U.S. WOMEN'S OPEN CHAMPIONSHIP

July 21, 2000

Karrie Webb

KARRIE WEBB: Thank you.

KARRIE WEBB: Well, I think I played pretty similar. Probably did not hit as many fairways, but, you know, I feel like, you know, I was on the green a lot. I think yesterday I had more chances from the right side of the hole to be on so I could putt aggressively, more aggressively yesterday. And today I felt when I hit some good shots in there I was putting on the defensive because I was on the wrong side of the hole. And there were some tricky pin positions out there today. So a lot of the times you really could not be on the right side of the hole, unless you were overly aggressive and left yourself on the short side of the pin. I'm still really happy with an even par round. The wind, we pretty much had the wind all day again. I don't think it was that calm this morning; and it was a little more gusty today and it's starting to gust now. I think that, you know, yesterday it was just a constant wind; whereas, today, it's coming and going and it's always a lot harder to pick clubs and to be positive over the ball. So, I feel pretty good being at 3-under. I think that -- I don't know if I'll be leading at the end of the day, but I don't think I'll be too far out of it.

KARRIE WEBB: When you have 156 people on the field and you have tough conditions on a tough golf course, you know, and a lot of these people have qualified, and this sometimes is their only tournament they play in all year. So, you know, you just have so expect it. You know, anything less than five hours in the first two days is just a bonus. I think you just expect five hours-plus, and that's -- it happens every year. It's never any different. It's always pretty slow the first two days until you get to the weekend. And that's just part of the whole patience thing that I talk about, and the slow play is definitely part of it, just to stay patient and know that you're going to be waiting and stay focused for the duration.

KARRIE WEBB: I think I would have like to have at least stayed at 4-under, and maybe even gotten to 5(-under), but, you know, like I said, I'm happy at 3-under. You know, I think that things are going pretty well. It's hard to -- like I said, there's a lot of tough pin positions out there today. You know, it was really hard to be aggressive. I mean, if you watched the telecast this afternoon, I bet there will be at least two groups on 7 tee, because the wind is gusting into your face there and the pin is way over on the left. And when we were there, there was two or three groups on the hole, one on the green and two on the tee. You know, that was just one of the tough pin positions. I hit a shot in there to about 15, 20 feet above the pin and did not have -- I didn't have a realistic birdie chance. I just had to putt defensively down the hill.

KARRIE WEBB: I don't think they change too much. You know, right now, I just want to do a little bit of practice this afternoon, have a good dinner and a good night's sleep. I played quite a bit of golf. I've played two rounds of golf in the last 24 hours, and those being 5 1/2 hours. I haven't had much time other than to play golf in the last 24 hours. I want to get a good night's sleep tonight, and I don't think I'll have too much trouble doing that. You know, just be relaxed and ready to play tomorrow and know that you're just going to be faced with the same sort of conditions, and, you know, just try and do the same things that I've done the last two days.

KARRIE WEBB: I think you know that -- the occasion that it is. You know that you're in contention, you know, to have a chance to win the U.S. Open. But, it is only Saturday tomorrow, and there's 36 holes to go. You know, there's still a long way to go; there's still a lot of golf left. I just try not to get too far ahead of myself.

KARRIE WEBB: Yeah, I just hit a bad tee shot. So, you know, right from the get-go you're pretty much thinking that you're going to have to play great from there on in to make par. You know, I don't like finishing with a bogey any day of the week, but, you know, it's just one of those things. I gave myself a good chance to make par and I didn't make the putt. But, you know, I can't complain. Like I said, I'm so very happy with the position I'm in. And just see what the other -- what the other people that are up there at the top do this afternoon and see where I am at the end of the day.

KARRIE WEBB: Yesterday, someone said that to me, but I thought she didn't mean to hit it over there, but I guess she did mean to hit it over there -- Meg, I'm talking about. I really don't -- I had a look at it today when I was playing 13. I don't know, you can't see the green from there, and if you miss the fairway from there, you have to lay-up short. I mean, if you're in the rough, you cannot get over those trees. I've had two birdie chances the last two days playing it the correct way. I don't know, it's not something that I've even -- that I am even going to consider for the weekend.

