U.S. WOMEN'S OPEN CHAMPIONSHIP

June 30, 1998

Alison Nicholas

ALISON NICHOLAS: Meant a great deal. No one can take that away from me. So, I am just going to have a fun week basically.

ALISON NICHOLAS: Yes.

ALISON NICHOLAS: Well, obviously in terms of affecting my game, it meant that I'd had quite a time off in the winter; then I started again in Tucson. Played for three weeks, four weeks, and then had two weeks off at home; then came back. So I played well in Atlanta. Then I played the Titleholders. That is when I got -- I was feeling a sore throat, and wasn't feeling too good. Then Saturday the next week, I was really struggling. I could hardly breath, and so I went to see a couple of doctors and got different opinions and they put me on some strong antibiotics. It means -- it has been stop-start, stop-start. Never had a run of tournaments where I have been completely okay except for those first four which isn't a great deal whenever everyone else has played about 10. I felt a bit behind really. Then eventually I tried to play McDonald's but the sponsor -- I was talking to Herb Lottman (ph) and he pulled me out. He said: No, you are not playing anymore. He said: You go home and sort yourself out. I went home and saw my doctor and took a chest X-ray. She told me to rest. The chest X-ray was clear. She was very surprised about that because she had heard a lot of crackling in my left lung. So I rested for a couple weeks. Then I actually played in Europe for one week which I tied third at Evian. Then I had another week off. Then I came back out a couple weeks ago. It has been difficult because I have never been able to get on a roll really. My form is a little bit up-and-down, to say the least.

ALISON NICHOLAS: I feel fine. I still cough a little bit here and there. I have to be careful with air conditioning because if you are coming out of hot and into the cold, that is a danger, so I have to be -- whoever is rooming with me is not allowed to have the air conditioning on. So I am not too popular on that front.

ALISON NICHOLAS: I am on my own this week so I am all right.

ALISON NICHOLAS: Obviously the infection that I had, but I mean, I don't know where I got it from or how I got it.

ALISON NICHOLAS: Well, no, because the first chap I went to obviously he did an examination in the locker room, so, it is a bit difficult to get -- he didn't have -- he wasn't -- we weren't able to get a chest X-ray when I first was ill. So he just listened to my chest and he said -- and the lady went to get all the drugs and everything from the drugstore; came to the hotel room. I said: What does he think it is. He says: Pneumonia. I said: Oh, all right. Doesn't sound too good to me. So then of course I went to him the next week. Then I saw another doctor, you see, and he could hear crackling in my left lung quite badly. He wasn't going to give me anymore antiobiotics because I had to finish this course and it is a special antiobiotic that stays in your system for a long period of time. He was not able to gife me anymore medicine for that. I had to just let it take its course for that, really. I think the one thing that I did -- he gave me some inhaler which affected me because it makes you race and the night before, I didn't sleep at all, so it made me feel worse the next day. That is why I sort of went backwards before, after the antibiotics.

ALISON NICHOLAS: Yes, it is gone, yes.

ALISON NICHOLAS: I don feel that much pressure to repeat. There is -- obviously, various people have done that, but the odds are usually against a defending champion. And, yeah, I know from the fact that I haven't played much, that probably helped. It has taken the pressure off because I have been ill and haven't played much so I am certainly, from my own point of view, I am not expecting a great deal this week. But I wasn't this time last year either. So. . . (laughs)

ALISON NICHOLAS: I don't know exactly the moment it sunk in. I think it's probably been a gradual process through the year. Obviously being here this week, and was defending champion listening -- when you get on the tee and you are announced as the reigning U.S. Open Champion, that sort of thing, so it has been a gradual process. And, yeah, it is something that we have been trying to work on, my coach and I, to try and win a major championship and something that I thought about before. In terms of myself, you know, obviously I am delighted that I have achieved something that -- one of my goals.

ALISON NICHOLAS: I have been fairly inconsistent over the last year and a half. That is one thing I am wanting to try and change. I either play well or mediocre. Nothing sort of in between. I am -- obviously when I play well, then I am tough to beat. But on the other occasions -- I am struggling, so I am wanting to try to get that consistency. I am obviously happy with winning the U.S. Open and happy with all my other victories, but over the last sort of three years, I have lacked a little bit of consistency; that is what I am looking for now, really.

