NW ARKANSAS CHAMPIONSHIP

September 18, 2025

Alison Lee

Pinnacle Country Club

Press Conference

THE MODERATOR: Very pleased to be joined by the newest member of the LPGA moms, Alison Lee. Third start since becoming a mother if we go back to the event on the LET a few weeks ago. How has it been re-acclimating to golf life?

ALISON LEE: It's been very challenging I would say. I feel like I learned so much about myself, about my game, about life, like how I want to map out the future, what I want to do moving forward. I feel like I've learned so much. It's so hard.

I feel like when we have tournaments, tournament week is always pretty busy and hectic; now I feel like it's times ten traveling with my son Levi.

Yeah, I feel like I learned so much. I mainly did this because I wanted to see where my game was at and just wanted to see where I stood and how I was playing. Because when I'm at home and I play a round with friends or hitting range balls or play a round of 18, you just truly don't quite ever know where you are unless you come out here and test it out under pressure.

I feel like I'm a bit disappointed where I am coming into these two weeks. Obviously don't want to expect too much and give myself grace because I have taken some time off and my body has gone through a lot. At the same time I want to come out here and play well.

I came out and added my name to the field and I competed in the last couple weeks because I feel like my game is where I want it to be; obviously over the last two weeks I learned that I'm very far from where I want to be.

But, yeah, I'm going to try and look at it in a positive light and tell myself, you know, now I know what I want to work on moving forward.

I'm going to have a pretty extended offseason and not really return back to full schedule until Levi is around a year old, so that will be around May. Yeah, so I have a lot to work on. I'm really excited and looking forward future.

You know, I'm ready to work. Work hard, because one of the main reasons I wanted to come back so quickly as well is I'm 30 now. Most people would say I'm still young and I have a lot of years left. I've been on Tour for 11 years now and being a mom, too, you know, it's not the same. You can't prep the same. You can't put all your effort and concentration into this game because now you have something else to think about and worry about and keep alive basically.

So yeah, it's just learning to try and manage that and give golf one more push for myself. I mean, realistically, if I'm not playing at the level that I want to, I can't really see myself doing this for too long, which is why I wanted to come back quickly and not fall too far behind with my game. I felt like if I took too much time off I would feel like I was a little bit behind in a sense.

So, yeah, so much. I feel like it's been a lot. I can go on and on about how I feel. I feel like every day I feel a different way, too. It's just all over the place. I'm still trying to piece everything together and reflect, but, yeah.

Q. Obviously tons of emotions, tons of decisions. Have you got to chat with any of the other moms on Tour to figure out how they've been able to navigate?

ALISON LEE: Yeah, I've chatted with quite a few moms. You know, some retired now, some not. Some soon-to-be retired like Stacy, to see what it was like, what worked for them.

Everyone is different. Everyone has their own way of wanting to raise their child, their own way of doing things, what works best for them, what works best for their kid. Every kid is different, too. They have different needs.

Yeah, picking everyone's brain and figuring out what works best for me, too. I'm still trying to figure that out. But I feel like I'm one step closer to truly understanding how to manage my time.

Honestly, I feel like -- I mean, it was ten years ago, but being a student-athlete in college, really working hard to compartmentalize your time and be good with time management, I feel like the time I spent at UCLA prepared me for being a mom and trying to make life work out here.

So, yeah, I'm still trying to figure it out. The mom community out here has been so amazing. A lot of moms I haven't had to reach out, they've reached out to me, have told me if I ever need any help or any questions, they're always there, always answering and lending a helping hand.

It's truly -- they say it takes a village and it really does. The village is great and everyone is so welcoming and helpful and it's been awesome.

Q. What was the first time you picked up a club or swung anything after having Levi?

ALISON LEE: So I had to have an emergency C-section. They give you about six weeks to try and heal and you have to be really careful with that.

But, gosh, I was itching to get back. I mean, because when I was pregnant, too, for most of my pregnancy it was offseason so I didn't really get to play, which I'm not too upset about. My pregnancy wasn't fun.

But, yeah, right when the six weeks was up I started chipping, putting, hitting iron shots. Not really hitting driver until probably two months after, like eight or nine weeks. I felt really lucky and like I was able to recover pretty quickly. And I did work really hard.

Like I did my best to try and work out as much as I could, go on a ton of walks when I couldn't work out when I was still in pain. I did practice a lot. There were a lot of days where I would be hitting range balls and just crying, like the whole time I'm on the range. You have so many different emotions. You have mom guilt, you question yourself when you have a bad day of practice. What am I doing here? I could be spending time with my son.

And then there are moments where I want to do this so bad. The hardest thing to do is leaving the house. I mean, you're so tired, sleep deprived, and you see a cute little baby there. The last thing I want to do is leave and go do something hard.

I tried my best to get out there and get some practice in and get my strength back. That was tough, too. I a lot so much distance. So trying to get that back as well. I felt like it was quite a challenge over the last few months. To be able to sit here and play, even though I didn't play the way I wanted to the last couple weeks, I feel like I've come a long way.

