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U.S. GIRLS' JUNIOR CHAMPIONSHIP


July 25, 2009


Amy Anderson


BEDMINSTER, NEW JERSEY

Q. Why don't you start by how you're feeling right now? I mean, you start the week, basically nobody knows who you are, and you're now you're holding the trophy?
AMY ANDERSON: Yeah, well, I'm excited. I think it's not really sunk in yet. Obviously, like I said, I just came in here hoping to make the cut. That was my goal. And I was a medalist, and now I won. I don't even know what to feel like right now.

Q. I talked to you on Tuesday about this, and you said I'd be scared to go in the first feet. Obviously you overcame your jitters. Did you feel any type of pressure at all this week is this?
AMY ANDERSON: Well, there was pressure. You don't want to go out there and lose your first match. But I just I played the same game that I played to get me medalist. So it worked out fine.

Q. Talk about being consistent and why you've got to do it again for four more days, six matches?
AMY ANDERSON: Yeah.

Q. How difficult is it?
AMY ANDERSON: It is difficult. And part of, you know, when you win, you have to get kind of lucky in your matches. I didn't play totally solid all week. There were a few matches where I choked. I mean I didn't play very well. But I was fortunate to get chances from some other people who weren't at their most positive either. That's a big part of winning a tournament is is how the brackets lineup and who you play at what time.

Q. It seems like your putting went well. Was that as well as you've rolled it?
AMY ANDERSON: Yeah, the last couple of weeks I putted really well. And I wanted to keep that going through the last few days. But I kind of lost it for a little bit. But now on the putting green, my brother and I worked on some things with my coach. You know, what he wants me to do. And it helped a lot. I putted really well.

Q. It seems on 2 you sank a good par saver, and that just seemed to get the wheels going?
AMY ANDERSON: Yeah, it definitely helped with momentum.

Q. Is there a different mindset when you come into the championship match? Is there a difference between 1 of 64 than being 1 of 2 like you were when you started this morning?
AMY ANDERSON: Yeah, this morning, either way, I was in the finals. And that was huge for me. So I was nervous on the first tee. More nervous than I had been all week. I tried to put that aside. I hit my first drive in the bunker, which was a mistake. But I was able to par the hole, which was nice.
I don't know. I just kind of tried to put it behind me and just play my game.

Q. Did you do anything after lunch to kind of rectify putting, because you made a lot of big putts?
AMY ANDERSON: Uh-huh, I did. I was trying to let the putter swing. This morning, I was kind of diving it back, and deciding on the way through. And it's impossible to get your speed correct when you're doing that.
So around lunch, I went out and just tried to let the putter swing. Because it always swings consistently, and it's the only way you really can be consistent.

Q. In the afternoon, were you feeling a sense that it's yours? Because there was a point where it looked like your step got quicker, and she was dragging a little bit. And you were like charging to the ball?
AMY ANDERSON: Yeah, I mean I always tend to watch that, because that's just the way that I play. But I did feel like my swing, I felt good about my swing. I felt good about my putting.
I mean, I wasn't completely lost, but I felt like I had a really good chance, and I was playing very well.

Q. Couple of points on that (Indiscernible)?
AMY ANDERSON: I just knew that I figured my putting out, and my game was on.

Q. That was this afternoon? After you made that putt?
AMY ANDERSON: Yes.

Q. Did you think this week about sort of being blessed. Driving here from North Dakota. It's all sort of come together for you. What is this going to feel like, I guess when it's all done?
AMY ANDERSON: I don't know. I've never been in this situation before. I don't know.

Q. When you look at the names on this trophy, and there are some pretty awesome names. I'm sure you've looked at it. Your name was going up there, all sorts of players. Now your name is there?
AMY ANDERSON: Yeah, I just hope I can be as successful as they were.

Q. What sort of changes will you have in golf? I don't know if you've thought about a professional career?
AMY ANDERSON: That's always been the goal. It changes so fast. Golf is such a finicky game. And you know, like David Duval. He was the number one player in the world, and then he couldn't make the cut. And now he's coming back again. You just don't know how it's going to go. I'm just going to keep trying and pray that God will bless me.

Q. I know you've committed to working on it. But have you gotten a few calls this week?
AMY ANDERSON: I got a couple that are just like, are you committed? Are you sure? Well, if you're not, you're welcome. But, no, right now I am staying with North Dakota State. I'm excited.

Q. How much do you actually play? Is it a three month season?
AMY ANDERSON: No, we have about a five month season of good weather. We start April, and usually go through October. So, yeah.

