Stacy Lewis aims to 'recreate magic' from 2013 AIG Women's Open | Golf Today | Golf Channel

PLAYED OUT FOR THE WOMEN'S MAJOR. NELLY KORDA, YUKA SASO, AMY YANG AND AYAKA FURUE. THAT LEAVES ONE SPOT LEFT TO BE FILLED. WE'RE JOINED BY SOMEONE WHO HAS COVERED EVERY WOMEN'S OPEN HELD AT THE OLD COURSE AND ST. ANDREWS. BETH ANSWER NICOLES FROM GOLFWEEK. BACK TO THE OPEN, CROWNING MOMENT FOR STACY LEWIS, BACK AS THE SOLHEIM CUP CAPTAIN FULL CIRCLE WITH HER CAREER AND A RUMOR SHE MIGHT BE BACK IN HER OLD DIGS WHERE SHE HELD THE FAMOUS PARTY AFTER HER VICTORY. >> ABSOLUTELY. SHE FOLLOWED IN THE FOOTSTEPS OF LORENA OCHOA WHO STAYED THERE AND HAD AN EPIC PARTY WHERE ANYONE AND EVERYONE COULD COME IN AND CELEBRATE. WHEN STACY WON HERE IN 2013 THE CELEBRATION WAS IN THE BACK OF THE ROOM WITH THE REST OF THE SOLHEIM CUP TEAM, BECAUSE SHE MADE THE SOLHEIM CUP TEAM AS WELL. THIS YEAR IT'S DIFFERENT WEARING THE CAPTAIN'S HAT AND SHE WILL HAVE THE DOUBLE DUTY OF PLAYING BUT PAYING ATTENTION TO WHAT'S GOING ON WITH THE AMERICAN PLAYERS AS THE LAST, YOU KNOW, THIS IS THE LAST FEW ROUNDS TO MAKE YOUR FINAL IMPRESSION FOR CAPTAIN LEWIS. BUT REALLY SPECIAL PLACE. THIS IS HER FAVORITE PLACE TO PLAY GOLF. ALL OF HER FAMILY THEY'RE TRYING TO RECREATE THAT MAGIC FROM 2013 AND THAT FIVE 5 IRON SHE HIT ON 17 IS STILL IN HER OFFICE IN HER SOLHEIM CAPTAIN'S CUP BAG. THE BEST SHOT OF HER CAREER. >> SUCH AN INCREDIBLE FINISH DOWN THE STRETCH TO GET THAT MAJOR VICTORY THAT WEEK. HOW MEANINGFUL IS IT TO HAVE THE AIG WOMEN'S OPEN AT ST. ANDREWS ONCE AGAIN? >> WELL, THERE ARE SO MANY PLAYERS HERE FOR THE FIRST TIME AND THEY'RE, OF COURSE, POSING FOR THEIR PICTURES ALL AROUND, YOU KNOW, 17 AND 18, AND IT'S FUNNY, I SAW MINJEE LEE AND HANNAH GREEN AND ANNE VAN DAM STAGED PROBABLY SIX PICTURES ON ONE OF THE HOLES OF THE BACK NINE TRYING TO GET IT RIGHT. IT'S SUCH AN EXCITING TIME FOR ALL THESE PLAYERS. YOU CAN SEE HOW IMPORTANT IT IS WHEN YOU HAVE KARRIE WEBB COMING BACK. SHE DIDN'T THINK SHE WOULD HAVE ANOTHER CHANCE TO PLAY HERE AT THE OLD COURSE, BUT REALIZED IN JANUARY THAT THIS MIGHT NOT EVER COME AROUND AGAIN AND SHE WANTED TO HAVE A THIRD TIME HERE. IT'S JUST SUCH A SPECIAL PLACE FOR HER. SHE SAYS SHE HASN'T FIGURED OUT THE KEYS TO GETTING AROUND HERE, BUT WHETHER YOU'RE ON THE BEGINNING OF YOUR LPGA CAREER OR WINDING DOWN, IT'S A SPECIAL MEMORY FOR SURE. >> ON THE SUBJECT OF KARRIE WEBB, BETH ANN, THIS BECAME AN OFFICIAL LPGA TOUR MAJOR IN 2001. IS THERE A CASE TO MAKE IT RETROACTIVE TO WHEN IT FIRST BEGAN BACK IN THE '70s OR SOME POINT IN BETWEEN, IN WHICH CASE KARRIE WEBB WOULD HAVE A COUPLE MORE MAJOR CHAMPIONSHIPS AS A WOMAN'S BRITISH OPEN WINNER AND LAWRIE DAVIES WOULD BE IN THE PGA HALL OF FAME? >> IT'S SOMETHING I'VE CONSIDERED WHEN WE LOOK