ALISON NICHOLAS: You just know you have won the world's best golf tournament basically.

ALISON NICHOLAS: I think obviously over this last year things have been extremely busy and probably my focus has been taken away from my golf a little bit in certain areas, but that is not necessarily a bad thing. No, it is tremendous to be a major championship winner and I think the thing that topped it off was getting the MBE, I think, really.

ALISON NICHOLAS: No, I think Annika has got her own. There might be a couple of others.

ALISON NICHOLAS: Yeah, it has taken a long time but we have finally got there. I have got my own web site. It's got my stats, and my schedules, fan club, photo library on it and all about the European LPGA.

ALISON NICHOLAS: alisonnicholas.golf.com, I think.

ALISON NICHOLAS: I think so.

ALISON NICHOLAS: It's a fabulous golf course, isn't it? It is tough and it is going to be a challenge. I think the winning score is going to be a lot lower than last year. But then I might be pretty wrong on that point, but I would think putting is crucial. The greens are very undulating. And you have got to position the ball in the right spot otherwise you could be on the green longer than you anticipated.

ALISON NICHOLAS: Not lower. Higher.

ALISON NICHOLAS: Lots of people say -- no, I think they have been very fair, to be honest with you. I have had one lady once in the airport, she came up to me; she said: You beat Nancy Lopez, didn't you? I said: Yeah. She said: I wanted her to win. But, it wasn't said in a malicious way. It was just, you know -- it is understandable. I should think I probably broke many hearts in America because of the fact that I beat her. But everyone has been tremendous and everybody here this week I have signed quite a lot of autographs today and everybody has been tremendous and certainly I haven't had any heckling in the crowd, any tournaments I played, or anything like that. They have been brilliant. But today, again, a few people have sort of said: Well, I did really want Nancy to win, but you played really well so, you know, that's fine. We all have our favorite. When I am watching a men's tournament, I am the same. I am thinking: I want him to win and whatever. But it is not because I don't like the others or I don't think they are good players. It is just everyone has their favorite. That is great. That is what it is all about. Isn't?

ALISON NICHOLAS: None, really. I mean, there was an odd shout last year during the last round, but nothing major. I think the only time there was heckling, it was the crowd when we were playing the Solheim Cup, actually.

ALISON NICHOLAS: I can't exactly remember but it was something: Go and get her, Nancy, or something. Nothing nasty.

ALISON NICHOLAS: Cheer for her. It is not heckling.

ALISON NICHOLAS: Nothing. It has all been, you know, gentle cheering for Nancy. Which is fun.

ALISON NICHOLAS: No.

ALISON NICHOLAS: Yeah, I got an award. I don't know what you even really call it really, MBE which Colin Montgomerie got as well and Laura Davies has got one, but it is an MBE which is a member of the British Empire and you go and receive the honor at a certain date the government sets and it is a medal for services to golf.

ALISON NICHOLAS: I haven't received it yet. I am not sure when it is yet. I can't tell you. But I am going.

ALISON NICHOLAS: Yeah, I saw about five holes. It was the last five holes, actually. The last three holes here are tremendous golf holes and really tough and it will be -- it is going to be an exciting finish. I knew then that I was just going to have to have my A-game, no question. But it is a beautiful setting and a major championship should be tough and it should be a challenging golf course.

ALISON NICHOLAS: I have just been working on the range because I have been struggling. I have been a bit like the Red Arrows last week. I was everywhere but the fairways. So I have just been working on my game a little bit and I think I have sort of got a feeling back again and I am starting to hit the ball straight again. And that might not, you know, necessarily kick-in this week, but I am hoping I will get a little bit of consistency because you need to hit the fairway here.

ALISON NICHOLAS: Yeah, there have been a lot of people actually yesterday and today. That is brilliant. Everybody has done their work in terms of publicity and everything. They love the Open. A lot of the people-- actually a lot of the autographs that I have signed are people that actually came last year, so that is great. It is brilliant.

ALISON NICHOLAS: Well, spraying everywhere. You know how the Red Arrows go -- in their formation, they go out like that. I am not the one in the middle that goes straightforward recently.

