KRAFT NABISCO CHAMPIONSHIP

March 25, 2003

Michelle Wie West

MODERATOR: Welcome to the Kraft Nabisco Championship. This is your fourth LPGA tournament, but it's the LPGA's first major of the year. If you could just start off by talking about how you feel being here this week.

MICHELLE WIE: Just really grateful for them sponsoring an exemption for me. I'm having a great time here. The food is great. I had my first Oreo here. (Laughing).

Q. There are going to be a lot of firsts in your life. Your first major, what are you thinking coming into this?

MICHELLE WIE: I knew the course would be pretty tough. I was ready for it. The greens are super fast, so they are great. I'm just enjoying it here.

Q. When did you get here, what has been your routine since you got here?

MICHELLE WIE: I arrived in L.A. on Friday night. I spent Friday night in L.A. with my cousin and then I drove here at 2:00 from L.A. and came here. We just like cruised over here.

Sunday we started practicing. Then my putting coach came from California, so he was just looking over me. And then today my coach came, my swing coach, so we went over the course and we saw what's happening.

Q. How many holes have you actually played?

MICHELLE WIE: I played two 18-holes and one 9-hole today.

Q. What do you think of the course, how it sets up for your game?

MICHELLE WIE: I think it's pretty tough but it's okay. I'll survive.

Q. What have you noticed about how the course plays as far as distance and rough, things like that?

MICHELLE WIE: The rough is pretty thick. The ryegrass is pretty thick. The length doesn't really bother me because the week before this, I played a links tournament, so it was 6,800 or 7,000, so this seems pretty short.

I didn't really keep score. I just played a lot of golf.

Q. How will you approach this, the way you play this?

MICHELLE WIE: Just try the best I can each shot. Just don't think -- I'm just trying not to think that, "This is a birdie hole." That puts so much pressure on me. Just try the best I can with every shot and see what happens.

Q. How do you look at this tournament --

MICHELLE WIE: The same way I approach every tournament -- it's just a tournament.

Q. Looking at what you did last year, do you have high expectations for yourself this year? You've played a lot of tournaments from last year, how much different of a player are you now?

MICHELLE WIE: I have a lot of experience from last time. I'm more mature and I have more skills. So I'm just trying the best I can.

Q. Where do you think you have improved the most since last year?

MICHELLE WIE: I think reading the greens, adapting to the fast greens, really fast. Just playing different shots.

Q. Are there other things you've had to adapt to, things out here that you didn't expect?

MICHELLE WIE: The rough, the bermuda, it was a lot like rye, it's really sticky.

Q. Do you have anybody else here with you that helps your game, sports psychologist?

MICHELLE WIE: My parents.

Q. Who is your putting coach?

MICHELLE WIE: Buddy Kiawa (phonetic).

Q. You said he's from California?

MICHELLE WIE: He's from somewhere in California.

Q. Northern California?

MICHELLE WIE: I think so.

Q. How many more LPGA events this year will you play?

MICHELLE WIE: I'm playing six, including this one. I'm playing the Nabisco, Shoprite, Chick-fil-A, Safeway Classic and one in Korea.

Q. Last year you missed the cut, do you think about making the cut at this tournament or you just thinking about playing your own game?

MICHELLE WIE: I'm just going to play my own game. I'm not going to think about making the cut, it's just too low.

Q. Where do you see yourself in five years?

MICHELLE WIE: In five years, I think I see myself in my senior career in high school or in college.

Q. Inaudible?

MICHELLE WIE: I don't know, I might go play LPGA full-time and then try to go to PGA and then after I go better, I might go to PGA. It will be fun.

Q. How are you alike and how are you different from other 14-year-olds?

MICHELLE WIE: I just have a really special talent that God gave me.

Q. How are you treated these days at school, things like that, and do the other kids treat you as a celebrity, because obviously you've become that -- what's it like?

MICHELLE WIE: It's not much of a difference. But we are having a lot of construction in high school and the construction workers recognize me. So I get recognized by the construction workers.

Q. Do they say, "Hey, Michelle"?

MICHELLE WIE: Yeah. (Laughing).

Q. Do you feel any pressure or any -- like you have something to prove coming here, or are you just taking this as another experience or next step?

