Stacy Lewis got a taste of being World No. 1 for about a month back in 2013 before a red-hot Inbee Park rattled off three major wins and vaulted past her.

The road back to the LPGA’s summit hasn’t been a long one for Lewis who regained the top spot with a win at the ShopRite LPGA Classic in June, ending Park’s nearly 60-week reign in the process. But, while being ranked the top player in the world is a nice accomplishment, the Toledo, Ohio, native and unabashed Arkansas Razorback fan says it doesn’t change who she is or how she approaches each tournament she enters.

In 20 events this season, Lewis has three wins, four second-place finishes and 14 top-tens adding up to more than $2 million in earnings.

“Winning tournaments and giving myself opportunities to win on Sunday are much more important than No. 1,” Lewis said. “I play to win tournaments, not for anything else.”

As she prepared for the LPGA’s final major of the season, The Evian Championship at Evian Masters Golf Club in France this week, I caught up with Lewis to chat about the state of her game, being No. 1, the International Crown, and who her favorite golfer of all time is… or rather who it isn’t.

How are you feeling about your game right now?

SL: This year so far has been pretty good. I’ve had times where I haven’t played as well as I would have liked but then had other weeks where everything has clicked. I’m never really too satisfied with my game because I think you can always do better and be better. The year has been a little more up and down than I would like especially these last few months but I’m looking forward to finishing the year on a good note.

What areas do you need to work on?

SL: Everything! I think you can always be a little better at everything from actually hitting shots to being stronger mentally and managing rounds better.

How does being No. 1 impact your routine when it comes to practice and down time?

SL: There’s a lot of good that comes with being No. 1 but the hardest is time management. Everyone wants a piece of your time and while it’s hard to say no I’ve learned that I can’t do it all. My practice and preparation time is most important to me so I make that a priority before anything else. I don’t get as much downtime as I would like, I’m still trying to figure that out!

What does it mean to you to be No. 1?

SL: Honestly, being No. 1 is just a number to me, it doesn’t change the way I think about myself or the way I prepare, it’s more of just checking a goal off the list. It’s important to stay here but it’s not the ultimate goal. I do think that having an American at the top of the rankings is great for the LPGA so in that aspect I’m glad it’s me.

What’s your practice routine like?

SL: My practice varies depending on the day. During tournaments it’s focusing on certain shots I may need that week or what I need to work on at that time. During off weeks I usually do a lot of short game and playing. I don’t like to spend a lot of time on the range in general; I would rather work on my game on the course.

What are your thoughts on the International Crown?

SL: I thought for the first year of the event it was a great success! There are some things that will be tweaked going forward but it was a great showcase of women’s golf. And the TV ratings around the world were huge so I thought it turned out great for the LPGA.

What do you take away from the experience?

SL: For me, it was another opportunity to represent the USA, which is always a huge honor. My favorite part of the week was being able to see how excited the players were to represent their countries that have never had the opportunity before.

Did you always want to be a golfer?

SL: I played golf growing up but never imagined it would turn into all of this. I don’t know what I would be doing if not golf; it would probably be within sports and maybe using my finance and accounting degrees.

Favorite golfer of all time?

SL: I don’t really have a favorite. I like watching players when they are playing their best, learning how they respond under pressure, what they do the same or different… I think you can learn a lot about a person when the pressure is on.

What’s it like out there on tour with the other players?

SL: My best friends are people I compete with every week. We will rent houses together, travel and go to dinners together. It really is like a family out there and when one of your friends wins or loses you are there to support them either way.

Who is filling out your dream foursome?

SL: Just me and my dad!

What are your goals for the rest of the season?

SL: I always have a lot of goals in my head and right now is no different, but I don’t often share them. They are just for me to help keep my game on track. My only main goal is to just keep giving myself opportunities to win and everything else will take care of itself.