SHOPRITE LPGA POWERED BY WAKEFERN

May 27, 2026

Meaghan Francella

Seaview Hotel & Golf Club, Bay Course

Press Conference

THE MODERATOR: All right, joining us ahead of the ShopRite LPGA powered by Wakefern is Meghan Francella. Meghan, returning to this event again this year. Can you just talk about what this event means to you?

MEAGHAN FRANCELLA: Yeah, it's really special. The club I work at is only an hour from here, and a lot of members come. My family is in -- a lot of family in New York and New Jersey, so they're all coming down.

So it's really special for me to come here. I love this tournament. Loved it since I played on Tour full time. You know, it just feels like a home event for me.

Q. Philly golf recently with the PGA taking place here, could you just give your insight into Philadelphia golf and kind of the secret enclave that it is out here?

MEAGHAN FRANCELLA: Yeah, Philly golf is really good. I grew up in this New York, in the met section where you have Winged Foot and Quaker Ridge and all these great places in New York.

You know, in Philly we have so many great golf courses. I tell people it's like some of the best golf in the country is in the Philly area. You know, I'm very lucky to be at a top 100 club at Philly Cricket. You know, 20 minutes away is Merion, and Aronimink is 30 minutes away.

The golf around Philly is unbelievable, and there has been a huge buzz. We hosted the Truist Championship last year and Aronimink had the PGA Championship and Merion has got the U.S. Amateur this year.

So Philadelphia is buzzing with golf and they're great fans and everybody just enjoys it. You go out and you see people, are you going to the PGA this week, and so it's been pretty fun.

Q. What are a couple of your most special memories from this tournament?

MEAGHAN FRANCELLA: Well, I think 2022 was huge for me. I hadn't played a tournament in nine years. Decided I was going to play again. My mom had just finished chemo and had cancer. It was just a whole chain of events and she was able to make it, which was awesome.

It was really fun to be back. You know, I think that's definitely a great memory for me.

And just being around the players that have played here forever. You see, you know, the pro-am and can you see people you haven't seen in years, which is a lot of fun.

I think today was one of my greatest memories. I had such a great pro-am group. They were so much fun, and I think that's what this is all about. This is, what, the biggest pro-am in the country, so it's really cool to be part of that.

Then obviously the local people that are all here and they sit in the same place every year. I remember I think it's the people on 11 right behind the green on the left. It's the same three women that sit there every year. They're like Meaghan, you're back.

I think some of that is really cool.

You know, just the history of the event. I mean, it's been here forever, and I think it's cool to play the same golf course, because there is not a lot of tournaments we have that are still played on the same course we've played for a long time.

Q. You talked about the Philadelphia fanbase and just all the professional golf tournaments that are going to be here. This tournament every year, it's in the Philadelphia Metroplex, but it's in Atlantic City, so more of a mid-market event. You've played LPGA events all over the world. When the LPGA comes to mid-markets like Atlantic City and you get the community that comes out, as a player when you see all the fans on the first tee, how does that make you feel when you see all the fan support?

MEAGHAN FRANCELLA: Yeah, I think the LPGA thrives in these kind of markets. We played in Corning and just the local fan base is unbelievable. You start to know people because you're going back every year. I just think it's really special. I mean, you have people that come from from the shore, from Philly, from New York. You get people from everywhere.

But, yeah, I think it's just the LPGA does such a good job of interacting with the fans and the local people, so it's been really special to be here.

Q. You mentioned that you are not a full-time LPGA pro. You're a teaching pro, so more a mentor for not only growing the game, but teaching the next generation. When you're out here and see all the wave of young players out here, what does that signal about the future of the LPGA Tour?

MEAGHAN FRANCELLA: I mean, I think it's very strong. I played with two young women yesterday. I was old enough to be their mom, so that was fun.

But you see the talent out here is unbelievable. I mean, I'm one of the people that I watch the LPGA every week. I'm a big fan of the LPGA. Always have been as a player and now as a teacher.

I think the future of the LPGA is really bright. I mean, what they're doing with the purse increases and just the places we're playing now, you know, we're playing big time places and playing for big time money, which is a lot of fun.

Watching Nelly, I mean, I just enjoy watching Nelly so much. You know, the young women out here are really inspiring. I've learned so much coming back and playing and watching people on the range and asking questions when I'm playing with some of the people I'm playing with. What are you working on? Who are you working with? What are some drills you're doing? I had a conversation with somebody today, like what are you doing? Like you're hitting it better kind of thing.