Q. The first of October?
AMY ANDERSON: Pretty much, yeah. Maybe a little longer. Depends on the air.

Q. Does it almost make it strange when you're working five-plus months and other people are working 12 months a year?
AMY ANDERSON: Yeah, I think it's the hand of God. You have to see that.

Q. How cool is it to win something like this and have your parents here?
AMY ANDERSON: It's very exciting to have them here to support me. They're very excited just like I am.

Q. You have the kids in the academy, they're on the road. I've talked to some kids that are seven weeks on the road. Here you are. You played two big national events a year, and two months in the season. Does it show that you don't need the glitzy swing coach? Do you think that turns people away?
AMY ANDERSON: Absolutely, my coach is great. He never turned pro. He studied the swing. Nobody ever heard of him. I'd appreciate it if you mentioned him. Dale Helm. He lives in Mayville. He's a great coach. He's really taught me great mechanics and has a great philosophy for the golf game.

Q. It's H-e-l-m.
AMY ANDERSON: Uh-huh.

Q. Mayville. That's compared to?
AMY ANDERSON: You know where Fargo is. Fargo is in the very southeast corner of North Dakota, and Mayville's about an hour north of it.

Q. What other events have you played in besides this one and the amateur now?
AMY ANDERSON: The PGA Championship. Jr. PGA Championship next week. And then I have a local tournament it would be the week after. I'll go to that.

Q. Have you made a decision yet?
AMY ANDERSON: No.

Q. You get a two-year exemption as well. You if you don't go this year, you can go next year?
AMY ANDERSON: Okay.

Q. Just for us northerners, it's is north, southeast or west?
AMY ANDERSON: South of Fargo, 10 miles south of Fargo. And Mayville is an hour north.

Q. So those are the only tournaments you play in during the summer?
AMY ANDERSON: I've done qualifiers for like the Winters Open. I've never made it to the Open. Yeah, basically qualifiers and then Eastern.

Q. Do you think this will change your, I guess, when you go to a tournament or a qualifier in your area? Do you think that people now will look different like oh, that's the girl's amateur champion?
AMY ANDERSON: I have no idea. But it does not change me at all.

Q. In some ways do you think it's an advantage that you're not playing 20 tournaments a year or whatever it is. That you're involved in other activities?
AMY ANDERSON: Yeah, I do. I think if you play that much a year, you get burnt out and tired. And it's hard to really focus and grind during the few tournaments that you do play. Where, you know, since I have less opportunity to play tournaments, they're more important to me.

Q. What other things are you involved in? I know you're home schooled?
AMY ANDERSON: I do a lot of strength training. I'm involved with my church quite a bit. I play piano, violin and then academics are important to me.

Q. You have 31, what is the highest you can go?
AMY ANDERSON: 36.

Q. Coming from a state with football and hockey that are the big sports. What do you think this means to the people of North Dakota? Especially for the younger kids?
AMY ANDERSON: I'm not sure. But I think this is proof that you don't have to live in Florida to be able to do well, so...

Q. (Indiscernible)?
AMY ANDERSON: He's a member Oxville as well. So I know him well.

Q. So it's a private club?
AMY ANDERSON: Yes.

Q. (Indiscernible) what year was it?
AMY ANDERSON: '84.

Q. (Indiscernible)?
AMY ANDERSON: I've heard of him though.

Q. You obviously wouldn't know Hansen?
AMY ANDERSON: No.

Q. He had a bunch of private clubs, and that's the whole town. What was it -- there were a lot of people, I think more than the boys. What was that like to see people up there that might not even know where Oxville is?
AMY ANDERSON: Yeah, whenever I tell somebody I'm from North Dakota, it's like really? There are not many people that come from there. So it was great. I was really accepted here. It was fun. People were rooting for me out there. I kind of had Amy's Army out there, you know.

Q. I've watched you play the last couple of days. It seems you're really enjoying yourself on on the golf course. Have you ever had a stretch where maybe it wasn't fun for you? The pressure you put on yourself or whatever?
AMY ANDERSON: You know, I don't think of it so much as the pressure that I put on myself.
But it's always hard when you work really hard at golf and then the results don't show. You know, it's not as much fun playing tournaments when you're under pressure. But that happens. And you just have to enjoy the good moments.

Q. Are you heading into New York for a night on the town?
AMY ANDERSON: Nope, Ohio.

Q. You're going to start Tuesday or Wednesday?
AMY ANDERSON: Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday. Yep, three days.

Q. What is your best finish there?
AMY ANDERSON: I just played last year and I tied for 19th.

Q. This is your second one of these?
AMY ANDERSON: Yes.

Q. How'd you do last time?
AMY ANDERSON: In this time, round of 32.

End of FastScripts




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