LPGA CORNING CLASSIC

May 25, 2002

Rosie Jones

LAURA NEAL: Good morning, Rosie. Welcome, Rosie. Great round.

ROSIE JONES: Thank you.

LAURA NEAL: We'll start out talking about the round, and then we'll go over the score card.

ROSIE JONES: Yeah. What do you want to know? I started off the round really -- not really hot on the first three holes, but then I got a chip in on No. 4, to kind of start things off. I got regular for easy birdie hole on 5. And, you know, grabbed a couple more -- a good one on the par three up the hill on No. 7 and No. 9. So I kind of had a really good front nine. Putter was feeling really good, had a good feel with it; and that's something I hadn't really had up until today. Kind of hit on to something in my room last night, looking in the mirror and putting around a little bit in my hotel room. The most part, I didn't cool down on the back side, but on -- played solid all the way around until 15. And, you know, I wasn't playing badly. I missed a green with a wedge on 15, and then missed it with a sandwich on 16, and missed it with a 7-iron on 17. So I had to scramble a little bit. So and that just shows me I'm playing well. I hadn't really made any mistakes in the last couple of days. Now I'm having to scramble a little bit to get my pars, and came through with a really good 10-footer on 15, and easy up and downs on 16, 17. Well, not 17. 17 was kind of tough. Got a good shot out of the trap there, and gave myself about a 3-footer.

Q. Let's go ahead and see your clubs.

ROSIE JONES: Okay. No. 1, I probably hit my longest driver ever on that hole. I had a 7-iron in. Put it on the back corner and had a 2-putt for par. No. 2, I pulled my 7-wood to the left side. I was kind of over in the trees, had to hit a little shot into the pin, which is kind of tough on that left front corner, and missed about a 8-footer for a birdie there to the par. You always feel like you're walking away with bogey if you do that. No. 3, I hit a 7-wood up there, probably 20, 22 feet, two putts for par. No. 4, I missed a green with a 9-iron, and chipped it in from probably about 20 feet for birdie. No. 5, I hit 9-wood on the green, probably left myself about a 30 footer and 2-putt for par. No. 6, I hit a 8-iron about 15 feet, I'm on the front edge. And 2-putt. No. 7, I hit a 6-iron about 20 foot there, was real loop-tee-do to the right, and downhill and made that putt for birdie. About 20 feet. No. 8, I hit -- what did I hit?

Q. That's okay. No. 9?

ROSIE JONES: 8, I hit about 10 feet above the hole, and hit a good putt. That's that one. No. 9, I hit a 6-iron, made 20 feet and made that one for birdie. 10, I hit the pin, left myself a five footer, six footer downhill, and missed that. No. 11, I had pin-high on gthe fringe, 2-putt for par. Really made a great saving second putt. It's one of those knee-knockers, those three footers that are left to right. Slick. And No. 12, I had a little sandwich pitch shot up there, about six feet, and made that for birdie. 13, hit 5-iron just left of the green. Chipped it up, left myself about a four-footer, made that for par. No. 15, I knocked the 9-iron up about six feet above the hole, and missed that as well, for birdie. What did I say? That's on 14. That's on 14, sorry.

Q. That's okay.

ROSIE JONES: 15, I hit wedge into the bunker. Got up and down with about a 10-footer for par. No. 16, I had Fat Baby, which is my 60-degree wedge. And such an uphill shot that -- I mean where I was standing at, I just kind of -- it's hard to hit full sandwich on that uphill. You know, you just kind of don't have enough on it, and came up short 2-putt from the front fringe for par. And 17, I had a 7-iron. I took 3-wood off the tee and was back on that hill a little bit. And hit 7-iron. And kind of had a tough line, and pushed it into the right bunker. Got up and down there, got myself a 3-footer for par. 18, I was on the left side of the fairway, hit a little hook under the green, and 2-putt from about 25 feet there.

Q. Rosie, psychologically, you're in a position you've been in lots of times here. Some of the other players that are on the top of the leaderboard aren't. Does that give you any kind of advantage, you think? Are you used to playing under pressure? Are you used to being in lead at this point? Going into tomorrow, does that give you a little more edge, knowing that you've been here before, you know how to win here?