BACK AT THOSE PAST CHAMPIONS AT THE CHEVRON, THE EARLY DINAH SHORE DAYS, THAT LIST. YOU HAVE TO REMEMBER THAT FIELD WAS A LOT DIFFERENT IN THOSE EARLY DAYS. NOT A LOT OF LPGA PLAYERS, AMERICAN GOLFERS WERE COMING OVER, TO COMPETE IN THE EARLY, YOU KNOW, BRITISH OPEN. THE FIELD HAS GOTTEN SO MUCH DEEPER. IT'S JUST A COMPLETELY DIFFERENT EVENT. OF COURSE YOU THROW IN THE FACT THAT IT'S NOW A MAJOR AND JUST WHEN YOU ADD, YOU KNOW, THAT ONE WORD TO THE TOURNAMENT, THE PRESSURE, EVERYTHING CHANGES IMMENSELY. SO WHILE I DO THINK THAT, YOU KNOW, IT'S AN INTERESTING EXERCISE AND CERTAINLY WOULD ADD A LOT OF MAJORS FOR A LOT OF PLAYERS AND GET LAURA INTO THE HALL, I JUST DON'T THINK THAT WHEN YOU COMPARE, IT'S NOT AN APPLES TO APPLES THING, JUST WITH WHAT THE FIELD LOOKED LIKE BACK THEN. >> STICKING WITH LAURA DAVIES AND WHAT A CAREER IT'S BEEN FOR HER. THIS WAS SUPPOSED TO BE HER FINAL LPGA START, BUT ISN'T GOING TO END UP GIVING IT A GO. YOUR THOUGHTS ON HOW THINGS ARE COMING TO AN END FOR HER WITH SUCH A DECORATED CAREER? >> WELL I WAS ABSOLUTELY GUTTED WHEN I FOUND OUT SHE WASN'T GOING TO PLAY. AS YOU SAID, THIS WAS SUPPOSED TO BE THE TIME WE ALL GOT TO CELEBRATE HER AND HAVE THAT ICONIC, YOU KNOW, PHOTOGRAPH ON THE 1st AND ON THE BRIDGE ON 18 AND, OF COURSE, SHE WOULD HAVE HIT THE FIRST TEE SHOT HERE. BUT, YOU KNOW, LAURA TOLD ME SHE GOT TO THE SENIOR CHAMPIONSHIP, SENIOR LPGA CHAMPIONSHIP, AND STOOD OVER THE FIRST TEE SHOT, EVEN THOUGH THE TEE SHOT WASN'T THAT BAD, THE TERROR SHE FELT BEFORE SHE HIT IT, SHE MADE THE DECISION RIGHT THEN ON THAT TEE BOX SHE WASN'T GOING TO PLAY IN THIS EVENT AND, YOU KNOW, SHE SAID I WISH I COULD COME AND NOT CARE HOW I PLAYED AND ENJOY THE MOMENT, YOU KNOW, WE KNOW THAT LAURA, YOU KNOW, CAN BE SHY AND SHE'S NOT REALLY BIG ON BEING CELEBRATED, BUT I DO THINK THAT IF HER GAME WAS IN A BETTER PLACE AND SHE FELT MORE CONFIDENT SHE WOULD HAVE TEED IT UP. SHE DIDN'T WANT TO COME OUT HERE AND HAVE AN EMBARRASSING TIME AND THAT HANGING OVER HER FOR MONTHS COMING INTO THE CHAMPIONSHIP, THAT DREAD. SHE SAID I KNOW A LOT OF PEOPLE PROBABLY CAN'T UNDERSTAND WHAT IT'S LIKE TO GO G FROM BEING SO IN CONTROL OF YOUR GOLF GAME TO BEING SO TERRIFIED. I THINK WE CAN ALL UNDERSTAND THE TERRIFIED PART. BUT, YOU KNOW, IT'S REALLY -- IT REALLY IS A SHAME. I THOUGHT WE COULD HAVE THAT MOMENT. SHE WILL BE COMMENTATING ON THE EVENT. >> I CAN FEEL YOUR TERROR, LAURA, EVEN ONES THEY 1st AND 18th TEE SHOTS AT THE OLD COURSE. END OF AN ERA, 44 YEARS IN THE SENIOR WOMEN'S BRITISH OPEN. NELLY KORDA, NOT AT 44 YEARS YET, DIDN'T PLAY LAST WEEK THE SWOTSISH WOMEN'S OPEN. IS THERE VALUE TO HAVING THAT REP ON LINKS GOLF BEFORE YOU SHOW UP AT THE OPEN CHAMPIONSHIP? BECAUSE A LOT OF THE TOP PLAYERS IN THE WORLD DID PLAY LAST WEEK. IS