U.S. WOMEN'S OPEN CHAMPIONSHIP

July 20, 1994

Lauri Merten

LES UNGER: We have a young lady here who really doesn't need an introduction having won this event a year ago. But I will ask you, I happened to wander at the practice range yesterday, I saw you taking a lesson. What are the results or what were you working on?

LAURI MERTEN: Well, I saw Mike a couple of weeks ago right before the Toledo tournament and I was basically having a shut blade, so I was just making sure it was still shut and it is. I had to work on taking it a little straighter back; that is what I am working on. Actually, it's pretty square at the top now.

Q. How do you evaluate your play this year?

LAURI MERTEN: It has been kind of a strange year. I don't think I have been really that focused on this year. I have had some good tournaments. I finished twice second and -- I mean, two times and then I finished fifth in Toledo a couple of weeks ago, so that was pretty good. Last week was a tough week for me. I wasn't striking it real well with my driver. That is what I was trying to fix and found out that I was a little bit too inside, that is what was getting me to hit the shots that I was hitting. So, hopefully I have that cured for this week.

LES UNGER: Any general comments in how things fell into place for you after the Open? I mean, it was a spectacular late kind of come back and undoubtedly the highlight of your career so far. What transpired since then?

LAURI MERTEN: It has been a hectic year, and -- but it has been a lot of fun. I wouldn't trade it for the world. You know, you go into the Open and you are just trying to survive a lot of times at the Open. And last year to finish on top, it was like a dream come true. You know, when you finish 3, 3, 3 at Crooked Stick, you just don't do that very often. I probably don't think I will ever do that again. I had worked really hard on my game all year and to have it come together at the Open was just a bonus. And as far as what it has done for me now, it has been a hectic year. I am more well recognized and so a lot of my time is taken by that. So, I guess that is where I say I haven't been as focused on my play. It has been -- it has been hard to focus on it when you are disturbed a little bit more from, you know, people, and media, and all that. But it has been -- like I said, I wouldn't trade it for the world. That side of it is, but it has been a bit of a challenge because. I am kind of like a work horse and my work ethic has suffered just a little bit.

Q. Have you gotten the sense yet for what it is like yet being a defending champion?

LAURI MERTEN: Actually, I have defended twice on tour so this is my third defense, and actually, the USGA has been pretty nice. They haven't really bothered me a whole lot this week. It actually has been a fun week. I have had some fun here and just trying to relax a little bit.

Q. Were you in the media room last year at all before you won?

LAURI MERTEN: Only interview I had was from Jeff Russell from Golf World, right after my first round. I shot one under. He says well, you have been playing pretty well in the Majors, I said, oh, yeah, he said okay, goodbye; that was about it.

Q. Do you think that is an advantage?

LAURI MERTEN: Definitely. Helen Alfredsson had to come in here everyday. There was a lot of hype, you know. There is a lot of strain when it comes to being in the interview room for seven days straight, I'd say for her, and I mean, that is a challenge. But I just kind of sat back just far enough so no one even noticed me which was actually, I think, a bonus. It took all the pressure off me. I was actually trying to have a good tournament and wound up on top.

Q. In big tournaments like this when there is so much attention given to the experienced players, the players that people know about, do you think they have a harder time with a person like you, defending champion, than people like Beth Daniel and Laura Davies, now that they are the better known players; is it a tougher week for them than somebody say, well, like what you had?

LAURI MERTEN: Well, I think that basically Laura and Beth are used to it. They are pretty good with their time management, I think, and they allot their time that they are going to devote to that attention. And then I think they can turn it on and off, and they become really focused. I think Beth, she has been out here longer than I have and I think I have learned to be more focused. But it is just this year has been just a little bit -- a lot more -- I mean, I talked to Meg Mallon a couple of years ago -- right after the Open, she says, oh, it will die off in a couple of weeks. Well, I'd say, 12 months later, it is maybe going to start dying off. I am just -- it has been a fun year. And, you know, I have liked the attention, and I have had a lot of fun, and I have been playing pretty well, so that has been a good thing and, you know, just look forward to this week.

Q. How many times have you played here now? How many practice rounds have you played?

LAURI MERTEN: I played 9 holes on Monday and yesterday for 18 holes. So that was all I have seen.

Q. What do you think of the golf course?

LAURI MERTEN: I think it is pretty challenging. I think -- I had a pretty tough time on it yesterday. It was playing pretty relatively long for me. I am probably a medium ball striker on the Tour, and you know, I felt like with the wind conditions; the way they were yesterday, I thought it was pretty -- playing pretty tough. I think the main thing is to focus on the greens. I think the severity of them and the undulation on them is going to be a key. Obviously, I am sure everybody has told you that, and because that is definitely what I have noticed. I think chipping is going to be a factor, and knowing where to put the ball so that you can have a relatively easy putt or a possible putt.