Right after I gave birth, if you told me I was going to play in four, five months I probably would've said probably not. Yeah, I'm really happy that I was able to make it out here and play, yeah.

Q. Any specific goals you've had for the last couple weeks or now that you've had two weeks under your belt, any specific goal this week you're shooting for?

ALISON LEE: I mean, I tell myself I'm coming out here to have fun, to learn about my game, learn about myself, to see what life is like out here, and to just, yeah, have a good time and enjoy it.

But also there is a part of me that wants to play well and I do get frustrated when I'm not making the cut or not performing as well as I want or hitting the shots I want. And that's still happening, so it's hard.

It's hard to balance that within myself. The competitor in me wants to go out here and win. Realistically I have to tell myself I just had a baby four months ago. I need it chill out a little bit.

But, yeah I would say baby steps. Like before coming to these three events my goal was to make the cut, and I was able to do that first week in Houston on the LET, and last week I got almost last place.

But I'm trying to see the positive in it. This course, I played here almost every year since 2015 and I feel like I know this golf course pretty well. Yeah, like I said, I feel like -- I keep learning every day about myself, my swing, what I need to get better at, what I need to work on.

I had a good practice session today so we'll see how it is tomorrow. It's so hard to say and really truly feel and know how I'm going to play just because I haven't played in so long. So I still don't even know. You can tell me, let's try and hit this 145 and I'm like, okay, I'm going to try, but I don't know if I can do it.

I feel like I'm hitting it good but I lost that feel, like with how far I need to hit certain irons and things like that. That just comes with practice.

So, yeah, we'll see. That's a tough question to answer, but I'm hoping I play great. If I don't, it's okay. But also if I do play great, might not be good enough. It's just so much.

So just going to try not to be too hard on myself and enjoy my time.

Q. You mentioned it, but tenth start at this course, this event, what is it that keeps you coming back?

ALISON LEE: Yeah, so I first played this in 2015. Stayed with the same host family, the Joneses. I stay in touch with them. They're one of three host families I've kept in touch with for the last ten, 11 years.

I always feel like I am at a home away from home when I'm with them, which is nice. Yeah, I know this golf course pretty well. I feel like it's a very gettable course. When I played yesterday, last couple days, the greens were a little soft as well and typically in the past years you have to make a lot of birdies, which I still haven't made a ton in my return.

I feel like the first week back when I made my first birdie it was like this big accomplishment. Yeah, I think this will really test my game. With the greens being soft you have to know how far you're hitting your clubs. If it you hit them the right distance you're going to have a great round if you make a few putts here and there.

So, yeah, this will be a good test for my game. I feel like depending on how I play this week, I'll definitely be able to learn more about my game, what my weaknesses and my strengths are. I'm playing Hawai'i in a few weeks. That will be my last LPGA of the year before I start up next year.

So, yeah, hopefully I can play all three days and have a good mindset going into Hawai'i being my last one. Then I'll know exactly what I need to work on over the offseason.

Q. The Jones family, host family, have they given you any pieces of advice as a new mom?

ALISON LEE: I don't know. I don't know about advice. They have two kids that are around my age, so they're a similar age to my parents and they've been great helping out. If the baby -- Levi is crying or acting crazy and I need to get something done, they've been awesome in helping out. Oh, do you want me to hold him? Entertaining him, making him laugh, small things help so much.

My boyfriend is here, Trey, and watching Levi right now. That obviously helps. We're new parents and still trying to navigate things, so it's always nice to have someone around who has been around the block and who has done everything and knows how to hold a baby and exactly what to do and how to make them chuckle, laugh. Yeah, it's been awesome.

Q. The last past two weeks in Houston and Cincinnati when you first brought Levi to the range, what was that reaction and emotions like with your fellow players who got to see Levi for the first time?

ALISON LEE: I know, it's so crazy. A lot of people asked me what it feels like to be a mom, and sometimes it still doesn't feel real. I'm look down at him and, you know, I'm like, who is that? Who is that stranger? It takes a second for it to hit and be like oh, my gosh, I'm a mom. That's mine.

But it's been so awesome for everyone to meet him and everyone has been so awesome and nice. Everyone thinks he's so cute, because I think the world of him obviously. For him to be able to come out, and he's still so young so he won't remember anything, but to have him come out and see what I do for work and have him be outside has been really cool and really fun.

Also I think as a mom, too, you just get so overwhelmed and freaked out by the smallest things. Like he'll be outside for two seconds and I'm like oh, my gosh, he's getting hot. We need to take him inside. He's sweating. Oh, my gosh he's hungry. Oh my gosh, he's crying. He is going to bother people. It's definitely a level of anxiety I feel like sometimes.

Yeah, so many different emotions. Like I said, I feel like it's so crazy and all over the place. I'm still trying to navigate it. It's just nice seeing everybody, too, and having like human interaction. I feel like four the last four months I've just been (baby talk.) Then I see everyone over the last few weeks and I can't stop talking because I haven't seen people my age in so long and I haven't had human interaction.

So that, too.

