MEIJER LPGA CLASSIC

June 17, 2026

Yana Wilson

Blythefield Country Club

Press Conference

THE MODERATOR: All right, very pleased to be joined by one of our newest winners on the LPGA Tour, Yana Wilson. I asked Gina this question to start off. LPGA Tour winner Yana Wilson; fully set in yet?

YANA WILSON: I don't think so, but it's got a good ring to it. (Laughter.)

No, I've kind of just been enjoying my time not worrying about having to qualify for anything or what tournaments I'm going to play in next and kind of just going through the motions, and, yeah, just being able to play freer golf.

Q. A lot of people buy themselves something nice or do something nice for someone with their first paycheck. Have you decide what you're going to do with some of your winnings?

YANA WILSON: Not really. I kind of bought all my fancy stuff after winning some Epson Tour events, so I think I'm going to be a little frugal this time.

But I am going to get a Rolex because I'm a first-time winner. I guess that's what I might spend a little bonus on.

Q. Absolutely. Going back to last week a little bit, was there a moment you and Gina were kind of like, oh, my gosh we're going to do this?

YANA WILSON: Yeah, I would definitely say down the stretch like on 17. I think that birdie that I made kind of felt like I clinched it pretty much. It was a three-shot lead going into a par-3, so we didn't want to celebrate too, too early, but definitely both smiling big on 18.

Q. Shifting focus to this week, playing here at Meijer LPGA Classic for Simply Give, what have you made of the course so far and how does it suit your game?

YANA WILSON: Yeah, so I've only played the front nine and back nine once, but so far I really like the layout of the course. It's a little bit longer than I guess what we played last week. It kind of suits my game because I do hit the ball a little further off the tee.

Overall it's jus a really good golf course. Greens are super pure. Greens are pretty generous. Excited to see what score I can put out this week, and, yeah, just excited.

Q. How do you maybe shift kind of the focus from going from a team event where you just won, the highs, to now it's just you and your caddie again, back to competing against 144 other girls?

YANA WILSON: I mean, it's definitely bittersweet because I'm playing with Gina Kim this week, which we were partners last week. That was a lot of fun. Now we're going to go back to being competitors. We're still really good friends and I think it'll be a lot of fun.

Just being on Tour you're competing every single week and you just get used to being in that flow of just playing, finishing, and then starting over again the next week. So I think that's where my mindset is. I'm not too focused on last week's finish, but I'm more so focused on how I'm going to attack the course this week.

Q. What has the reaction been like that you received over the last few days since your win?

YANA WILSON: My reaction or...

Q. That you received from other people.

YANA WILSON: Oh, that I received from other people. Well, my parents are obviously very happy. Unfortunately they couldn't be there for my first win. My family and all my friends. My phone has just been blowing up nonstop since. But it's been great.

And then obviously a lot of people on Tour have been congratulating me, including caddies. And even players that I don't even know but I've looked up to for the longest time, they've passed on their congrats and it means a lot to me.

Q. Given such a big week last week, what do you think will be the biggest challenge for you this week?

YANA WILSON: I would say probably just my energy levels. I feel like winning last week and even the last day was super draining for me. I had like the biggest headache after because I feel like I was so locked in the entire time you know, just kind of all that adrenaline building up and then it finally kind of releasing at the end.

I definitely took a lot more naps this week than I normally do. I think just being able to maintain just my energy levels for this week.

Q. To have success so early in the season, how do you now prioritize the rest of your year, sort of reassess? What are your goals and focus now going forward?

YANA WILSON: Yeah, I haven't accomplished every goal I wanted to so far this year. I feel like this is a good steppingstone, just getting that first win with Gina. I do want an individual win and I would love to win a major this year and also play in the Solheim Cup.

But those are just some of my goals for this year.

I'm still working and grinding because I haven't accomplished those yet. Yeah, still a work in progress.

Q. Have you had any conversations with Angela Stanford about that possibility?

YANA WILSON: I haven't, no. But hopefully soon.

Q. You're a known vision boarder. Was a win this year on the vision board?

YANA WILSON: Kind of yes and no. I put a Rolex watch on my vision board. My mom literally sent me a photo of it. She was like, this is on your vision board. I think you're going to get one. I was like, yep.

So kind of yes and no. The Rolex was in there to implement the win.

Q. And then I asked Hailee this yesterday. This graduating class from the Epson Tour is a very close-knit bunch. Do you think that kind of helped being out there with Gina and just being out here in your rookie year knowing all these players and how close you are?

YANA WILSON: I think so. It was really special kind of for all of us to be close last year going into this year. I know -- I mean, just knowing Gina going into last week helped a lot because I knew her game and I knew she was the type of player she was: straight, accurate; good all around player.

So I think that really helped me with trusting her last week and getting that dub. Yeah, all the girls are great and I think we're all going to do some pretty cool things this year.

Q. Yana, I was at Dow last weekend to watch you and your partner win. We keep hearing about LEAP points and players getting in that way. You got in through grinding through the Epson Tour. Do you feel like that was the better way for you to go and it's made a better player today?

YANA WILSON: Yeah, I do think so. I feel like ever since I was young I've kind of just thrown myself in harder situations. Like for example, when I was 12 years old I started playing AJGA events and just putting myself in those harder positions and trying to persevere through that and play my own game and learn to play at the higher levels. And then, you know, just always playing up in age groups.

I feel like this kind of correlates into that, because I'm so young. I could be in college right now. I chose not to just because -- I mean, I knew I always wanted to turn pro, so why wait? Obviously it's worked so far and I hope to keeps working, keep continue working.

THE MODERATOR: Awesome, thank you so much, Yana.

YANA WILSON: Thanks.