NELLY IN ANY WAY, YOU THINK, DISADVANTAGED HEADING INTO THIS WEEK? >>, YOU KNOW, I THINK IT COMES DOWN TO A PERSONAL DECISION AND HOW YOU FEEL, WHAT YOU FEEL YOU NEED THE MOST. FOR NELLY, SHE PROBABLY NEEDED REST AND TO REGROUP AFTER THE OLYMPICS WHICH, OF COURSE, TAKES A LOT OUT OF YOU. YOU KNOW, OBVIOUSLY, SHE HAD A CHANCE TO MEDAL AGAIN, AND DIDN'T, AND SO I'M SURE SHE DID FEEL LIKE SHE NEEDED TO SPEND SOME TIME TO GET EVERYTHING BACK IN ORDER SO THAT SHE FELT LIKE SHE WAS READY. REST HAS BEEN SO IMPORTANT TO HER, AND SPENDING TIME WITH HER COACH AND HER BUBBLE. SO THAT WAS MAYBE MORE IMPORTANT TO HER THAN HAVING A FEW MORE REPS OF LINKS GOLF. >> BETH ANN, LAUREN COUGHLIN HAS WHAT EVERYBODY ELSE WANTS COMING OFF A VICTORY HEADING INTO THE AIG WOMEN'S OPEN. WE ALWAYS SAY ONCE SOMEONE WINS, THEY CAN RIP OFF A NUMBER OF WINS. SHE'S DONE THAT WITH HER FIRST TWO LPGA TOUR VICTORIES OVER THE LAST TWO MONTHS. WHAT DO YOU THINK OF THE CAREER YEAR SHE'S HAD TO THIS POINT AS SHE'S HEADING NOW TO ANOTHER MAJOR STAGE? >> IT'S AN ABSOLUTELY DREAM YEAR FOR LAUREN. I THINK WHAT I LOVE THE MOST ABOUT LAUREN'S STORY IS HOW SHE'S CONTINUED TO DEVELOP AND CONTINUED TO GET BETTER AS AN LPGA PLAYER. SHE WAS A WALK-ON AT VIRGINIA. HER COACH WENT OUT AND WATCHED HER AT THE STATE HIGH SCHOOL CHAMPIONSHIP, WHICH NOT A LOT OF COACHES AT THAT LEVEL SPEND A LOT OF TIMES AT STATE TOURNAMENTS. LAUREN WAS AN ATHLETE WHO LOVED GOLF, PLAYED OTHER SPORTS AND KIM SAW THAT AND, YOU KNOW, I THINK THAT'S -- THAT ATHLETIC MINDSET IS REALLY, YOU KNOW, TAKEN HER A LONG WAY. THE LOVE OF THE GAME, NOT HAVING IT BE THE SOLE THING SHE DID GROWING UP HAS ENABLED HER TO STAY FRESH AND TO HAVE THAT CURIOSITY AND THAT WANT TO LEARN AND SO SHE'S LEARNED HOW TO PLAY AND TO WIN. SHE'S LEARNED HOW TO PLAY OFF ON EVEN LIES. THESE ARE THINGS SHE'S LEARNING IN RECENT YEARS. SO, YOU KNOW, SHE'S GOING TO HAVE THE TIME OF HER LIFE AT THE SOLHEIM CUP WHERE IT WOULD BE AS CLOSE AS IT CAN BE TO A HOME SOLHEIM CUP FOR HER HERE COMING UP IN A FEW WEEKS. JUST WATCHING THIS TREMENDOUS BALL STRIKER REALLY COME A LONG WAY IN TERMS OF COURSE MANAGEMENT, HAS REALLY BEEN WHAT'S BEEN ABLE TO ELEVATE HER TO THIS NEXT LEVEL. COUPLED WITH GREAT PUTTING. >> WE'VE SEEN SOME GREAT ICONS IN THIS GAME SAY GOODBYE AND PAUSE ON THE BRIDGE ON THE 18th HOLE AT THE OLD COURSE. ARE YOU EXPECTING LEXI THOMPSON TO MAKE A SIMILAR GESTURE AT SOME POINT THIS WEEK? >> YOU KNOW, THAT WILL BE INTERESTING. I THINK WE'LL ALL BE LOOKING FOR IT. YOU KNOW, IT'S -- I'M NOT REALLY SURE WHAT TO EXPECT OUT OF LEXI NEXT YEAR, TO BE HONEST WITH YOU. YOU KNOW, I DON'T KNOW BECAUSE SHE'S KIND OF LEFT THAT DOOR OPEN, THAT SHE STILL MIGHT PLAY IN SOME EVENTS, THAT SHE'S JUST RETIRING FROM FULL-TIME COMPETITION, WHAT DOES