Q. Do you think having Annika in contention elevates the game, makes it more exciting?
PATRICIA MEUNIER-LEBOUC: When she's close?
Q. When she's in contention.
PATRICIA MEUNIER-LEBOUC: Yeah, and there's so many other good players. I really look at it the way -- if you look at Se Ri Pak, all of the great players are on there. And we know for a British Open in these conditions, it could change so quickly.
Yeah, of course when Annika is up there, it's great, it's great for everything, but there's so many good other players. All together, I think you just -- you put Annika on the course, it's not enough to make the tournament, anyway. So I really think it makes a difference, of course.
But the way I look at it, I think Se Ri Pak is a very tough person under pressure, and on that set of conditions for a British Open. I think she's almost tougher than Annika in these conditions, for me, and Karrie. And Karrie Webb, you look at them, you know that sort of conditions that they like. They are better in these conditions because they can focus more. So I would be scared, I could be in front of Annika and the other ones, not only Annika for sure.
Q. Have you spoken to Catrin Nilsmark about The Solheim Cup?
PATRICIA MEUNIER-LEBOUC: We are friends, so I have some points. I don't really have much information actually. The other say she said, "if you make it," very seriously, but with a laugh, too, because it's difficult to speak very formally. But she doesn't give me anymore information than to the others. I think even less. I think it's a disadvantage to be her friend, too. But I like it that way because, you know, I know if I make it, it's just going to be because I'm a good player and I'm added because of the way I played this year and that's good I think.
Q. If you didn't make the team, would it be bad for the captain?
PATRICIA MEUNIER-LEBOUC: Well, if I would not make the team, I don't think I would get angry, anyway, because there would be very good reason for it. That's what I believe. I mean, that's a team, you are not based only on the results. But for sure, I think I'm getting very much closer every day to getting a pick, that's for sure.
But if I would not get on the team like a month, two months ago, I always felt that the way the Solheim Cup is always different. You've always seen some perception, why this one is not on the team; she is better in the ranking than this one. But that's not the way you have to look at it for Solheim. It's a whole team and you have to balance the team, even in personalities. That's a big, big challenge, I think, for us as the European team, we have to build the team. We are not one country like America, which is much easier to do a team out of America than it is from Europe.
So you really have to look at the different personalities more than also the results. Of course, you want the best players to play. But sometimes when you have to choose in between two people; it's not always going to be the ones playing on the Money List that's better on the ranking. We've seen that many times with Alfie (ph) or Dottie Pepper on the team; she has not played well as all this year, but she might be on the team. I think there's a big chance she might be on the team, because she's fire and she brings so much to a team. I mean, better to get her on the team than somebody that plays good but is not, you know, is not really a team player.
Q. What would you bring to the team?
PATRICIA MEUNIER-LEBOUC: Many things. Also because I played in 2000 and we won, I've got good memories, and I really love to play a team game once every two years. I've played four years ago now, three years ago.
So I loved it, because it was not thinking about yourself, looking at yourself, what we do alone. It's kind of a strange feeling. You still have to hit your ball, but at the same time, you don't play for yourself. So it's very different experience. I can say, it's a lot of fun because you also have to meet these people that are individual players, most of them, really individual players, and you see them making it their way to be building a team. It's not difficult for people like Catrin Nilsmark to be a team partner. She's always been entertaining or like Alfie or all of these people. But other players are not really team players -- like Annika, I remember when we played in 2000. The first dinner, we had just the captain, the players, and the caddies, and Annika stood up and spoke and really said -- we were like having tears in our eyes. That's what she could bring, and she did it. I know it's not easy for her to do that but she really did it.
Everybody has at one point, everybody brought something at some stage in different ways, because we are all different. I think that's the best you can see. We play every day, all year long, and just to be able to see all the girls, the way you know them usually and becoming a different person. So it's kind of interesting and it's fun. It's a fun week. We don't play for money, the players. We go there, and that's the whole thing, the most exhausting week you've ever had in your life and you give more than 100%. And why? Just because everybody is fighting to get there. There's a reason why. It just so much fun and so different and you can't explain that. It's just so much, so strong feelings so, strong emotions all week long.
And at some stage, you think, I would like to go away, I would like to hide because you can't manage any more pressure or emotion, but you have to go. Like on the first tee, the first day. I didn't remember my name, I didn't remember what I was doing here, just I have to hit this ball, that's all I can do, you know. I didn't feel myself hitting the ball, but I don't think you can have stronger feelings than that week, and I think that's why we all go back and we all fight to be there.