It's been fun to watch. It's hard for me to turn my teacher brain off at times. My caddie was like, Meg, you're playing this week, you're not teaching. But I was helping the pro-am players today, which was a lot of fun. So that's kind of my passion.

Yeah, I just think the LPGA is in a great place, and we're continuing to grow. It's going to be really good for years to come. There is lots of talent. I was watching the NCAA yesterday and I could not believe. I'm like, oh, my God, they hit it so good.

It just confirms I'm doing the right thing with my life right now with teaching and not playing right now. I was getting outdriven quite a bit yesterday. It was like, man, did I not get any roll there or what's going on?

So, yeah, the young women are great, and it's going to be really fun to watch the future of the LPGA.

Q. As a teacher now, is there any piece of advice you would give to some of the sponsor's exemption girls playing their first tournament here and other rookies?

MEAGHAN FRANCELLA: Yeah, just try to enjoy it and watch what's going on around you. You have on opportunity around the best players in the world; you got to learn something when you're doing that. Try to embrace that I would say, and just watch what they do from a course management standpoint.

A lot of younger players kind of don't have that at some points of their career, and I think you learn that as you go. There are some players that manage the golf course great and some players you are almost -- I'm watching TV and I'm like, don't do it, don't do it.

Mentally just see what they're doing on the golf course and take notes. If you can learn one thing from the week, I think that's a huge win.

Q. And follow up to that, you've seen what LPGA has done for other golfers, but ShopRite has made a huge commitment to this tournament and LPGA itself.

MEAGHAN FRANCELLA: Uh-huh.

Q. If you were a golfer playing at this tournament, how are you feeling knowing you have so many accommodations making you feel more at home this?

MEAGHAN FRANCELLA: Yeah, like I said, it's so special. ShopRite has been unbelievable and they've been a huge supporter of the LPGA for a long time. We're grateful for sponsors like that.

I mean, I think that what makes the LPGA so good is just we get it I think from a sponsor standpoint. I've always -- one of the older players always told me, you know, you have one day you work during the week, and that's Wednesday. Wednesday is about the pro-am players; it's not about you.

So I very rarely hit any practice putts. I pick up my ball. Like I'm not trying to do anything. I want them to have the greatest experience ever. We don't have events unless we have sponsors, right? I just think that's what the LPGA does so well. So ShopRite, I think has seen that or else they wouldn't be back as long as they've been back.

So, yeah, and like I said, I'm so grateful that ShopRite has this tournament and I can play it when I get in. It's been a lot of fun.

Q. Does it seem possible it's been 20 years since your rookie year? Just being through an old media guide. 2006 was your rookie year.

MEAGHAN FRANCELLA: Yeah, you're right. Oh, my God. I was just counting down the days until I get to play the Senior Tour. I'm under a year.

Q. What has fueled the growth of women's golf over the course of the last couple of decades, and what message does it send in terms of female empowerment and telling women whatever they feel they can achieve their dreams, that they're not limited by their gender?

MEAGHAN FRANCELLA: Yeah, I mean, I think USGA Girls Golf, First Tee, you know, I think the LPGA amateurs, there are so many different organizations that provide opportunities to grow the women's game, and I think the LPGA/USGA Girls Golf is a great way to get juniors involved and younger -- the younger generation involved.

I know they're doing a lot of stuff with different -- states are doing stuff with amateur golfers and junior golfers to grow the game on the team side of things, and that's been really fun to watch.

And I just think watching the LPGA is a lot more exciting now and I think they engage the fans a lot more, so I think that's helping. You go out to a tournament, you're going to hit balls with someone, you're going get a lesson by an LPGA professional. I think that fuels some things, too.

The talent is so good and people want to be around the LPGA, and I think that's really exciting for the growth of the game.

What was your second question? Sorry.

Q. I will ask you to put on your teaching hat for a moment. It's a two-part question. If you have somebody taking up the game, say they're school age, what approach do you take to see to it that it's a positive experience for them, that they're not too much pressure on themselves?

MEAGHAN FRANCELLA: I didn't hear one word in that question. Can you repeat it one more time?

Q. Sure. When someone is taking up the game, what kind of things can you do as a teacher to make it a positive experience so they don't put a lot of pressure on themselves?

MEAGHAN FRANCELLA: Yeah, I mean, I -- for instance I taught somebody -- my first lesson was five seasons ago. She couldn't make contact with a golf ball. So it was an indoor lesson and I got a tennis ball and put a tennis ball out, because I was hopeful that getting something bigger in front of her and making contact would be a little bit more fun.