ALISON NICHOLAS: I spent a half hour or an hour hitting balls and I feel better about that now. I have just got to do a bit more work after the football match. .

ALISON NICHOLAS: Yeah, it was, yeah.

ALISON NICHOLAS: No, haven't been to the matches, no, not not all. My caddie went to the first one.

ALISON NICHOLAS: No, no, he said there was no trouble in the grounds, actually. It was outside the grounds, so.....

ALISON NICHOLAS: He is with me, yeah. I mean, he caddies for me most of the time except for the LPGA Championship because they have won it twice together, so they always are together for that event. He is generally with me most of the time.

ALISON NICHOLAS: Pretty much on course. I would say that the consistency perhaps over here particularly is something that I have been disappointed with. But I always wanted to win the British Open and the U.S. Open and I wanted to win the Order of Merit in Europe and as many tournaments as could I; obviously a few slipped by the wayside now and again, but on the whole, I am pretty pleased, yeah. Especially as -- I have come over here pretty late in my career and that is perhaps something that, you know, if I had come over earlier, things might have been a little bit different just in terms of getting to grips with this Tour earlier on in my career.

ALISON NICHOLAS: Well, 16 is a very long par 5. Down the hill. But there is a tree guarding the green and that is the difficulty for placing your second shot because you can't get past the tree. I certainly didn't yesterday and I didn't see anyone that was playing with me do that either. So it is -- you have got to -- obviously depends where the pin is. But I mean you have to go left almost towards the water hazard. So the positioning on that hole is paramount. If you go right off the tee you have got no chance to get in the right position. You have got to be left center in the fairway with your drive. Just got to be in the right position for your second shot, otherwise that tree will come into play and you have got no chance of getting near the pin. Then the 17th is a great par 3. Over water, obviously the pin placements will be interesting. I think that most people will be aiming for the middle of the green there because there is not -- it is not a big green. It is like 175 yards, so, it is a good hole. Last hole, of course, you have got the water up the left it is 420 yard -- 421 yards par 4.

ALISON NICHOLAS: 421 yards, it is. Par 4. You have got water down the left. Bunkers down the right. Actually the fairways aren't that narrow. It is quite wide. Second shot I hit 5-wood in yesterday, so if it's into the wind, you know, a long shot, then you have got to position it right on the green because the greens got a few humps and bumps, but they are long holes, and under pressure all the trouble surrounding them, it makes it even tougher.

ALISON NICHOLAS: I am sure if there is a strong wind, obviously it will shoot the scores up, no question. It is a tough golf course with no wind at all. Obviously, yesterday I played it with very little wind and today there is much more wind. That makes a huge difference. Front 9 there is a couple par 4s. I hit 3-wood to one, so I am not the shortest hitter, so, I might be -- actually until I went to the range, now I am hitting it 20 yards further, so I might want to hit 5-wood into that tomorrow.

ALISON NICHOLAS: Yeah, I don't mind the wind. I have played it -- obviously everyone thinks that we play in wind every day in England. I can assure you it is not windy every day. Yeah, I mean, I am used to playing in the wind.

ALISON NICHOLAS: Because I changed my swing a little bit.

ALISON NICHOLAS: I was coming over the top here this way. And I am getting back in way and really get the club head instead of holding it in that position. I was just a little bit tired and I wasn't get go through it. Getting behind the ball. In fact, I was getting in front of it. When I am swinging here, if I am here, I am still in front of it. It wasn't turning properly. I wasn't turning behind the ball and then as a result, I just went this way. So if I turn properly and get behind the ball and then release the club head on the inside, I am all right. But I wasn't doing that.

ALISON NICHOLAS: I am. Not every time at the moment. But it is getting there.

ALISON NICHOLAS: I had a little bit of help, yeah.

ALISON NICHOLAS: No.

ALISON NICHOLAS: No, I am -- I am not going to tell you.

ALISON NICHOLAS: Because I am not -- because I prefer to speak to the man.

ALISON NICHOLAS: No, it wasn't Lawrence, no. I prefer to speak to him -- speak to him first about it. I will tell him. But I am not going to let him read it in the paper.

ALISON NICHOLAS: Thanks.

ALISON NICHOLAS: Thank you very much indeed.