Q. Do you expect Karrie Webb to shoot a low number for the rest of you to shoot for tomorrow?
PATRICIA MEUNIER-LEBOUC: I think if she's having a good day she could really start great straightaway. And yes, that's always good when you have openings, that you can go for it and you feel that you have to play well. I feel that it's always better that if you feel like a lot of people are playing well around, then just starting slowly. It's good to be straight into the game. It's never easy, anyways. I know if I want to win, I have to shoot a low number again tomorrow.
So I think it's better if the other ones are here because it's more exciting, too, to kind of fight up and down and you make a birdie and a bogey or whatever and see the move.
Q. Will you looking at Karrie on the leaderboard?
PATRICIA MEUNIER-LEBOUC: If I will look for her name? Her, and I think there's many girls that can do the same as she will. She's one of them that you expect to do that. Her, Se Ri Pak, Annika of course. But, you know, it's kind of -- you never know what's going to happen, like how Grace Park did yesterday. I don't know what she had today actually.
But there's always some of these good players -- there's so many good players on the leaderboard anyway, in the Top-10, 15, that could shoot a very low number tomorrow. If you lay back a little bit and you just, you know, make your way and you can just hole a few putts and just make the score happen.
And there's a lot of players I think that are close to winning a big tournament. The level is so good now. It's like a roller coaster. Everybody is getting better and better all the time. So we could get a good surprise tomorrow, too, another player that you would not think about could win a major. I know I'm leading, but it's the British Open, it's Royal Lytham St. Annes, with these leaders everywhere.
So with my partner today, it was tough to keep going even myself after the 13th hole when she made that nine, when she hit herself, I felt terrible. It happened to me. It's tough to keep going because you say, that can happen to you any time. You have to be conscious of it. That's the fun of the British Open. I think the that's the only tournament where you feel that way and you have to feel confident, keep going, but, you know anything can happen any time, even more than anywhere else in the world.
So that's why I feel more than anywhere else. I just have to focus on what I'm doing, try to play one shot at a time, and if I get steady enough and just play good, because you have to play good and putt well, and I could still be there tomorrow. Because I know it can disappear very quickly in the British Open more than anywhere else. So another exciting day. We'll see what happens.
NEAL REID: Let's go over your scorecard.
PATRICIA MEUNIER-LEBOUC: I birdied the third. I hit it on the green and knocked it pretty close. It was six, seven 7 meters from the pin. I hit 3-iron.
2, I was five meters from the hole and I hit a 7-iron to the green.
3, my driver went left in the thick rough, so I couldn't do anything other than go back to the fairway. And that's kind of a tough hole. I almost made par. I made a very, very good wedge shot to the green, front shot and I just went past the hole. The putt was maybe three meters.
4, I hit a great 6-iron shot. The pin was tucked behind the bunkers on the left, but I hit a very good shot into the wind and just landed on the green after the bunkers, and I was two, three meters past the pin.
5, 7-iron, three-quarter punch shot, like you do a lot here. I had a tough putt. It was of downhill with a lot of break. I'm very happy because I started to put them much better than I was the last few weeks, and that's why I played much better today, too, getting a feel for these greens. I was maybe two and a half, three meters.
The eagle, 3-wood and I was a meter and a half, five feet, exactly.
7, I hit into bunker, back left of the pin, the only place you don't want to be, actually. So that's where I didn't think very well. I'm happy, that's the kind of shot -- I didn't get pissed, like, how can you get there, it's ridiculous. You can go anywhere else but not there. I just said, well, okay, I didn't think. I had a very tough bunker shot. I managed to just get out. I was seven, eight meters from the pin, and that was the best shot I could have done from there. It was downhill. I had no place for my feet and it was all the way down to the pin; it was very tough. You get very happy to get out of these bunkers sometimes. Just get out and get somewhere on the green. It's amazing but that's tough to think that way. Sometimes you have to, okay, just get out first and we'll see after.
NEAL REID: What did you hit in the bunker?
PATRICIA MEUNIER-LEBOUC: A 52-degree sand wedge from the rough. So that's why. Never play there. Don't know what I was thinking about.
17, that was good. I struggled in putting a few holes before and I just managed to make a long one again. This one was long, 25 feet with a 5-iron in.
End of FastScripts....
