Stacy Lewis notches top 10 at LPGA Drive On, says being playing captain is possible but still far off

Stacy Lewis’s fine play at the LPGA Drive On Championship isn’t enough yet, she said, to start a serious conversation about being a playing captain at the Solheim Cup in Spain.

Lewis closed with a 5-under 67 at Superstition Mountain to vault into a share of seventh. Her only wish was that the tour was headed next to Mission Hills Country Club, a favorite stop and site of her first major victory. But with the Chevron Championship headed to Texas next month, Lewis and the tour will move on to Palos Verdes Golf Club for the DIO Implant LA Open, where the 13-time winner hopes her good momentum continues.

“I wouldn’t say it’s not possible,” she said of playing and captaining at the Solheim Cup in Spain. “I think it’s possible, but I hope there are 12 playing better than me, and our team is going to be in a really good spot if that’s the case.”

Lewis started feeling better about her putting toward the end of last season. After the Asian swing, she took advantage of a couple weeks off to put new shafts in her irons and is pleased with her ball-striking.

“The combination of getting some new irons, longer irons getting up in the air, easier to hit, and things working on with my golf swing starting to come together,” she said of what’s clicking.

Lewis wears multiple hats every week she’s on tour, trying to get to know the rookies who might be on her team in September as well as she can.

“Just the time you can be around them,” she said, “seeing them in player dining, talking to them warming up, just that a little bit of interaction goes a long way with them feeling more comfortable for that week so everything is not so new, right?

“Solheim Cup is a crazy week, and if you throw a brand new face in front of them telling them what to do, that’s really hard. So just trying to be around them as much as I can and be there when they have questions and just making sure they’re always thinking about it.”

Potential Solheim Cup rookie Lilia Vu, already a winner this season, finished T-7 and hasn’t placed outside the top 15 this season.

Lucy Li, another player Lewis has her eye one, made her debut as a LPGA member this week and struggled mightily, shooting 76-76 to miss the cut.