If Stacy Lewis were to win the Marathon Classic Presented by Owens Corning and O-I this week it would be a “big deal”. Those were the American’s words when speaking at a press conference today.
The tournament is held in Sylvania, Ohio and was the first tournament Lewis played in on the LPGA Tour after receiving a sponsor invite. When you factor in to that the small point that Lewis was born in Toledo too, you realize why a win would mean so much.
Lewis comes into the event knowing she plays well in front of a home crowd, as she has picked up six top-25 finishes here. Last year was her best finish, as she placed solo 5th.
Lewis said: “It would be a big deal. It would be a big deal for me personally, just being that I was born here, and my parents, I know it would be a big deal to them, and this is also the first LPGA event I've ever played in, my first invite.
“It's always exciting. You know, this is a homecoming. I have a lot of family, a lot of friends here this week, but it's also a week of rest, just coming off the U.S. Open. It was a long, crazy week, and kind of looking for this week is definitely a little bit easier and kind of a low-key week and get to hang out with the family, which is always fun.
“It will be a big deal, and I feel like I've learned how to play this golf course better and better over the last couple years, and like I said, I'm looking for a low-key week, and that usually leads to good golf for me.”
Although if Lewis is to win in her home state this week, she will have to avoid making double figures on her card, like she did on the 18th hole during the third round of the U.S. Open. Lewis fatted two pitch shots into the hazard and ended up making a 10 and with that, ending her title chances.
“I've never had anything like that happen to me on the 18th hole,” Lewis said. “Other players have, and it's just, things happen. It didn't change the way I thought I was playing. It didn't change things at all. Came back and birdied 18 on Sunday.
“I mean, obviously I was over it pretty quick. I wanted to figure out my golf swing more than anything. We remember those things longer than we remember the great rounds, and I'm not going to do that. I just told myself I'm not going to do that. Life is too short, and I'm going to start remembering the good things, and you've got to move on.”
“I played really well on Sunday, too. It's just golf. You move on and you forget about it, and I'm playing too good to worry about that stuff.”
A victory in front of her family and friends would be Lewis’ 12th on the LPGA Tour, and arguably one she would never forget.)
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