U.S. WOMEN'S OPEN CHAMPIONSHIP

July 3, 2003

Aree Song

RHONDA GLENN: Ladies and gentlemen Aree Song shot a 1-under par, 71 today. And Aree, I'm going to hand you the microphone, and let you tell us a little bit about your day. I know you started on the front 9. Go over your birdies and bogeys.

AREE SONG: I just started off really solidly, I had 7 pars to start off on the front 9.

I made a bogey on 8, I just hit three good shots and the putt didn't go in.

And birdied 9, hit my 7-iron up to 10 feet and made the putt for birdie.

On 10, just hit a really nice 6-iron up to the par-3 and made a 20-footer down the hill for my birdie.

On 11 I just hit a nice drive down the middle, laid up with my 4-iron to about 75 yards and hit a lob wedge to 3 feet and made the putt. So that was the third birdie of the day.

And 14 I bogeyed -- I hit my drive in the trees and punched out. Hit a really nice 8-iron just past the pin, but the putt didn't go in.

16, hit a really nice drive and a really nice 7-iron to about 20 feet, just left of the pin and made the putt for birdie.

18, just hit my drive in the rough, punched out, missed the green, chipped up and didn't quite make the putt.

RHONDA GLENN: Was that four or five feet?

AREE SONG: Yes.

Q. You played in some Major championships before, do you feel like you belong out here now, given your age, you've had some success?

AREE SONG: I think my time will come. I'm just glad to know I qualified for this championship, really. It's such a great tournament and so much fun playing out here. So I was really excited when I qualified. I'm going to go to college in the fall. So I'll just take my time.

RHONDA GLENN: Why did you pick the University of Florida to go to?

AREE SONG: It was close to home, really, and my coach lives in Florida, so I've been going back and forth to see him. He lives three hours away from the university.

Q. Are you surprised where you stand or given how difficult the course was playing is this pretty much where you expected you'd be?

AREE SONG: I'm a little bit surprised that I'm actually leading with 1-under. But the golf course is very tough. You could have a nice round going and hit a wall, really, and get sidetracked. But it is the U.S. Open, it's supposed to be set up this way. I've been playing really well for the past month or so. So I'm not too surprised.

Q. Should anybody be surprised that a 17 year old has a share of the lead right now?

AREE SONG: I guess we're on the same team, we're one out of 14 leading, but I don't know.

Q. At where you're at today, what were your expectations coming in, and I imagine you're at or above those expectations after the first round, is that correct?

AREE SONG: As far as the place in the field or the score?

Q. I guess coming in, what were your expectations in the tournament?

AREE SONG: Well, I really don't have a goal as in finishing first or -- in relation to the field. But my goal was to test myself and I think this is the place to do it, really. And if I can keep it going, that would be great.

Q. How tall are you?

AREE SONG: Five four.

Q. What do you hit your driver, generally, off the tee?

AREE SONG: I think around -- well, in Florida the ball doesn't roll, so I think around -- probably 260 in Florida. Here the ball rolls forever. I hit one drive today it went 300. And one today that went 280. So it depends on the fairways, really.

Q. And for people who maybe didn't follow you guys with your name situation, what went into changing your name?

AREE SONG: Because it's more convenient for you guys, and for everyone else, also, even for me, sometimes. I don't get too many questions about how to pronounce your name.

Q. When did that officially take place? When did you tell the media we're going to go with this?

AREE SONG: When I started playing my first tournament of the year, really.

RHONDA GLENN: I'd like to mention on the measured driving holes today, hole No. 4 and 16, she hit it 274 and 273. So she's at a 273.5 average.

Q. What happened last week at the North & South that you ended up withdrawing?

AREE SONG: My left foot was bothering me. I'd been practicing really hard just to prepare for this tournament as well as the North & South. And I think I just hit too many balls, really. My left foot started bothering me. I really wanted to be ready for this tournament so I decided to pull out.

Q. Is your foot fine now?

AREE SONG: It's a lot better.

Q. You said you've been playing well, can you go through what you've played so far this week and how you finished?

AREE SONG: I won my first two tournaments in the Florida swing of the amateur, the Harder Hall and the South Atlantic Ladies Amateur. In April I played in the LPGA Takefuji in Las Vegas. And I made the cut there, but I don't know what place I finished. I was a bit inconsistent there, I had one low round and one high round. And I've been -- I haven't played too many things after that, really, just taking it easy. I played in a few qualifiers, trying to qualify for the LPGA in New York, missed it by a couple. And then the U.S. Open qualifier, and the North & South, which I pulled out of.

Q. Would you comment on the design of the 8th green and today's pin placement, in particular?

AREE SONG: That was a fun hole. I think that pin was difficult. That was probably the most difficult pin for that green, but the way I see it, it's a U.S. Open, it's supposed to be very, very difficult. That's one of those pin placements where you just have to play for a par. It doesn't matter how you get it, you just try to play for a par. That's the way I see it.

Q. You seem so low key about your day today. I'm just wondering how good of a round do you think 70 is on this course and how tough -- just how tough was it out there?

AREE SONG: If you're playing well and you're hitting the ball well and putting it nicely, then I think the golf course becomes a bit easier. But I think this golf course is very difficult and you've really got to play smart and safe sometimes. And if you're going to pick between maybe going for the green when you're in the rough, like for example on No. 18, I could have tried to hit a 7-wood out there, out of that lie, but the lies are so impossible when you get in the rough. You've just got to take your medicine, really.

RHONDA GLENN: Is this the longest rough you've played?

AREE SONG: It's the stickiest, if there's such a thing. It seems like the grass is alive out there to grab your club right at impact.

Q. A fair number of the younger Tour pros have not spent a lot of time in college, do you want to spend four years in college or do you have an idea on that?

AREE SONG: I think I'll take it year by year. If I enjoy college golf I might stay for another year or so, but I really don't know at this point.

Q. How much -- are you and your sister staying together this week, and how much are you hanging out and hitting balls together, what's the routine?

AREE SONG: We had two practice rounds together, and those were really fun. I think we keep each other relaxed, and that's important at any tournament, especially at a Major. So I think it helps a lot. Plus she's so goofy, so I sit there and make fun of her.

RHONDA GLENN: Naree shot 76 today. Do you have any kind of little agreement, like she'll have to polish your shoes tonight or something like that?

AREE SONG: Not yet, but that's a good idea. (Laughter.)

RHONDA GLENN: Thank you so much. Congratulations for such a good round.

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