U.S. WOMEN'S OPEN CHAMPIONSHIP

July 3, 2003

Paula Marti

Q. Even par, you probably would have said, okay, I'll take it.

PAULA MARTI: If they would have gave it to me yesterday.

Q. It was a lot of work to get there, wasn't it?

PAULA MARTI: Yes, I'm the first here today, if they would have given me, if you shoot level par you sign it, I would have signed for sure. Because the course, all open courses are very hard, very narrow, the fairways, and the rough is really high. So you really need to keep in on the fairways and the green, it's not that you're hitting wedges and nines you're hitting five and fours, we're not like the men. We can't stop the ball on the green. But I'm very happy. I had like a bad hole on the 17th. I made double. But I just thought if you finish with a birdie on this one you can reach it or get it close. So I'm very happy with level.

Q. Talk just a little about the physical and the mental side that wears you out over the course of five hours out there?

PAULA MARTI: Well I knew that I was going to make mistakes. I knew that the wind was swirling a lot. So I just had to be patient and focus on one shot at a time and forget about the shots that I made and look forward all the time. My caddy was really helpful. And my boyfriend was following me and cheering me on the golf course.

Q. What will this do for you as far as your status if you play well and get a good finish here this week, obviously you want to become a full-time player out here on this TOUR, what will a good finish here for you and your status on the TOUR?

PAULA MARTI: I think I have to finish top 90. I don't know the 90th player, how much points and money has right now. I don't even want to look at it. I already have a lot of pressure here. I don't want to think about the card. But if I have a good week here and a good week in the British, I can get in enough points and enough money to be there in the top 90. And if not, then I'm going to have to go back to Q-school, which is very stressful.

Q. You have enough to worry about without thinking about that, correct?

PAULA MARTI: Yeah, I'm just going to play golf and enjoy it. I know if I'm playing good right now and I'm striking the ball very good. If I keep my mind thinking right on the golf course I can do it.

Q. Do you like a championship like this where par is very special or are you happier playing at a tournament where 15-under par wins?

PAULA MARTI: Well I think this one. It's better here. I think this course is more challenging. I think long hitters probably have a better advantage on these conditions. But it doesn't matter to me. Being here instead of being home sitting in the sofa, I think it's a great experience for me to be here. And I love to play in America. I love the crowds. I love the people here. So that's my goal to be playing full-time here in America.

Q. Can you talk about your birdie stretch between 3 and 5?

PAULA MARTI: What happened? Okay. On the third I made a chip so it was really nice. I hit it short, I think I hit the wrong club, but I didn't want to be long on that hole. I thought you are better off being short. So I just pitched it in. It was really nice to start with on the third hole. So I went back to level.

And then on the next one, the par-5, I hit a great sand wedge and I hit it to 6 feet. Two meters and a half. I work in meters, so. I was, I had an 83 meters to the flag. And then on the next one I just hit it to the green and I made a decent putt.

Q. How long was the putt?

PAULA MARTI: It was probably 15 meters.

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