ROSIE JONES: I think so. I think I always have an advantage when I come to this golf course. I don't necessarily have to be playing or hitting it well. As long as I'm playing and thinking well, I think I have a chance of winning here. As long as I'm driving it straight and putting well, I always think I have a chance. And that's what I'm doing well. And I know these greens better than anybody. And I've been on them a hundred times, and I think just being in that position so many times on this golf course, there are some pins you can go after and some pins you can't, you know when you need to make a move and make something happen, and you know when you have to relax and be patient. And I've done all those things several times, and left myself in great position. After Sunday, if I haven't won, I've been in the top five several times. So, you know, yeah, I think I'm in great shape.

Q. You had a big smile after your putt on nine. That was kind of a swing hole, because the next three bogeyed it.

ROSIE JONES: Oh really? Because it's really kind of a fun tee shot there because you have to hit it just right, with the right distance, to get the right kick and the right shape on it. And like me, I pulled it just a little bit with a slight draw, and I thought it was going to go right into those trees. But with the wind slightly at me, it gave me an opportunity to have an easy second shot. I was still back about 155, where most of the time you want to be back about 125. But that green is always kind of difficult to get close, and just because of the hump where it is, and it's getting harder as the day goes by. And so I really thought I hit a pretty good shot in there and left myself, you know, a little more than I wanted. But I hit that putt perfect, and it was just kind of -- I smiled because it was, you know, really stroked that ball. It was right on target the whole way. A lot of times you play golf, you putt, and you hit it off line just a little bit, and all of a sudden it kind of swings back in more than you thought, and you make the putt. But this putt was right all the way there.

Q. Did you say Fat Baby?

ROSIE JONES: Yeah, that's my 60-degree. I have a few names on my clubs there.

Q. What are some of the others, and where does Fat Baby come from?

ROSIE JONES: Fat Baby is my Cleveland sand wedge. It's got a big flange on the bottom, so I call it Fat Baby. My other sand wedge is called Sally, and my putter is called Lucy Green because whatever putter I play with is named Lucy, from the time I was a kid. And this one has a green insert on the base. And so I call her Lucy Green. And Sally, I don't know, I've always been naming my clubs. And those are the only three that I name. And except for the Big Chief. That's the driver. I only call it that when I hit it off the ground. So give me the Big Chief and I'll hit it off the deck. That's what I call it.

Q. What's your home course, and can you tell us a little bit about that?

ROSIE JONES: In Atlanta? I play out of Andley Country Club, which recently bought Suttondown Creek a couple of years. That's mostly where I play golf at is Suttondown Creek. They just had the NCAA Regionals there last week. They had the Nike Tour Championship, and they're going to have also, in 2005, I believe the U.S. Amateur there, the Women's U.S. Amateur, and it's just a super 11-year-old golf course designed by Bob Cupp. It's very tough, very good for me to practice on.

Q. You'll be going off the tee tomorrow with Laura Diaz, who's also -- you're competing with her for the top of the points in the Solheim Cup, and she's also the top money winner coming in. What do you think your chances are, how confident do you feel?

ROSIE JONES: I always feel confident. I really -- you know, looking forward to playing this golf course and trying to playing it the best I can. I really -- it's going to be hard not to know what she's doing and how she's playing. It's going to be obvious because I'm going to be with her. But I feel like there's a little bit of people on this golf course that can shoot 6, 7, 8 under; and I'm just not going to be looking at her. And sometimes it's easy to get wrapped up in that. I still think I'm going to have to shoot a five or six under if I'm even going to have a chance at her. I don't know if she made that putt on 18 or if she got in at 13 or 12. That makes it easier on me. But I still feel like it's going to have to be a low round tomorrow to win. So I'm going to be more concerned with that than what Laura is doing.

Q. Seems like every year here, you might not necessarily be in the lead through round one or round two; but round three, it almost always seems like you're in that lead group.

ROSIE JONES: Uh-huh.

Q. How is it just to be patient throughout the tournament here. Just be patient and wait for that good round that you had here today?

