KPMG WOMEN'S PGA CHAMPIONSHIP

June 18, 2025

Alison Curdt

Fields Ranch East

Press Conference

THE MODERATOR: All right, Dr. Alison Curdt joins us now at the 2025 KPMG Women's PGA Championship. Welcome to Fields Ranch East at PGA Frisco. What's the week been like for you so far?

ALISON CURDT: The week has been incredible. Certainly fun-filled with a lot of obligations for the PGA of America and the LPGA. It's been great to see the golf course and a lot of my friends and a lot of the other players. Great to get a little bit of strategy and coursework in to create a good game plan for the week.

But really feels at home being at the PGA of America's home facility, and just feel like this is our place. I had a great tour at headquarters on Tuesday, and super impressive to see what has been built for the PGA of America members and associates and how to learn and create great careers in golf.

So it feels really special to be on these grounds and also be a part of the golf tournament.

Q. What's inspired you to teach others?

ALISON CURDT: What inspired me to teach others is to really share my knowledge with others. To make sure that they don't feel as frustrated as I have felt in my own game. To really demystify the complexities of the golf swing. To bring more joy into the sport because I know how frustrating it can be for others.

And I think when I have a particular solution for a person in mind I'm able to articulate it in very clear and simple way that makes them feel like they can own their game and improve their game. Then it just brings a smile to their face, making them want to t participate in the game more.

Q. The work and research you've done mentally coaching others, how do you use that for yourself? Is it easier said than done when you're out here with a touch test like this?

ALISON CURDT: It is easier said than done. As a golf coach it's hard to put my own eyes on my own swing to analyze things, so I'll use other consultants to help me.

Same thing for psychology. Even though I have my doctorate in psychology you would think I would be able to help myself, but it's certainly a lot easier to have a second set of ears, eyes, and mouth to be able to change ideas and maybe pick out some holes in any paradigms and change my belief system.

My studying in psychology is very helpful when I am teaching all lessons because of my approach, my ability to understand the student from the inside out, not only from the outside in.

I think that is really helpful in order to teach holistically the student rather than just fix golf swings. I certainly have a lot of golden nuggets in my mind and a lot of lessons I've learned, but it's sometimes easier to have other people translate that information to me rather than me to be my own therapist.

Q. Joanna Coe was talking yesterday about your work and how many of her students you are helping or have helped. How many golfers have you helped so far and how many are you working with currently?

ALISON CURDT: I would say in total lifespan I've helped over 20,000 golfers play better. I teach over 1900 lessons a year. Within my clinical sports psychology private practice I work over 10 to 15 hours a week.

So you start doing the math and it's hundreds of people and thousands of people. Hopefully I'm able to touch them in such a way that it brings some joy and light to their game and empowers them to be the best version of themself, whether through golf or other sources.

Q. In a week like this, in a competition like this, are there key things you think the players should tell themselves when there is bad breaks, when there is frustration?

ALISON CURDT: I would say it's a lot of cliches we've all heard. Own your game. Play your own game. I think from the times that I've been on the golf course the things I've said to myself that have been helpful is really to be a authentic to my game.

So there was long drivers out there. There is great putters out there. It's certainly easy to try to be someone else or do something else. It's important for me to remember like what my strengths are and to stay with my own space, stay in my own lane, do the things do I really well, and stay true to that.

I think this golf course is going to require a lot of patience because there are some challenging tests on the greens, challenging tests in length, and challenging tests in the rough.

So to be patient and know there will be some peaks and valleys throughout the round. To not get overly excited or overly sad about something. Just to kind of stay in the present moment is going to be my strategy and certainly I think that's great for everybody to apply.

Q. How much do you listen to yourself?

ALISON CURDT: I would say 80%. I'm good about 80%.

Q. So what does it mean to you to represent the LPGA professionals out on this major stage, and what do you hope fans will realize about the talent and impact of LPGA teaching professionals?

ALISON CURDT: It certainly means a lot to represent the 1900 LPGA professionals across the globe, not just the United States, because it's very special to play at an elite level. It's also special to show everyone how club professionals and teachers are not just in their job, but they also have passion to play to the most elite level.

I think my students really feel a sense of inspiration when they see me try hard things and do hard things. Even when they see my fail and they see me succeed, I think it's very inspiring for them. It humanizes and normalizes us.

So it's very honorable to me to stand in front with the LPGA logo on my sleeve and hat as well as the PGA logo, and representing both organizations. I know my students are proud of me and they're going to be rooting me on.

Q. How does this event so far compare to past KPMGs that you played in?

ALISON CURDT: I was sharing this with another colleague. I've been through eight these: Two LPGA Wegman's and as the PGA has taken it over it has evolved each and every year. So ever on course of I think 13 years now playing in eight of these I've seen it completely evolve, and I would say this by far is the best.

