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CN CANADIAN WOMEN'S OPEN CHAMPIONSHIP


August 24, 2011


Morgan Pressel


MIRABEL, QUEBEC

THE MODERATOR: We'd like to welcome Morgan Pressel into the interview room. Thank you for joining us today. First off, your thoughts on coming into this week and this tournament? I know it's a great field. Usually it's a beautiful golf course. How excited are you to be here and how is this golf course looking?
MORGAN PRESSEL: I'm excited to be here in Montreal. It's my first trip. I've always loved playing in the Canadian Women's Open. It's always been at great venues, like you said, it's always got a first class field, and definitely has a great feel to the event.
I think it has great fans and that's also part of what makes an event. A lot of people come out and they're very knowledgeable. The Canadian people love their golf, and we like to show them good golf.
THE MODERATOR: How are you feeling about your game coming into this week?
MORGAN PRESSEL: I feel okay. I didn't play so great last week, but I feel like I've been working hard on it. I've been trying to change some things, and it's golf. It goes up-and-down. So I'm hoping this is one of my up weeks.

Q. Last week was an exciting week for a lot of U.S. players with the announcement of the Solheim Cup team. Looking at this group and Rosie's two captain's picks, how excited are you looking towards next month and what that team can accomplish in Ireland?
MORGAN PRESSEL: There is never anything more exciting on our schedule than Solheim Cup. Every other year when we get to wear red, white, and blue and have people cheer for us, whether it's at home or across the pond, it's always a great experience.
It's kind of nice that the team is now finalized. On Monday we can try to practice as a team and work out pairings and things like that. And I've got all my little goodies ready, all my little trinkets and stuff ready for the rest of the team at home. I'm just excited to get to Ireland. Now the anticipation and excitement really begins to build.

Q. I don't know your ranking right now. What is your ranking?
MORGAN PRESSEL: I don't know it either. I think it's like 12 or 13. I'm not sure.

Q. You're 12 or 13?
MORGAN PRESSEL: Yeah, it changes every week. It's hard to keep track.

Q. Are you going to adjust your game for this particular tournament, or are you satisfied with your game up to the present time?
MORGAN PRESSEL: Well, I'd like to play better. I mean, with this golf course, it definitely suits my game. Just hit it down the middle, on the green, and make the putts. I think that the challenging part about this golf course are the greens. They don't look necessarily too difficult, but they're very subtle breaks and very difficult to read. I think that will be the big challenge.
Also, the golf course is long, so you've just got to keep the ball on the fairway, so I have good shots to get it close for birdie.

Q. You have your own caddie here?
MORGAN PRESSEL: Yes.

Q. You how important, how vital is your caddie in helping you determine the length of the course, the wind, the direction? How vital is he to you?
MORGAN PRESSEL: I mean, he came out here on Monday and walked the golf course and made sure that he knew exactly where I should hit it and where possible pin positions might be on greens, and he charts the golf course. Even every day as the golf course changes with wind conditions and pin placements, it's definitely something that we talk about and something that he takes very seriously.

Q. You said you're working on a few things. Are you working on a swing change, minor stuff, how big?
MORGAN PRESSEL: I'm always working on swing changes. I feel like it's a constant. I'm really trying. Right now I'm working on trying on get a good feel, so that when I do get in competition, I'm confident with my golf swing.
It's a slow process. Some weeks it's there, and some weeks it's not quite so easy. Some weeks my short game comes a little more into play having to get up-and-down around the greens.
But I've been working and trying to be more consistent, trying to get my timing better through my golf swing. Timing is one of those things that for me is not always there. I have to work really hard to try to make sure that it's right.

Q. Cristie Kerr was in here earlier talking about her revamping her swing a little bit working on it and how it takes a little while to get comfortable when you're playing without thinking too much about it. Where are you kind of in that with working on your swing? Are you still having to think about different thoughts when you're out there playing, or are you at the point where it's easy to go out there and just play?
MORGAN PRESSEL: No, I'm thinking far too much, which is probably part of my problem. I'm just trying to go through a lot of different swing thoughts and trying to fix a lot of different things at the same time, and that definitely makes it difficult.
She has a point. The times when I play my best are really when I feel I've one or two swing thoughts that make me hit the ball nearly perfect every time. We're not quite there yet. But every day is different, so...

Q. There's been a lot of success for young players on both Tours. I'm just wondering if there is something you can put your finger on why players are becoming more ready at a younger age to win?
MORGAN PRESSEL: I think the youth movement, if you will, in all sports in general is -- and I was talking about it today with my Pro-Am group -- that kids these days, first of all their parents push them and really encourage them to work hard and play sports and take it seriously from a young age.
But they also specialize in one sport. You don't have the all around athlete. The kid who can play football, baseball, basketball, hockey, I should add that one in here. But you don't have that all around athlete. You have somebody who is focused on one sport from a very young age and they become very skillful in it.
When you play a bunch of different sports, when you get in college is when you realize you're much better at one than the rest. If you start then, almost now you've almost started too late.

Q. Have you had a chance to play with the two captains picks? What do you think they'll bring to the Solheim Cup?
MORGAN PRESSEL: Well, I have played with Vicky before in competition. I played with Ryan in a practice round. You know, I think the biggest reason why they were picked is they hit the ball a very long way.
I have not played the golf course, but from what I hear it definitely favors the long hitter. It's not too narrow, and so I'm hoping I can trick the players the other way when I get on the golf course.
But I think that's really the main reason they were picked. I think they also add a little bit of young, feisty power. I think they mesh well with the team. I think it will be a very good dynamic.

Q. You talk about swing thoughts. When you're at the top of your game, do you still have swing thoughts or do you just worry about where the ball goes?
MORGAN PRESSEL: I think I always have swing thoughts. I'm always trying to feel something. When I'm playing better, it's not quite as many and the swing thought works every time. It's a feeling. It's not even so much a swing thought. It's the feeling that I want my hands to be here. I want to feel the club head just past the ball, all sorts of different things. When I'm really playing my best, it's one, maybe two.

Q. The equipment that you're using, do you have a sponsorship or endorsement for a particular company?
MORGAN PRESSEL: Yes, I play Callaway.

Q. And you're satisfied with them. You've been playing with them how long?
MORGAN PRESSEL: Absolutely, for six years. I chose Callaway because I felt that they helped my game the most, and that's really the most important thing. Companies can throw money at you, but if you can't play the equipment, then it doesn't make you the best player that you can be, then it's not really worth much.

Q. Are you optimistic about your play for this tournament? Are you going to win this tournament this year?
MORGAN PRESSEL: I came here to win. If I didn't think so, I wouldn't be here.

FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports




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