Sometimes I'll just talk, talk, talk. I'm like, I need to go practice. Yeah, it's nice. It's nice to see everybody. Like I said, so many of the moms have been so awesome. Like I spoke with Stacy a little bit last week. Aza was hitting range balls behind me and I spoke with her the last couple weeks, too. Caro is out here and I talked to her. Sophia Popov.

And then back home I've spoken to Jess Korda, Michelle, Lindsey Weaver, just asking them all small things of what I need, how to travel, how do you practice, how do you manage your time, what do you do?

And, yeah, I feel like I learned so much. Yeah, it's definitely been an experience. I probably get an average of six hours of sleep every night for the last four months, and it's just gotten to a point where I think I'm used to that now. If I sleep more than six hours I can't -- I physically can't sleep more than six hours so I'm used to it now.

Yeah, yeah, it's been fun. It's been a journey. But the main thing is I just want to give golf one more shot. Like -- and I want to be realistic with myself. To see Stacy retire now, it's so sad to see her go because I feel like for her, she's been able to accomplish quite a bit after having Chesnee as well, and that's so hard to do.

Having a kid, coming back, and traveling with them and being able to win on Tour after having a child is so hard, and I feel like that doesn't happen very often. I truly look up to her.

Hopefully that's something I can do over the next couple years. Yeah, if I don't, like I said, in the next few years if I'm not playing to the level I want I'm probably going to have to give up this game. I just want to give it one last shot, give it my all, try and spend as much time as I can working with my coach. Obviously spending time with my son, but really trying to spend time on the golf course as well and compartmentalize my time and improve and get better.

Yeah, I want to give it one last shot and see how it goes over the next few years. If it doesn't go how I want, realistically I probably won't continue this game because all the time I'm spending working super hard, for that to not get the results I want, I'd rather spend time at home with my family.

So, yeah.

Q. When you go home next week and prepare for Hawai'i, are there any changes in your routine based on being out here the past few weeks?

ALISON LEE: Yeah, definitely. I realize I need to practice way more. I need to improve. That's definitely been hard to do over the last few months.

I think now I'm getting in the groove of things and I understand Levi's needs and wants and my own as well. We are on a really good schedule and I know what I need to do, specifically with what I need to do with practice, so I feel like I can practice more efficiently when I'm out there and be more specific with what I'm doing.

I feel like the last few months I was just trying to get my game and strength back. Just hitting range balls, trying to play, trying to make birdies, trying to post a score. Now I feel like since I understand my game a little bit more I can practice more purposefully when I'm home. And, yeah, and I can -- even with packing, like basic stuff. Like I feel like I can do things more efficiently. Now I know what Levi needs when we are on the road. I can pack that exactly how it needs to be. I can probably trim some stuff. I brought so much stuff.

I could probably get rid of some stuff, pack different things, even for myself. I'm going to finally see my swing coach next week. I haven't been able to see him over the last couple months. It's just been virtual.

So yeah, I feel like it's going to be pretty quick turnaround after this week going to Hawai'i. And Hawai'i is such a different like -- I mean, playing there is so different than playing here with the wind and the type of grass and the type of golf being played.

And I haven't played in wind in a really long time and I feel like that exposes you more, too. So we'll see. I definitely feel like I'm getting in in the hang of things now. Levi is also sleeping seven-, eight-hour stretches now, which has been a life-changing thing for me over the last few weeks because that happened right before I came on the road.

I probably would've withdrawn this week if he wasn't sleeping because I would've not made it. Yeah, just basic things. I feel like it's getting better and better and every day I feel like I'm becoming a better mom, being able to understand everything I need to do, and hopefully becoming a better golfer as well and trying to get my game back.

I want to be able to compete out here. I want to make the Solheim Cup team next year. I want to be able to win and be able to retire and say that I gave it everything I had. So, yeah.

Q. You spoke on it a little bit, but Stacy announcing her retirement, talk about her legacy, the lasting legacy she'll leave for moms, future players, all of the above.

ALISON LEE: Yeah, so much. I mean, I played on the Solheim Cup team with her in 2015 and second Solheim Cup last year she was the captain. I just feel like it came so full circle. I've seen so much of her career, ups and downs, and most of it being ups.

And, yeah, I feel like she has given me so much inspiration to be able to come back and play and come out and win. If I didn't feel like I can come back out and potentially win, I probably wouldn't be wasting my time coming out here and trying to practice and get better and continue to compete, because it is hard.

And I feel like it's very rare for a lot of like moms to come back and do it. That's hard. Even just to win in general is so difficult. When you have all that extra added stuff and responsibilities you need to do, it becomes exponentially harder. For her to be able to achieve that has been so cool to see and so cool to witness.

Yeah, it's going to be sad to see her go. I feel like I learned a few tips and tricks from her on what to do traveling with a little one. Yeah, it will be sad to see her go. She was great Solheim Cup captain, and when I was on the team my rookie year I remember just being still starstruck by everyone on the team because I was so young and I felt like all the girls on the team were super close and they were all friends and I was kind of the new odd one out.

Stacy was one of the really nice ones on the team who came to me. She would always come up to me and ask if I needed anything and offered help and was a friend.

Yeah.

THE MODERATOR: Thank you Alison.

ALISON LEE: Yeah.