I don't know if I'm biased because it's on PGA of America property, but I think the Corebridge Financial have jumped on board, I think the move to Frisco, Texas for the PGA of America has been exceptionally helpful. I think having the KPMG, the longevity of that relationship for tournament is inspiring.

It's elevated the purses. I look at the purses from 2013 when I first started to play to now exponentially have grown. By far this is the best.

Q. The teaching aspect, were you always fascinated and wanted to teach? Because I know I've talked to instructors who said okay once I knew I couldn't quite make it competitively because it is so difficult, and then they became passionate about teaching. Others always want to just teach. Where were you?

ALISON CURDT: I have a very unique journey into this career. I never wanted to be a golf professional. I wanted to be the next LPGA superstar. I idolized Annika Sorenstam and I wanted to be the next Annika.

After college the cards just weren't in my favor in that way and I sort of fell into the golf industry. Once I had experience through all the different departments, I realized the most fun was when I was outside helping people learn to play the game.

So that's when I realized that teaching, if I'm going to stay in golf, is the place where I feel like it's not a job and the most fun for me.

I would say I sort of the fell into it, and it's given me an opportunity to continue to work on my game and reach my dreams of playing competitively.

Q. Do instructors like yourself sometimes have more pressure on them when they, okay, now I'm in the competition? Is there sometimes a little more pressure that you think, okay, my students are looking at me and I'm supposed to know how to do this?

ALISON CURDT: I have a unique perspective on pressure, and that's from my psychology background. I think pressure is self-induced. There is no such thing as pressure unless we create it. If I create a narrative in my head, everyone is watching me, I hope I make my students proud, that will create my own pressure.

If I take away that narrative and focus on I'm a golfer and a competitor this week, hit the ball in the fairway, hit the ball in the green, make the putt, and move on, that pressure isn't in my atmosphere anymore.

So in terms of the teachers playing in this event, I think we're looked at quite differently but we are very supported. I think everyone is very appreciative that we're able to represent our organizations and try to play the best golf that we can.

Q. You recently became the first female president of the Southern California PGA section. What inspired you to get involved on that level?

ALISON CURDT: It started with someone touching me on the shoulder and saying, hey, I think you should get involved at a bigger level. I started serving on the board at the section level. PGA governance is a little bit different than the LPGA governance where you then have to put your name in the hat to become secretary, and then you move on to VP and.

So the cards just sort of laid themselves out where I was engaged in helping the section bring ideas. Someone mentioned to me after I won Section Golf Pro of the Year, which is the highest honor in the section, hey, you should consider becoming an officer.

So I put my name in the hat and I didn't get selected the first time. I though, okay, it's just not my time. That individual who was selected moved on to a different section and they said, the spot is open; would you like it? I said, absolutely.

From there it's interesting how the timing worked out great, that after 100 years of our section celebrating our centennial I became the first female. I became the 42nd president when I turned 42 years of age. Just everything worked out the way it was supposed to work out.

It's a great honor to serve the 1800 members of the Southern California section, to continue to evolve Southern California. We are leaders in the industry and leaders across the country, and so I'm really proud that we're able to include more women on our board, create more inclusion and diversity, as well as amplify the programs that our section runs.

It's a great honor to me and certainly am very proud to have that.

Q. I wonder what have been the advantages for you of being both an LPGA pro and a PGA professional, and if it's something that you would recommend to any LPGA pro or any women that is a PGA professional?

ALISON CURDT: I have had many doors open up for me being a dual member of both organizations. I would 100% suggest that any female make sure they are a dual member. Both organizations offer such different and unique benefits, whether it's through competition space and place, through the education. To be a member we call it dual is cool. So to be a member of both organizations is for me the only way that I think a woman can fully succeed and enjoy all the wonderful benefits that golf can give you. I highly remind it.

Q. We haven't talked about the golf course yet. Your impressions and what os going to be the key for you here.

ALISON CURDT: The golf course is tough. It is a long walk. It's gorgeous. It is young. It is in great condition. It is unique. 96 bunkers I heard that's on the golf course. The rough is thick. Green speeds are increasing when the wind starts to pick up. It makes you think a lot. It's a championship golf course. It's exactly what the PGA had envisioned and here we are putting dream to fruition.

I think the key for me is certainly short game because I expect to miss a fair amount of greens. It's just challenging. Some are rather small, and we have 190 in to a postage stamp sized green. It's hard. So I'm expecting to make some up and downs, and I feel confident in my pitching and chipping and putting, and just to stay patient.

As the conditions changed we went today from some rain to some wind to some humidity today, so I know the climate is going to be ever-changing. Just embrace and be open to all the environmental conditions that will be moving. So I am going to be patient and also enjoy the process.