ROSIE JONES: I always think when I'm playing this golf course, if I don't shoot two or three under in the first couple rounds, that I'm losing places fast. So when I'm shooting three under, even though I hadn't had a hot round the first two rounds, I knew I was putting myself in position and just kind of getting more comfortable again with the golf course. I mean with you're gone for a year, and you know, I've played this golf course a hundred times, you do forget a couple of undulations and the speeds of the green. But yesterday, when I played, it felt like I didn't even know these greens and today I own them. And I just -- I forgot your question.

Q. Being consistent, hanging in there.

ROSIE JONES: Right. So when you know a golf course like I do on this one, you look for those moments that your momentum is going and you really look for it two through five. Because two is possible eagle, and five is possible eagle, then in between there, you know, I just go to have a good groove right in there. And then you have to be patient through a couple tough holes. You know, 8 and 9, they're not really given holes. But 10, 11, 13, they're all hard holes, and you have to be patient until you get into position again, I think back on 16, 17, all are pretty good holes. I just -- and don't tell everybody that and give my game plan away. And I just know that. I know my momentum. I know where I feel comfortable. I know where I can be comfortable. I know where I can be aggressive. And that's, you know, my trick on this golf course. And if I do that and stick to my plan and things happen the way I want to, then I'll be here every single year. And so far, so good.

Q. The gallery is starting to get bigger, you chopped that putt on 12, and they're starting to make a good bit of noise. Does that get you going?

ROSIE JONES: I think they're just drinking more beer out there on the back nine. It always gets you going. You know, it's always fun. It wouldn't be any fun out there shooting 67 without a crowd. So it's always better with a big crowd and a loud crowd because they're into it and they're having fun. And, you know, I hope they're getting their money's worth.

Q. I was just curious. What's it like being miked up for the golf Championship?

ROSIE JONES: Well, it's different. You kind of have to be careful about what you're thinking because when I'm thinking, I'm talking; and every now and then I catch myself, you know, on that. But I really don't have to regulate what I'm saying because when I'm playing well, especially, I'm not cussing -- I don't cuss that much anyways, but, you know, I -- usually, I'm really upbeat and talking about play the ball a lot and stuff like that. It doesn't bother me at all actually. I won with mike on in Austin last year, and that was great until we got into the playoff, and I said okay, okay, but I've got to go to the bathroom; and everybody heard me, right before the playoff.

Q. You're obviously a crowd favorite here, and you have a chance tomorrow to become the first three-time winner here. Talk about how much it would mean to you to win tomorrow.

ROSIE JONES: Well, this tournament has always been really special to me. Like I said, I've played it 20 years. I think I missed it one year because my brother died in a car accident in '86; and Corning sent me in an airplane back home, and that's -- you know, to me, that is why I come here, because Corning and the poeple here in the community has always been real supportive of me and helped me out. And when we got a new tournament this year and Keebler in Chicago, Keebler, everybody was really excited and wanted to go to that tournament. And if I went to that, I would have to take this event off. And I first signed up to go to Keebler, and about three minutes later I thought I can't do that. So a couple of days later, might have been a couple weeks, but I called up and withdrew from Keebler and came here because it just wouldn't be right. This is like a home away from home for me, and I just love this town and the crowds, and the people that run this tournament.

Q. I have a quick question for you. You said you didn't cool down on the back side but you had to scramble a little bit to make pars. Still confident with the way your game is on that?

ROSIE JONES: Yeah. I just probably got -- I think I got a little hungry and just wasn't -- I forgot to eat when I should have, and I think I was just getting a little spacey and maybe pushing it a little bit. And you know, just -- I don't know. I made maybe a few decisions that I shouldn't have. But, you know, I'm still hitting good shots and making great saves. I don't know, that's just golf. You know, you lose a little momentum and that happens. But what kept me in there was I saved those pars.

Q. Your brother died when you were here?

ROSIE JONES: Yeah. I just got here in a practice round. It was the first round. It was Pro-Am morning when I got a call, about 4:00 that morning. So I had to come over here and pull out.

LAURA NEAL: Thank you, guys. Thank you, Rosie. Good game tomorrow.

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