Q. Would winning the British Open mean anything to you?

LAURI MERTEN: Well, I think the British Open is a great tournament. Unfortunately, I am taking sometime off at that time and this year I am going to because I am going to Italy with my husband so we are taking a couple of weeks off, and going with his son and his son's best friend, so winning the British Open would be great, but I am not playing in it this year.

Q. Will you play it another year?

LAURI MERTEN: Yes, I played in it when we went over there a few years ago on Tour and I really enjoyed it over there, the people are really friendly.

Q. In 1984?

LAURI MERTEN: I think that is probably when it was. It has been awhile, but I am looking forward to going back there again. I am glad it is on our schedule.

Q. In the old spare moment that you have had over the last year, do you ever sit back and think about your finish and think where did it come from; how did I do that, the two birdies in the last --

LAURI MERTEN: Well, I would say that I was -- that day was really strange. I was really, really focused that day, and I took each shot one at a time and I didn't really think about any other shot, but that it was really a weird day as far as that goes, I mean, I just -- I really stayed focused, and kept thinking, okay, this is -- I am going to try to hit the best 6-iron I know how, and I think that is what helped me, and of course, my swing was in good shape right then and I was rolling it really well. I didn't have any 3-putts that week, which I think would probably be a really good key this week. And you know, I had been playing well up to that point, and you know, I talked to my coach Mike McGetrick about it, about the Open and all the Majors that we have on Tour and he said, I think you prepare all year-round; you just need to get some rest, you know, for those times, so I did that during the Mazda LPGA Championship that year and finished second so, I felt that was really a hurdle that I had overcome as far as the Majors had gone. At the Open just kind of, you know -- I knew it was going to be a difficult golf course. I just tried to play, you know, focused, and one shot at a time and it just paid off.

Q. Have you had that feeling since? Have you been able to recapture that since or is it very difficult?

LAURI MERTEN: I think that -- like I said, I have had a hard time focusing this year, but at times I have definitely seen that focus come out and, you know, the last three holes there were challenging, and I think I just tried to -- I mean, I just really think playing one shot at a time is the key, I think, to any Open; that is what you got to do. But I have seen some of that coming through a little bit once in awhile. Not enough to win a tournament yet this year, but...

Q. Talking about lack of focus, was that as a result of planning for your wedding and how have you managed to get back into the swing of things now that that is all over?

LAURI MERTEN: I took a month off after I got married and took a month off and that was in -- I think I needed that. I think I was pretty well fried when it came to trying to work on my game and just got burned out, I guess, basically, when I got back to Toledo I was pretty excited about playing, and finished fifth which was really a bonus for me; it made me feel good and then last week, that has been a -- I don't know about that last week. It has been a very difficult course for me. I don't think I really played it the correct way. I have got to figure it out or I am not going to play it anymore. I love the golf course last week, and I just -- those are my two weeks up to this point and I still feel that there are parts of my game that definitely need work but I am actually excited about working on them now, and you know, look forward to good things.

LES UNGER: Right now do you count yourself as a contender to repeat?

LAURI MERTEN: Well, I guess, yeah. I would say that I am going out there to contend, and I think my game is in relatively good shape. Like I said, there is some things that I need to work on, but that is, I think, the case with any golfer, so I am really looking forward to it. I am going to try to go out there and have a really good attitude and a good time out there.

Q. What concerns you the most?

LAURI MERTEN: I think it is funny, last week I was having a problem with my putting, which is usually a pretty good part of my game, and I think that my short putts were a problem and I think with these greens as severe as they are, the speed is so much of a factor that you really have to be having your "A" putting game going this week, and so I'd say, if anything, my putting probably, I just -- it can come any time with me. I know that if I am just patient I can start putting well again because I know it is in there somewhere. Just last week I saw I wasn't putting that well, but on Sunday I saw that I actually hit on something and I saw some improvement, so I am going to go with that this week and do that.

Q. Are all the members of the family visiting you this week?

LAURI MERTEN: Actually, my mom and dad are coming next week for a golf tournament up in Boston. My husband is flying in tonight, and I have a lot of friends in the mid west area that I have had, so they are all planning oncoming.

Q. Can you give us your husband's name and the date of the wedding again?

LAURI MERTEN: Louis Capano. It was June 18.

Q. Has the rain thrown your mental game off or is it going to affect the greens?

LAURI MERTEN: Has the rain -- oh the rain outside? No. We play in rain quite a bit. And actually this is -- this weather is a lot better than last week. Last week we had a lot more humidity and it is not quite as bad; a little bit of cloud covering never hurt anyone. Little bit of rain never hurt anyone either. It is that lightening that we have to worry about. I think the only thing that it would do is probably play a little bit longer; just hit one more club in.

LES UNGER: Makes the greens softer?

LAURI MERTEN: Yes.

LES UNGER: Which would you prefer, softer greens or--

LAURI MERTEN: Yeah, I think so because I know I am going to be hitting a lot of longer irons in and if they are a little bit softer they are going to hold the shot better.

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