playing the weekend.
Q. Who is the PGA professional you work with at home?
STEPHANIE CONNELLY-EISWERTH: Hayes Farley. He's our director of instruction. He's amazing. He's been a great mentor for me. He's obviously been a good coach, but I shadow with him a lot. I just spend a lot of time listening and watching and so he's been great for my game and understanding what I do well and not so well.
But also just how he interacts with his students and approaches teaching.
Q. As a teacher, what's the value of having another voice and different ideas, philosophies?
STEPHANIE CONNELLY-EISWERTH: Gosh, it's invaluable, right? It's everything to have somebody that I can learn from who has been doing it for longer than me. He's seen however many more swings and the experience of, okay, well done this and failed or done this and really succeeded.
To have that, you know, it's been very good for me. Eye opening just to understand the technical side of the game a lot more.
Q. Finally, you talk about getting to the weekend. Just had Jason Caron tied for fourth at the Senior; you've got Michael Block. Do you draw inspiration when you see that?
STEPHANIE CONNELLY-EISWERTH: Yeah, I think so. I mean, I think that -- I think one of Michael's phrases was, why not me? So it's like, again, you can always catch lightning. You never know if you're just going to -- drives are in the fairway, hitting greens, make some putts, you're right there, right?
So for me, having the game plan, go enjoy the walk. I play best when I'm just taking in the sights and enjoying the walk the most.
But, yeah, I don't see why not. You see a couple guys up there doing it it's like, okay, one of us girls needs to do it, too.