Sure enough, she made contact with the tennis ball and started making contact with the golf ball. I think if you can just start out small and make it fun, I think that's where I've kind of feel like the beginners you can get them rolling a little bit more.

I think just boosting their confidence because a lot of people come to me and they're like, I'm not good. I'm like, well, what does not good mean? So setting the expectation and not putting them too high I think is definitely something that I talk to a lot about with my students.

They hit a putt from 15 feet they think they're supposed to make nine out of ten. I'm like, well, the average is like 41% on the PGA TOUR, so your average a way lower than that.

But making it fun. I think that's the biggest thing, like people do this to have fun, and I get to do my job and let people play their retirement and have a lot of fun and help them play better golf.

Just making sure they have fun is probably the biggest thing.

Q. Second part of that and my last question: If somebody is showing success and they're having success in junior tournaments, say, what's the danger of them putting too much pressure on themselves or someone else putting too much pressure on them that they get to the point it's not fun for them anymore and how do you get around that?

MEAGHAN FRANCELLA: Yeah, a lot has to do with the parents, getting the parents on board. I teach a handful of juniors and the my first conversation with the parents is like, be mom and dad, don't be coach. So I think that's part of it..

I have a really good junior I teach. She's won three times this year already. She won ten times last year. She's phenomenal. You know, she plays other sports. I think that's great. I played other sports growing up.

I think doing it full time like a job is not a 12 year old kind of thing. That happens after college. So I think just getting them this realize, one, you're not going to win every week; two, you're going to have bad weeks. You know, managing that expectation.

Once you win one time you want to win a second, and then when you win the second you want to win the third. So it's just realizing, telling them, hey, this is a marathon, not a sprint, trying to get them to understand that.

At 12 or 13, 14, that's really hard to grasp, but managing their emotions and kind of just letting them have some failures, too. If you don't have the failures you're never going learn how to deal with them.

So I would say that's my best advice for junior golfers. Just kind of like it's okay to fail. It's okay to win. Just kind of try to manage your emotions from there and enjoy being a kid. That's the biggest part I think.

Q. What are your expectations for this week?

MEAGHAN FRANCELLA: Well, I would like to make it 54 holes this week for sure. My body feels really good. It hasn't felt this good in a while, so I'm really excited about that.

I have not practiced as much as I would've liked leading up to the event. We've had some rough weather this winter; the snow blower came out a few times and then spring has been a little rainy.

The last week and the week prior to that I got some decent work in, so obviously I don't come to tournaments and just try to make a cut. I would like to have a great week. I want to enjoy 54 holes of golf. I have my best friend caddieing for me this week, Missy, who caddied for Brittany Lincicome.

She's giving me a hard time all the time, making fun of me. We're laughing a lot. Got family here this week. It's going to be a lot of fun.

Yeah, do I expect to win? I mean, I think that would be a tall order. Do I expect to play well? Yeah, I do. I'm hitting it great. If I can get some putts to go in, that would be great.

So manage my emotions a little bit and remember this is not my full-time job. That's probably the biggest part to worry about.

But, yeah, I think just enjoy it. Have fun.

Q. Last one from me: You mentioned family. Through the course of your career off the course you've developed a lot of really good relationships: Missy, Brittany.

MEAGHAN FRANCELLA: Yeah.

Q. You and Morgan Pressel in particular. You two have been with each other for thick and thin with Morgan and her mom, Morgan has been there for you and your mom.

MEAGHAN FRANCELLA: Uh-huh.

Q. What does it mean off the course to develop these types of relationships with players that you are grinding to try and beat week in and week out?

MEAGHAN FRANCELLA: Yeah, I think Morgan is one of my best friends in the whole world. I would do anything for her, and it's vice versa. She showed up in the hospital in March of 2024, I think more to tell the doctors what to do and find out some answers.

I think that's the biggest thing I've taken away from the Tour. I've made friends that are going to be my friends for the rest of my life.

When you travel the world with people and you stay in hotels with them, go to dinner with them every night, riding ins busses in Asia with them, you learn a lot about people and who is going to show up when things are hard.

I've developed a great group of friends. At the end of the day we're all trying to do the same thing and we were all trying to do the same thing and win, but, you know, those people that I've made friends with just show up.

I mean, first person to call or text, Morgan Pressel. I mean, she's on her phone all the time and she's always checking in. I just made a great group of friends and I'm very lucky.

THE MODERATOR: Thanks, Meaghan.

MEAGHAN FRANCELLA: Thank, guys.