LPGA CORNING CLASSIC

May 24, 2002

Laura Diaz

Q. (Inaudible).

LAURA DIAZ: (Inaudible) three yards to the pin, and I hit 7-iron. I hit it, I don't know, probably about 35 feet, and 2-putted for birdie. 12, I hit 3-wood up the hill, and it was just off the front edge. So I just had a chip. I chipped with my 50-degree to about three feet, and made that putt. And then 18, I had 125 yards to the pin, and I hit a very little pitching wedge to about 10 feet, and made that.

Q. Are you pleased with your round of golf?

LAURA DIAZ: Well, I didn't putt as well as I would have liked. I hit it a little better than I think I scored today, but I'll take 69 and head into the weekend.

Q. Heading into the tournament so far, you've got to be happy probably with how things have unfolded the first two days, about how you envisioned it, you know, real good case scenario?

LAURA DIAZ: Yeah. You know, I don't ever really have a number or anything in mind when I start the week, or when I get the week going. So I go out every day, trying to make 18 birdies, and I have yet to achieve that goal. So we'll try it again tomorrow, and then again on Sunday, and maybe on Sunday I'll be a little more pleased than I am right now.

Q. Beth Bauer is contending, and looks like Jane Bartholomew is making a pretty good run. Do you feel like you have to kind of stand up for your alma mater against a couple of Duke-ies?

LAURA DIAZ: No. You know, there's a lot of good players on this tour, and there's a lot of gold holes to play, 36 for me. Some people probably haven't even teed it up yet. So just kind of take it one day at a time, one shot at a time, and see what happens. Go Wake Forest, but I'll do all I can do.

Q. Does that kind of point toward the fact that maybe ACC Women's golf is something that's maybe not getting as rough as basketball does, but is a very strong league?

LAURA DIAZ: Well, in the ACC, we've only consisted of a few teams, and I think it's grown since I've been there. It was a strong group of girls. Some are out here, some aren't. I didn't play with Jean, and I didn't play with Beth either. I was kind of in the middle of those two. But I definitely think the ACC is one of the stronger conferences all around in sports.

Q. You've already had three birdies today, no bogeys. Looking back, do you view it as a good, solid no-mistake round, or a could-have-been round, that some of those pars could have been birdies? Are you looking at it from a positive or negative standpoint, what you could have done, or were you happy with what you did do?

LAURA DIAZ: Well, there's no sense in kind of doing what I could have done, because, for that matter, I could have made 18 birdies, but I didn't. You know, just kind of go over the day when I get back with my caddie, and do the same thing I do every day.

Q. And so looking at what you did today, what you did yesterday, is there anything that you'd like to change going into the weekend? Work on your putting or your short game or areas you'd like to shore up to maybe have a better chance of getting those 18 birdies tomorrow?

LAURA DIAZ: I think I'd just like to make a few more putts. Like I said, I hit it pretty close most of the day and just wasn't able to capitalize on that.

Q. You had some pretty long puts on 15, 16, 17, that you almost dropped every time. Given the length of those, were you happy with what you did with them; or did you think maybe stepping up there, you had a chance to put them in for birdies?

LAURA DIAZ: Well 15 for par-3; is that correct? Yeah. I don't think any of the putts on those holes were all that long. I have to say I think that was about eight paces. I thought I made a really good putt at it, just didn't give it enough room on the right side. What else do we have? 16, again, you know, I made good strokes at it. I had a little trouble I think getting it to the hole today. They seemed to be really close, but just not enough umph behind it. Again, you know, 17, I was dead downhill, and I thought that that was going to get there, and it didn't. In the past, I think that would have definitely gotten there but, unfortunately it didn't get there today. You know, like I said, I'll just go practice. I generally do short game and then hit some balls.

Q. Is the wind a factor?

LAURA DIAZ: The wind was definitely stronger today than it was yesterday. It kicked up probably more on our last nine holes. So, you know, I mean I think the wind is always a factor. I don't think we can ever play a day without any wind. But we had a little -- clubs going on out there and changing decisions. So a little more a factor today than it was yesterday.

Q. When the weather is threatening, do you maybe sometimes try to hurry the pace of the play, in order to finish in good condition?

LAURA DIAZ: Well, I generally place pretty fast, but I just have to go with the pace that's occurring that day. It seemed a little slow out there today. So when that's the case, you just kind of slow down with the pace, so that you're not doing so much waiting. But can't really hurry anything because, if the weather is going to come, it's going to come.

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