WEETABIX WOMEN'S BRITISH OPEN CHAMPIONSHIP

August 9, 2002

Karrie Webb

LAURA NEAL: Give us your comments on today; how things went out there.

KARRIE WEBB: Let's see. Well, I think it looks like the morning rounds are definitely going to get the toughest with the weather today. It was extremely cold this morning and extremely windy, especially when we got out right on those ocean holes there. And the holes 4 through 11 were probably the toughest stretch of holes I have ever played, I think, as far as what the weather did to make those holes extremely tough.

So I am just happy to get in at 1-under. I feel pretty lucky to do that. Obviously the two eagles I made in my round helped that out a lot.

Q. So you would rate your round today pretty highly?

KARRIE WEBB: I think because I yesterday I just really gutted it out. Made a few good up-and-down pars, and really, you know, playing 4 through 11, what is that seven, eight holes, at 3-over, I felt that I got away with, you know, felt pretty good about that. I really didn't hit a lot of good shots through that stretch. I think I hit two greens through that stretch of holes -- three greens -- and only played them in 3-over, so I felt pretty good about that.

Q. That was quite a shot up to 17?

KARRIE WEBB: Yeah, that was actually the best swing of the day right there. I had 228 to the front, so I don't know what the pin -- can't remember what the pin was on. But, yeah, I hit that right where I wanted to and I got a couple of good bounces and ended up right near the hole.

Q. What did you hit?

KARRIE WEBB: 3-wood.

Q. How was the lie?

KARRIE WEBB: It was a pretty good lie. I couldn't see the green from where I was.

I didn't see it. Actually until I walked up the hill I saw it roll out probably the last ten feet, I guess.

Q. Was there a moment in the round when you thought it might get away from you?

KARRIE WEBB: A little bit just like I said, 4 through 11 I really wasn't hitting a lot of good shots. But I knew once we got past 11 we were all downwind after that and -- but I also didn't want to relax too much. It was unbelievable standing on that 12th tee almost just went (sighs), you know, because the wind was at your back, it wasn't beating on your chest, and it was even difficult to walk because you were cold and trying to hunker down out of the wind. It was just a relief just to turn downwind, obviously those holes played a lot easier.

Q. Were 9 and 10 playing particularly difficult?

KARRIE WEBB: Yeah, 9 and 10 -- I mean, No. 5 today I hit a pretty good drive and I had to hit 2-iron -- I had 195, I had to hit 2-iron into the green and didn't get there.

6 yesterday I hit a driver, 3-wood onto the green. Today I hit a driver, 3-wood and still had 90 yards to the pin -- sorry, 7.

And I hit 2-iron into 6 today and I hit 3-iron on the back edge yesterday. And now that -- players won't even be experiencing that at all - the wind probably dropped 10, 15 miles an hour.

Q. How does this compare to Ayr, this weather? Does it ever get this cold?

KARRIE WEBB: Well, if they get a really, really cold snap it will be like 9 degrees in the morning. But by the middle of the day it will be about 22, 23, so, that's on a really cold day. So, no, it's definitely -- even though Ayr in Queensland is named after Ayr in Scotland, I don't think the guy who ever named Ayr in Queensland was thinking of Ayr in Scotland.

Q. How do you feel about your position heading into the weekend?

KARRIE WEBB: Well, I obviously feel really good about it. I don't know if 7-under will be leading or not. Really just depends on the weather this afternoon. But I think it will be pretty close to the lead so obviously feel really good about that and the fact that I put myself into contention to win this week, it feels good.

Q. With all the factors in play here, are you of the belief that this is really the hardest major to win?

KARRIE WEBB: Yeah, I think so because I was really hitting the ball really well before I came in here. It really doesn't matter because the shots that you are practicing on the range, you don't even come close to playing most of the time out there. And it's really just survival of the fittest so whoever doesn't hit it into too much stuff and who gets up-and-down and putts well, you know, and is patient and takes the bogeys and not get too down on themselves, and eliminate big scores, because it's easy in that rough to be greedy and think that you can get a little bit more out of it and just take your bogey, instead of trying to go for the green, might end up making double for doing that instead of just pitching reasonably down the fairway and giving yourself a better shot at the green.

Q. Did you come here with more motivation?

KARRIE WEBB: Well, you know, I look forward to every major that I play. I am excited. And I have heard a lot of good things about this golf course and I think all the courses that we play in the British Open rotation now are great golf courses so I am excited to come over here and play anyway and Turnberry was a course that I hadn't played at yet. So really looking forward to that. I really feel like my game is in the best shape it has been all year. Actually in the past, my game starts to fly towards the end of the year and I feel this year that I will probably finish the year off better than I have in the past.

Q. Is there something you¹ve done to try to change things?

KARRIE WEBB: Even for my standards my game hasn't been as good as I would have liked to earlier on in the year. I think things are starting to click a little bit now. I am starting to feel a little bit more confident on what I am doing out there now.

LAURA NEAL: Could we go over your scorecard?

KARRIE WEBB: 3rd hole hit a 6-iron to about 15 feet.

8, I was just short of the green. I hit a 4-iron just short of the green and hit a pretty poor chip to about 20 feet and 2-putted.

9, missed the fairway left and then just pitched it on back out onto the fairway. Hit a 7-iron to -- sorry didn't hit the green, chipped it to about six inches.

10 missed the fairway right, and had to hit a 3-wood into the green there and I missed the green way left into the stuff and hit it on and 2-putted from about 45 feet:

And 17 the 3-wood to about seven feet.

Q. Could you talk about some of the saves you had?

KARRIE WEBB: Well, 5 I was in the front one of the front greenside bunkers, it was fairly long, hit it to about three feet.

7, I was long and left there. Actually probably my most difficult chip of the week and chipped it to about ten feet and made the putt. That was the only two saves.

End of FastScripts....