MICHELLE WIE: I guess I do have something to prove, but it doesn't really make a big effect on me. It's just what people think about me.

Q. And do you care or does it bother you about what people think about you?

MICHELLE WIE: I guess it bothers everyone but I try not to about it. I just play my own game and hopefully they see me as a good player.

Q. Do you have a specific goal for this week?

MICHELLE WIE: Jump into the lake.

Q. Obviously, a 13-year-old playing in the last group a couple of years ago, Aree Wongluekiet, do you hope that you're in the last group on Sunday ?

MICHELLE WIE: I don't think it's not possible to say anything. I could possibly go into the last group. It's not like it's impossible or anything.

Q. Do you have confidence of actually doing that, is that what you're thinking now?

MICHELLE WIE: Yeah.

Q. Are you concerned about what people think of a 13-year-old playing professional events? And you talked about you can't control what other people think, but do you think people understand why you're doing this, why you're playing so young and stuff like that?

MICHELLE WIE: I guess they understand -- I guess about half the people do and half the people don't. I just want to challenge myself and see how good I am.

Q. Is it a lot because you don't have a lot of women's tournaments to play in that you feel that's your game, is that a big part of it, to go to men's tournaments because the competition is better?

MICHELLE WIE: I guess that's part of it. Because we don't have enough women's tournaments and a high number of tournaments -- the men's tournaments, it's fun to go there.

Q. Do you feel like an outsider when you're at those tournaments, do you feel like all eyes are on you because you are different?

MICHELLE WIE: I don't because they see me a whole lot of times. I'm just part of them now.

Q. This summer are you going to try to be -- what's your plans for men's events this year?

MICHELLE WIE: I don't know. We might try it if my schedule is open. But just try to keep my tournaments in Hawaii for now.

Q. If you played in a men's tournaments in the mainland, what would it be?

MICHELLE WIE: I would play the public links (ph) because it's the fastest way to the Masters.

Q. Talk about that, the Masters, when did you become focused on that, when?

MICHELLE WIE: Just a long time ago when my dad used to watch Masters, I used to be like, "Oh, could I play there."

Q. How long ago was that? When do you remember first watching?

MICHELLE WIE: When I was young, like seven.

Q. Did it occur to you that there were just men playing?

MICHELLE WIE: No, not really.

Q. Just a matter of --

MICHELLE WIE: Yeah, it's like a big tournament. The course is beautiful out there and there's a lot of hospitality.

Q. How realistic do you think it is to have a goal to play in the Masters?

MICHELLE WIE: I think it's pretty realistic because it's possible.

Q. Do you have any advice for Annika about playing in a men's tournament?

MICHELLE WIE: Just don't listen to people who is criticizing them. I don't know, just play great.

Q. Has anybody ever said anything to discourage you?

MICHELLE WIE: No, because I don't really get hurt.

Q. You seem like you're in a pretty tough persona, how did you develop that?

MICHELLE WIE: It's just playing a lot of men's tournaments. You've just got to be tough out there.

Q. Has Tiger influenced you? Has he inspired you?

MICHELLE WIE: He actually inspired my dad to teach me. So I just kept on watching him, his swing.

Q. Have you continued to follow him and is he your favorite golfer?

MICHELLE WIE: Yeah, he is. He's really great.

Q. Favorite female golfer?

MICHELLE WIE: I think I respect Annika because she's so good. And Se Ri Pak because she's a good golfer, and I hope she'll do good.

Q. Do you feel inspired by Annika and what she is going to do at Colonial?

MICHELLE WIE: I guess, but because she's playing in the tournament -- I'm not the only one doing that, I guess it's pretty normal now.

Q. (Inaudible.)

MICHELLE WIE: A couple of times.

Q. Have you played a lot together?

MICHELLE WIE: No, I never played with them.

Q. Have you had any interactions with Annika or Se Ri?

MICHELLE WIE: I just met Se Ri on the range yesterday and I met Annika at Takefuji.

Q. Did you approach Se Ri or did she approach you?

MICHELLE WIE: No. I approached her. I just said hi.

Q. How did it go? Were you nervous going up to her?

MICHELLE WIE: Yeah, I was a little nervous.

Q. It's not often you get to interact --

MICHELLE WIE: Yeah, they were pretty cool.

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