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LPGA STATE FARM CLASSIC


July 17, 2008


Michelle Wie West


SPRINGFIELD, ILLINOIS

JASON TAYLOR: Michelle, thanks for joining us today. Great round out there. Best of the year so far, 5 understand 67. You're tied for third. What were your thoughts out there today?
MICHELLE WIE: You know, I felt pretty good out there. Unfortunately, the last three holes I had very makeable birdie putts, which I missed.
I feel like I can shoot a lot lower. I left a lot of shots out there, but at the same time I had some good iron shots. I think I have to just keep doing what I'm doing good and work on stuff I'm not.
JASON TAYLOR: Can we go over your scorecard.
MICHELLE WIE: The first hole I hit a driver. Unfortunately it was like right in the rough cut, so I had to layup with a 9-iron. Then I hit a 60-degree just over the green and I chipped in.
JASON TAYLOR: Birdie on 5.
MICHELLE WIE: I hit a 6-iron iron - it was a Par 3 - to about 12 feet and I made it.
Then driver right, rough; hit a 5-wood out of the rough and then 2-putt.
Driver into the water, and then I hit like a 7-iron on the green and then 2-putt.
Driver into the tree. Took an unplayable. Hit a sand wedge and then 2-putt.
Then hit a driver, right rough, and then hit an 8-iron to about 20 feet.
I hit a driver and then a 5-wood onto the green, and then I 2-putted.
Then the eagle I hit a driver and then I hit a 56.

Q. How far was the 56?
MICHELLE WIE: About 100 yards.
JASON TAYLOR: Any questions for Michelle.

Q. Got to feel good to come out and shoot a great score on day one.
MICHELLE WIE: Yeah, it always helps to shoot a low score. But today is over and done with and I'm going to start focusing on tomorrow. You know, try to shoot a lower score. There's a lot of holes out there that I left, you know, without a birdie, so going to try to get those holes tomorrow.

Q. I was going to say, you very well could have been, who knows what, 8, 9-under and in front. I assume you're happy that you played well, not so happy that you missed the putts, but encouraged that tomorrow could be even better?
MICHELLE WIE: Yeah, definitely. I think it's definitely a telling sign that I can shoot a lot lower because today cold have easily been 8-, 9-, 10-under. There's always room for improvement, and tomorrow, the next couple of days, hopefully I can just close up on that gap.

Q. Talk about the eagle on 15. You said it was a 56 from about 100. Just emotionally, even for a professional, that's got to be a pretty neat shot to knock in.
MICHELLE WIE: It's a pretty cool shot. I just told Tim, Let's just get a tap-in birdie here, you know, get really close. I was flagging down the flag and I was like, Okay, this is going to be good. Hopefully it doesn't spin back too much.
It went right into the hole and I was like Oh, that's cool, too. It was like -- surprisingly I wasn't like jumping up and down.
I was just like, Oh, wow. I wasn't really expecting it, so it was is really good surprise. I just hit a really good shot. Hopefully a couple more of those would be great.

Q. (No microphone.)
MICHELLE WIE: Yeah, it landed just where I wanted to land it: like two yards in front of the hole. Then it popped forward and spun back.

Q. Is that the best you've felt walking off the golf course this year?
MICHELLE WIE: I mean, I think that it was -- I mean, it was is really good score that I shot, but I guess I could have shot a lot better. It was kind of I could have done this, this, and that.
I feel good about the round, but I think I could have done better, which is kind of what I need to work on.

Q. You're 18 years old, but did that feel like the old Michelle out there today?
MICHELLE WIE: I don't even know what the old Michelle is anymore. It's just that was then. The old Michelle already happened and I already put it in a box somewhere.
Now I'm just, you know, it's a new age. I feel like, you know, just moving along, moving forward.

Q. You were in the very first morning group. Greens are in very good shape and everything else. As you made it around like 15, 16, 17 it was windy, but were the greens holding really well?
MICHELLE WIE: Yeah, I mean, they weren't really soft but they weren't really hard. They were pretty good.

Q. Did you take a look at the leaderboard after you made the eagle?
MICHELLE WIE: Yeah, I was just glancing at it all day. Just low scores are kind of expected here, so...

Q. It had to feel good. All of a sudden you're at the top of it.
MICHELLE WIE: Yeah, it felt pretty good.

Q. (No microphone.)
MICHELLE WIE: Oh, yeah, they were really great playing partners. They were just really nice. Yeah, just a lot of fun. A lot of fun stories to share. Really looking forward to tomorrow. It was really fun group.

Q. (Question regarding extra pressure due to the size of the gallery.)
MICHELLE WIE: No. I mean, I like, you know, the gallery and the spectators following me. It just brings more excitement. But, no, no really extra added pressure, you know. Just trying to play good.

Q. What's a typical post-round routine for you? Do you go to the range and putt or do you have a usual routine after you've finished a round?
MICHELLE WIE: Yeah, I'll hit the range and putt a little bit. Just, you know, polish up on what I feel like I need to work on for tomorrow and work on.
But it changes from time to time because everything kind of changes on what I need to work on. Sometimes my irons and sometimes my putting. So I'm just going to polish up everything.

Q. (No microphone.)
MICHELLE WIE: It was very unlucky. I mean, usually when you lip out it's when you hit it too hard. I thought I hit a pretty soft -- those were really soft putts and I didn't think they were going to lip out.
Couple of bad breaks. Hopefully over the next couple days those kinds of putts will go in.

Q. Do you normally like playing in the first group of the day?
MICHELLE WIE: I really like it. Usually when I'm just playing practice rounds as well I try to go out as early as I can. Even when I'm in Florida I'm out on the golf course at 6:30.
The morning rounds are fun. Tomorrow afternoon will be fun too. Everything will dry up a little bit more and it will be fun.

Q. (No microphone.)
MICHELLE WIE: I would say probably about like mid-this year probably, you know, April, May-ish.

Q. (No microphone.)
MICHELLE WIE: Yeah, it's good. Obviously there's no pain, but I can't really overdo it because it will come back and haunt me. But it's doing a lot better.

Q. When you say overdo it...
MICHELLE WIE: What I mean by overdoing it is hitting balls for eight hours.

Q. (No microphone.)
MICHELLE WIE: No, not really. Not unless I hit a root or a tree or a rock or something.

Q. Regarding the schedule, I guess it's a few weeks and then you have to go up to Canada. Between now and then - and let's say you do have a very good week here - is it kind of frustrating that maybe you have to take off a week or two before you can get inside the ropes again?
MICHELLE WIE: Yeah, I'm not going think about that right now. I'm still in a tournament.

Q. What club did you hit on 17?
MICHELLE WIE: A 5-iron.

End of FastScripts




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