MICHELOB ULTRA OPEN AT KINGSMILL

May 4, 2003

Cristie Kerr

NEAL REID: Well, I'm sure you are disappointed but you have to be happy with a second place finish on the same note.

CRISTIE KERR: Yes, I felt really good out there, the way I was striking the ball out there. I know I didn't hit it perfectly straight some of the time. I definitely saw improvement in my ball striking today and unfortunately coming down the stretch I hit two shots which cost me two bogeys, both were kind of blocks, and you know it just happened at that time wrong time.

NEAL REID: Questions?

Q. When you talk about being blocks you mean?

CRISTIE KERR: I missed it to the right.

Q. It looked like on 15 your first chip, the way you were choked up, the ball must have been way above your feet?

CRISTIE KERR: Very much so above my feet and it was a horrible lie and I really just said to myself I will try to, you know, punch it and try to get it to the green. It was kind of sitting down really bad. I don't know what was down there, whether there was mud down there or something. It just came out really bad. And I couldn't pitch and run the ball out of there because it was all heavy rough, so I had to take my sand wedge and just try and hit it to the green, and let it run. Even if it goes 20, 30 feet by the hole, you still make 2 putt for par, no big deal.

But I came out there horribly and I had a pretty tough up and down. I didn't judge how uphill my fourth shot was, and I left that well short and just kind of missed the put. I had a hanging lie which means the ball was below my feet on 16 and I just got out ahead of it and blocked it out to the right and that was a very tough up and down from there. I nearly got up and down. So I had my chances today. I just got to use this as another stepping stone to learn how to handle the pressure coming down the stretch. The more times you're there, the more comfortable you will be doing it and I got to say to myself I'm only 25 years old. I'm definitely not at that time end of my career, God willing, and I just got to use this as a positive experience.

Q. On 18, what was your sense of Grace, was she going to make it?

CRISTIE KERR: Quite honestly I thought I had a putt to win. I was at 8-under and I was putting. It was a tough putt but if I could make it and she would miss then I would go to 9-under and everybody else would be at 8. It could end up that way. But she had a horrible start today. I will tell you my hat is off to her. She shanked a shot out there. You guys saw how poorly she started. A lot of players would have said, you know what, would have given up and she didn't. She is a very good friend of mine. I'm glad that she could turn it around like that. It's nice to see.

Q. What was your yardage in club there at 16?

CRISTIE KERR: 16, I had 140 to the hole, played a little downhill and the wind was helping so I had a 9-iron. The ball was below my feet a lot so maybe I didn't put my ball in position right, or something, but I got out ahead of it and just blocked it. It wasn't a very good swing. It felt quick. I'm sure I will have plenty to work on for next week.

Q. To back up on 18, one shot more, when you come up to the 18th green and see where Grace's approach shot finished, did you think that she could make par from that position?

CRISTIE KERR: You know, I thought that she would have a tough time making par. I had to mark my ball so that she could pretty much land it. She hit a great third shot to even get it win 20 feet. How far was that putt that she made over 20 feet, right? I still have meat on my bones, I knocked it about 3 and a half feet by. I thought there was going to be a playoff. Karrie replayed well to get to 8 and Lorena played well to get to 8 as well. It's not how I had visualized it with four holes to go, but you know I'm only human.

Q. Where your ball was at 18 was her landing spot for her third shot?

CRISTIE KERR: Yes.

Q. She landed it where your ball was marked?

CRISTIE KERR: Yes, she had a great third shot. She is one of my bridesmaids in my wedding, I can't be mad at her.

Q. What is this finish, a field with the best players, does it help your confidence as you move forward?

CRISTIE KERR: Absolutely, I view myself as one of the hardest working one of the top players on our TOUR in the world. I feel like I'm only going to continue to get better and for whatever reason I didn't win in Vegas. And for whatever reason I didn't win here maybe, maybe I'm to win a major this year or maybe next week. You never know what God has got planned for you, in store for you.

Q. What is your wedding date?

CRISTIE KERR: It's in December.

Q. You talked about being able to handle pressure, just being a learning experience, did you feel like coming down the stretch that nerves ever got the best of you?

CRISTIE KERR: I wouldn't say nerves. It's hard to control your adrenaline some time. I wasn't nervous. You have some much adrenaline going through your system. Your heart rate is so fast you are burning fat, let me put it that way. I think the more I'm in these situations the easier I'm going be. It's never going to be easy but it will get easier.

And I felt like I could stand over my second shot on 18 with a 4-iron with a chance to knock it close versus oh just get it to green. I had a lot more confidence that I could hold things together. It didn't happen but I had a lot more confidence that I could hold things together coming down the stretch. I did not hit it good all week considering. Considering that I had a great week. I know looking back in retrospect I had a 2 shot lead with four holes to go. But you can never second-guess yourself. I'm not like that. I gave it one 100 percent. I always do. And it was Grace's week.

Q. I know it's been a while, are you still making some adjustments to your swing and such because of the weight loss?

CRISTIE KERR: No. It's and long time. I can't tell you. I'm always working kind of on the same stuff.

Q. It doesn't have anything to do --

CRISTIE KERR: No, I saw my teacher in the beginning of the week, his name is Michael Hunt. I still see Jim McLain on occasion, he works with Jim, for Jim, down in Doral in Miami. He came up to see me and my setup was kind of off and we fixed it. I don't know how much we fixed it but I didn't hit it good the first two days. I found something today that I started hitting it better. It was disappointing to see a couple of errant shots when I needed to hit good ones. I felt good out there today. That's all I really could ask for.

Q. Did you say anything to Grace after those first four holes?

CRISTIE KERR: I was trying not to watch. I really was, because when you are playing well and somebody starts hitting it a little crooked, you really don't want to see it. I kind of put blinders on. She made three birdies in a row starting on No. 5 was it? 5, 6 and 7 she birdied to get back to even or 1-over or something for the day. That's a pretty tough thing to do when you start out as bad as she did to bring it back to shoot even for the day. It ended up being good enough.

Q. Are you anxious to go and compete again?

CRISTIE KERR: Yes, I'm anxious right now. Let's go tee it up. Who is with me?

Q. Do you feel like you are close to winning?

CRISTIE KERR: Yes, I feel like I'm getting real close to winning. I'm getting a little ancie. I'm glad I don't have an off week. I can get there and just try again. That's all I can really do.

NEAL REID: Thank you very much.

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