U.S. WOMEN'S OPEN CHAMPIONSHIP

June 27, 2008

Kathy Gordon

FULL AUDIO INTERVIEW

BETH MURRISON: We have with us Kathy Gordon of the USGA here to answer some questions about the course evacuation today due to the inclement weather. Can you talk about the course evacuation and how that went?

KATHY GORDON: It was a very good evacuation, it was safe. We got everybody where they needed to be, the players and the gallery.

We put the warning signs up about 40 minutes before the storm hit. So we had everybody alerted. The players, we got them back to their vans in safety in about a 15 to 20 minute range.

BETH MURRISON: You had about a two and a half hour delay?

KATHY GORDON: Two and a half hours. We had about a tenth of an inch of rain, so there was not a lot of rain on the course, it was just the thunder and lightning, because it was a serious situation today.

Q. The USGA is very careful about weather in these situations; is that correct?

KATHY GORDON: Yeah, we have a meteorologist onsite, and our meteorologist is looking at three screens of where all these storms are coming in.

We also have a lightning detection of Thor Guard, so we also check that. When we get into an area where the storms are coming in and we're within a range that's not safe, we make sure we get the players and the gallery to safety.

Q. The players then went back out, and many were able to complete their second round. Would you give us an idea of how many need to finish their second round?

KATHY GORDON: We have about an hour and a half of play, there are still a couple that need to sign their score cards out there. We'll resume play at 7 a.m. in the morning, and have a restart of the third round around 10 a.m.

Q. How will you pair the groups for the third round?

KATHY GORDON: Tomorrow, because there is a chance of weather again, and we want to have a time where we finish the round at 5 p.m. we're going to start in groups of three, off 1 and 10 tees.

Q. You mentioned that there is a possibility of more inclement weather tomorrow, is the golf course set up to handle more water?

KATHY GORDON: Yes, the course is dry. To a certain extent we've had a lot of heavy weather and rain the last few weeks, so we can take a little bit more rain tomorrow.

Q. And you're optimistic we'll be finished on time the third round and have the 4th round on Sunday?

KATHY GORDON: Yes, we have enough -- without any long delays, if we had to suspend tomorrow, and we'll start at normal tee off 1 on Sunday, and have probably groups of two as usual.

Q. Do you know how many groups are still left?

KATHY GORDON: We are -- because they hadn't signed their score card -- like I said, I think there were players that were on about No. 14 on in. And then we had some that were on like No. 6.

Some of the players were still finishing right now, so they wanted to play, because under the suspension that we had, a nondangerous situation, they were able to play the hole they had started.

Q. Karrie Webb a while ago was saying she didn't understand what you guys were trying to accomplish this week in terms of difficulty. She felt like the course played harder on Monday than it has played the last two days. The green speeds were a lot slower. Would you comment on that?

BETH MURRISON: That's probably more of a Mike Davis question, and I'll be happy to get him over here to answer that question for you. Course setup would be more his area, and I'd be happy to have him come over.