KARRIE WEBB: I still have a few swing thoughts, and I hit a couple of loose shots today, but, you know I didn't get myself into too much trouble. But, you know, a little bit of practice. I think I was getting a little tired out there, too. It was a very early start this morning, and, you know, I was just glad to get in and make, you know, not too many mistakes on the way in. Like I said, I'll just do a little bit of light practice this afternoon and have a good night's sleep, and I think I'll be set for tomorrow.

KARRIE WEBB: Yeah, obviously, you know, Kelly and I are not slow players. So, we were waiting on pretty much nearly every shot, especially on our back nine, which is the front. We were waiting on tee shots, as well as on the fairway. You know, it's all part of it. You know, Dottie didn't do that to us on purpose. You just have to, you know, that's just another thing where you've got to tell yourself to be a little bit more patient. You know, the bonus was that, you know I am good friends with Kelly Robbins, and at least we get along well and we can -- in all that time standing there, we can have a bit of a conversation. You know, that was probably the only bonus to playing in a twosome coming in.

KARRIE WEBB: I don't know how to judge-- I don't know how to judge how much more defensive. I guess it is quite a bit. You know, most courses that we play each week, the rough is not quite as brutal. So, missing a fairway is not quite as stressful, and the greens are not quite as firm and the fairways are not as firm. You know, I think all in all, you can normally play a little bit more aggressive, definitely, than a U.S. Open. On the weekend, to me, I don't think you really change your game plan. I think that you just keep plugging away, and, you know, hitting fairways and greens, and then trying to, you know, take advantage of the birdie opportunities that you get.

KARRIE WEBB: Well, this is my favorite event. The atmosphere at the U.S. Open is always, you know, just there's a little bit more electricity out there. The crowd, you know you play a practice rounds and the crowd cannot wait to cheer. You putting to a tee and you hit the tee and they start cheering. But, you know, it's very exciting out there, and the crowds definitely appreciate good golf. And I think U.S. Open crowds do understand that we are playing tough golf courses. And, you know, when we are hitting out of the rough, they understand that you might not advance it very far on the fairway; or if you get up-and-down out of the rough on the greens, they really appreciate that. It's a lot of fun, and it's great that the crowds understand what we're going through.

KARRIE WEBB: No. I think what the USGA will try to do is try to do six hard, six medium, six easy, most days. Whether or not they end up turning out that way is another thing. But, you know there were still some pin positions out there that were accessible today, and, you know, gave you a chance to make a birdie. I think there are still a lot of tough pin positions out there for both Saturday and Sunday.

KARRIE WEBB: Yeah, it's just been a drought, hasn't it? (Laughter.)

KARRIE WEBB: You know, I think I hold this tournament with the most importance. I think this is the biggest event that we play every year. You know, whether or not I win this weekend, it's a tournament that, you know, every year I'll be gunning to try and win. If I win this week, it's, you know, just going to be an unbelievable feeling and I'll achieve something probably earlier than I expected to.

KARRIE WEBB: Starting on 10. 11, I hit a 4-iron to about eight feet. Then went around to 1. I missed the fairway left. Hit it just short of the green, and chipped it to probably about 20 feet and 2-putted. 8, I hit -- laid up and hit my sand wedge to about six feet and made the putt. And 9, missed the fairway right. Tried to advance it to the green, and then hit it in the left rough short of the green and hit it -- hit a good chip to about six feet and missed the putt, and that's it.

KARRIE WEBB: No, I don't think so. I think par is your friend in the U.S. Open. And I think as long as you're doing that, you know, the birdies will come. I think that I don't expecting to on birdie runs out here, but there's always a possibility that you can. You just prepare yourself for that, but, you know, like I said, par is your friend and anything better is a bonus.

KARRIE WEBB: I think it's right in between those two courses as far as toughness. Obviously, three totally different style of golf courses. But, you know Blackwolf Run was to the extreme of difficult. And last year, you know, was -- I wouldn't say easy, but it was set up definitely just not U.S. Open like, I guess, as far as you, you know, you prepare yourself coming in there to grind it out for four rounds and then you end up having to reevaluate and say, "Okay, I need to make some birdies now." This is right in between that. I think that there are definitely some holes out there that your heart is in your mouth when you're on the tee. But I think that there's other holes that give you a bit of a breather, too; that you can try and make some birdies.

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