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LPGA MEDIA CONFERENCE

July 28, 2004

Meg Mallon

LAURA NEAL: Thanks to all of you calling in. We have Meg Mallon on the line from across the pond in England where she will be playing the Weetabix Women's British Open tomorrow. Meg has had an incredible summer and I know is excited about the last major of the season. To start things off, Meg, if you could make a couple comments about the success of your season so far and then your expectations going into the British tomorrow.

MEG MALLON: Certainly. Thanks, Laura. Welcome, everybody. First of all, I miss home. I miss my baseball team. I'm looking forward to getting back to Toledo next week. But everything is great here. The Sunnydale golf course is in the best shape I've seen it. They've had a lot of rain here, so it's quite lush. The ball is not running out like it usually does. It's going to be very challenging. But I'm looking forward to playing the British Open this week. It's a tournament I love to play in because it is so challenging. You know, certainly I feel good about my game and hopefully can play well here this week.

LAURA NEAL: Winning The Open last month, does that change your expectations at all going into this major or do you approach it the same?

MEG MALLON: Well, I'll approach it the same. I guess, you know, I'm feeling good about my game, so I want to ride that as long as I can. I know how fleeting it is. In this stage of my career, hopefully I've learned along the way that when you're playing well, you need to keep playing, hopefully keep riding it.

LAURA NEAL: At this time if we could turn it over to questions from our callers.
Q. Talk about relative unknowns on all the tours, how much different is it now than it was when you were a relative unknown when you won your first major.

MEG MALLON: How different it is now?

Q. Yes. In terms of the capability of coming out of nowhere to win.

MEG MALLON: Well, I have to tell you, I'm enjoying it quite a bit. I have not had a real chance to kind of sit back and take in what's happened because I've been playing. Right now I'm in a six-out-of-seven-week swing here on tour, which is probably good because I need to keep playing while I'm playing well. I recognize that. I think from the last time, I guess you're talking about in '91 when I won the two majors that year, it was a bit overwhelming. I didn't quite know how to handle it. I think this time around I'm having a lot more fun with it.

Q. Talk about what it takes for a player who has not won.

MEG MALLON: I'm sorry, what it takes for a player who has not won?

Q. Who has not been in a situation to win a major.

MEG MALLON: What it takes?

Q. Yes.

MEG MALLON: Well, gosh, there's a lot of factors involved. You know, you have to have a lot of belief in your game and yourself. You know, you've got to have a game that has all facets. You've got to have a good short game, good putting and you've got to hit an awful lot of fairways. So there's a lot of factors involved in winning a major championship.

Q. You said you missed your baseball team, you said you were looking forward to getting to Toledo. The Mud Hens aren't your baseball team, are they?

MEG MALLON: They're the minor league time, aren't they (laughter)? I'm looking forward to see what the Tigers and Red Sox are doing. We're getting brief updates over here. Unfortunately, the Yankees keep winning. I'm a little discouraged by that.

Q. You are one of a large group of players who are doing that always popular France, Great Britain, Toledo, Ohio run in the schedule. I just wonder, how demanding is that? What does it take out of you? How difficult is it in that situation?

MEG MALLON: Well, it's the traveling that's difficult and trying to catch up on your sleep. You know, coming from the US over to France, it's a six-hour time difference. The tournament in France starts on Wednesday. The ProAm is on Sunday. Then you fly to England either late Sunday evening or early Monday morning and you're going right into a major championship. It's very taxing. It's a tough schedule. But, you know, we all look at the schedule and know what's involved. You just have to pace yourself and make sure you get as much rest as you can, which is the hard part. In France, especially, I have a hard time getting to sleep at night because it's the middle of the day for me. So the sleep deprivation is definitely there and you have to have a lot of patience.

Q. Is it a little easier on the reverse trip?

MEG MALLON: Coming to Toledo?

Q. Yes.

MEG MALLON: Well, the thing I'm looking forward to is doing my laundry when I get there (laughter). It's kind of difficult to find a place around here. But, yeah, Toledo is home for me. I went to Ohio State. My brothers live in Detroit. I'm looking forward to seeing my family again.

Q. You talked about the importance of continuing to play when you're playing well.

MEG MALLON: Right.

Q. Over the course of your career, have you caught these streaks before? I guess my question is, a lot of players are very consistent and don't have great peaks and valleys. I think you're probably one of those, too. But are you also the type of player that can catch a hot streak and be streaky?

MEG MALLON: I'd like to be (laughter). I'd like to see what that feels like. You know, I have had a very consistent career and I've enjoyed my career a lot. As I said before, I just so appreciate when you do, you know, catch a little lightning in a bottle, and I feel like I've done that. I'd like to keep it going as long as I can.

Q. Do you have any idea what your schedule looks like when you get back from across the pond?

MEG MALLON: From what?

Q. From over in Europe, after Toledo, what your schedule looks like.

MEG MALLON: Yes, actually I'm going to be home for a couple of weeks. We have a week off after Toledo. The next tournament I'm playing is in Redding, Pennsylvania, at the Betsy King Classic.

Q. You're leading the US Solheim standings. You're within six points of the LPGA Hall of Fame. Did you ever envision there would be this much going on for you at this stage of your career and can you attribute to maybe why it is?

MEG MALLON: You know, I have no idea. Part of me felt like, you know, I would never win on the LPGA. But then once I did, I really liked it (laughter). It's just been a very rewarding career for me. You know, I was a late-bloomer. I didn't start winning until I was 27 years old. You know, Karrie, Se Ri and Annika probably had 20 wins by that age. I think since I did get started late, I have been able to lengthen my career out like I have. I love doing it. I mean, it's a wonderful way to make a living, if you can make a living at it. I have really enjoyed it.

LAURA NEAL: Meg, we certainly appreciate your time. Best of luck at the British this week. We'll see you when you get back.

MEG MALLON: Thank you, Laura.

End of FastScripts...

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