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LPGA STATE FARM CLASSIC

July 17, 2008

Anja Monke

SPRINGFIELD, ILLINOIS

JASON TAYLOR: Anja, thanks for coming in. Great round out there. 6-under currently tied for the lead coming into the clubhouse. What were your thoughts on how you did today?
ANJA MONKE: Well, I did quite well, I think. I just score like seven birdies and unfortunately one bogey on 18. So, yeah, it was good. I enjoyed it.
JASON TAYLOR: Could we go over your scorecard.
ANJA MONKE: Oh, yeah, sure. I scored a birdie on the first. I scored a birdie on the second Par 5, that's No. 6. I scored birdies on 10 and 11.
JASON TAYLOR: What did you shoot on those?
ANJA MONKE: Oh, yeah, on the first I just -- what was that? I do meters, so I can tell you meters.
JASON TAYLOR: That's okay.
ANJA MONKE: That's the last number I have in mind. I had like 80 meters in on the first, and that was like 3-footer for birdie. It was nice.
JASON TAYLOR: What iron?
ANJA MONKE: I just hit 5-iron.
On 6 I had driver, 3-wood. I was on the fringe. Pitch wasn't great. I had 9-footer to make. Made it.
Then on 10, what was that? I think I hit 8-iron in for probably 130 meters. That was like two to three meters, so six to nine foot.
On 11 it was 6-iron in, I think. Yeah, it was 6-iron in and I had a 30-footer. That one dropped. That was nice.
Then I scored another birdie on 15. I hit 8-iron in. That missed the cup twice because it bounced just like short behind the cup and spun back. I had probably six foot in. Made that.
Then on 16 I pitched it in from probably 30 meters short of the flag. That was probably another 6-footer.
On 17 I chipped it in from the right-hand side of the green. That was enjoyable.
But, yeah, on 18 I unfortunately 3-putted for bogey.
JASON TAYLOR: About how far was the first one?
ANJA MONKE: Like 30 meters, so you can convert that.
JASON TAYLOR: We'll do that.
ANJA MONKE: Thanks.
JASON TAYLOR: Questions.

Q. As far as LPGA events, is this a career low for you score-wise?
ANJA MONKE: Well, I don't know if you know much about me, but this is just the third LPGA event I played, and it's the first LPGA event I play on U.S. soil.
It's my first round over here in America, and so, yeah, it's the lowest round because it's the first.

Q. Have you been playing a lot of European Tour events?
ANJA MONKE: Yeah, I played on the European Tour for -- this is my fifth season out there, so for five years.

Q. What's your best LPGA finish so far?
ANJA MONKE: Good question. Probably I finished like 28th or something in Mexico. I'm not sure about the exact position.
That's the first Mexican event. It was a little better than the second one.

Q. If I remember right, I think your name on the commitment list maybe showed up kind of late. Did you kind of decide at the last minute to come here?
ANJA MONKE: Yeah, well, it's pretty tough. I have conditional status out here and I have full status on the European Tour. It works a little different over there because the closing date is two weeks ahead of the tournament and LPGA is just one week.
So it's always a little -- yeah, it's sometimes tough you have to think in the player's mind over here if they're going to enter last minute or if they withdraw last minute.
Next week there's an event in Europe that many players travel to, so I thought maybe I have the chance to get in here. That's why I decided to enter, just in case.
Then, yeah, I get in, so I had to quit the tournament in Italy where the European Tour is playing at the moment.

Q. As far as choosing between the Italian tournament or this tournament, I mean, I don't know, big purse here? Anything that influenced your decision?
ANJA MONKE: Of course the purse is bigger over here than it is in Europe. I mean, I played qualifying school to play out here, so I thought, Well, if I'm in the field before Tuesday, before closing date, and there are few players behind me who are in as well.
So, yeah, I have good chances to be in, so I decided, Okay, I go for it. That's what I played Q-School for. Otherwise I should have stayed home.

Q. You came out early in the round and started off with a birdie. As the conditions progressed during the day, could you see later in the day the heat and the course conditions maybe being a little bit tougher for the ladies out there?
ANJA MONKE: Yeah, probably. The wind is picking up in the afternoon usually out here, so it's nice to be out early.
It's tough on me because I really enjoy sleeping in. It was worth it.

Q. Compared to the European, how are the course conditions and the way you play between the two?
ANJA MONKE: I mean, the course was in great shape today. I mean, everything was perfect. It's tough to compare it with the European Tour because the weather conditions over there are a little different and you have different types of golf courses.
But, yeah, I mean, everybody does the best to keep the course in good shape, and I think they did a great job out here.

Q. Going out later tomorrow more than likely, will you be able to take the heat as well as you did today?
ANJA MONKE: Yeah, well it's going to be a little warmer and a little bit more windy tomorrow. But that's all right. I think I can handle that. I hope so. We'll see.

Q. I understand you have a local caddie, Josh Langer.
ANJA MONKE: Yeah.

Q. How do you get paired up with him? He's a pretty good player locally here. A lot of people know him.
ANJA MONKE: I just came out here and didn't bring my caddie, so I thought maybe there are some caddies waiting in the parking lot. I just came Tuesday morning and there wasn't anybody, so I thought, Well, I better go in the pro shop and ask if they have somebody who can help me out.
He was a nice guy and he called Josh because he was a friend of his. So, yeah, he came out here and he's good. I mean, we laughed so much. It was fun.
I just need somebody who's entertaining me, and he did a good job of that. He has a degree in communications, so what can you expect, huh?

Q. As far as, as they say local knowledge, did he seem to have really good knowledge of that course?
ANJA MONKE: Yeah. I mean, of course he does. He plays it like three, four times a week. If you don't know the course by that, I don't know.

Q. So it doesn't hurt to have somebody like that?
ANJA MONKE: No, no, no. Of course not.

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