U.S. WOMEN'S OPEN CHAMPIONSHIP

July 12, 1997

Lisa Hackney

LISA HACKNEY: Okay. I think, if I start backwards, I played the back 9 well. But I think having got through the first three holes like I did, because I made -- hit a poor second shot into the first and made bogey there. And then hit a poor second shot into the second and was actually on the back left of the left-hand bunker and the pin was close to the left. And I had my feet out of the bunker and had a plug lie. And had 30 to 40 to save par. On 3, I hit my second shot over the pin and actually through the back of the green. And I don't know if you guys know how quick that is. It's virtually impossible to get up-and-down from there. But I hit a shot that trickled out of the rough, and I made two miracle pars there. Then I thought maybe it's my lucky day. And then hit a long drive, for me, down the 4th, and hit a little forward and holed that putt for an eagle. And I thought maybe it is my lucky day. And that kind of got the round going, where I could have been two or three over early on, and instead I was one under.

LISA HACKNEY: About, I'd say, 20-foot. Although I birdied the next hole, but I played out to the left, away from the pin and had a difficult putt that I left short, so I had like a four foot downhill putt for the par, and missed that. And then 6 I made a good par, the pin was back left there. That's two tough pin positions, so good par there. And then got on a roll as far as birdies on 8 and 9. 8 the pin was on the back level and I was fortunate to hit a shot up there and stayed there and holed in probably about a 15-footer. I hit a little 9-iron.

LISA HACKNEY: No. 9 I hit a good shot, hit 7-iron to about 15 foot and rolled that in. That's a good way to finish the back 9 -- the front 9. The back 9; 11, I hit two good shots down there and tried to play a little kind of chip-and-run type shot that went too far, but went to the fringe at the back of the green, but it was one of those shots where you had a little chip and you like the feel of it straight away and hit it and that rolled in.

LISA HACKNEY: Just a pitching wedge. Then --

LISA HACKNEY: The pin was cut right at the back, it was only a 20-foot chip shot, if that. And then I played really well coming in, had birdie chance on 13, just missed. 14 kind of played it smart, I suppose. 15 the pin was cut left and kind of hit a shot -- I was playing more out to the right of the pin but it finished up okay. I got lucky there, so I might as well hole the putt and the putt went in, so that was good. 16 and 17 I hit good shots in. And then on 18 just the back of the green and 2-putted for par.

LISA HACKNEY: Yes.

LISA HACKNEY: I played in Sacramento, about the end of March, and I was playing with Dana Dormann, and these people are friends of hers. And we were on the front 9 and I holed like a 50-foot monster putt, and ended up going on. I watched at the next tee and he was giving me a high five, he was five or six. And then after that every time I holed a putt or did something well he gave me a high five. And then yesterday we were playing and on the back 9 I made a putt somewhere, and there he was. And high fives. And then in fact yesterday I was 17. I actually 3-putted and so obviously having missed the putt for par, he was standing by the ropes there. Rather than giving me a high 5, he said, birdie the next hole. And his name is Brian, I don't know what his last name is. But his name is Brian.

LISA HACKNEY: Yeah, I'm sure she would have rather been playing than watching me. But I saw her out there a few holes on the back 9.

LISA HACKNEY: No, I think the U.S. Open charges you up anyway.

LISA HACKNEY: 15 was probably in I'd say 6-footer, 8-footer.

LISA HACKNEY: As far as the U.S. Open?

LISA HACKNEY: Yeah, certainly on this type of golf course, which is typical of U.S. Open golf courses, it's tough, it's very penal if you get in the wrong places, and patience is a big part of playing. If you get frustrated or if you get upset, then a course as tough as this will keep on biting you, and so you certainly have to just grind it out, more so than perhaps an easier type golf course.

LISA HACKNEY: Yeah, I'd say it's fair. Tough but fair.

LISA HACKNEY: I know Alison pretty well. I played in Europe the last six years, and so I've known her for that length of time. Played in the Solheim Cup last year. And as far as -- anybody who holds the trophy, I don't care who they've beaten to get it.

LISA HACKNEY: Alison is a really good putter, and especially like a long-distance type putter, which is good on fast, undulating greens. You wouldn't often see her 3-putting. She's very competitive. She's won a number of tournaments. She's experienced and she's a good player.

LISA HACKNEY: Quite a lot. Today I had a great round, it puts me in a good position tomorrow. As far as thinking what it would mean, I don't even want to go there. I just would like to feel I can go out and play well tomorrow and if that ends up being good enough to win, fair enough. If it doesn't, fair enough. At least I'll I'm in there and at least I know I have a shot and that's great.

LISA HACKNEY: No, I'd say I'm fairly low key or cool, kind of. I don't get very upset, and nor do I get very high. Today, having made eagle, it was the fourth hole and you have a long way to go. I'm not somebody who would be jumping up in the air and shaking their fist, because there's still a long way to go. So I'd say I'm fairly even, steady.

LISA HACKNEY: I usually don't have trouble sleeping, no.

LISA HACKNEY: No.

LISA HACKNEY: I'd say probably not, but I'm never one to give up. So it's -- I wasn't thinking of packing my bags and missing the cut, either. It was a long way to go, is what I was thinking about at that time.

LISA HACKNEY: Yeah. 6 is a good hole. As with a lot of the other holes on the course, there isn't an easy bail-out. We figure you'll play for the safe part of the green, you've got a difficult couple of putts or difficult up-and-down. On 5 I played left of the pin, but 3-putted because it's still difficult, and certainly on 6, with that severe slope, if you're down on the right, front right of the green, and the pin's back left, probably the closest you can get is ten foot, so if you hole a ten footer for saving par, that's the only way you're going to do it. And today, I mean I was playing a bit into the wind, so I was playing a long hole. I was hitting a 4-iron in there, so that's a long second shot to be hitting into a very small area.

LISA HACKNEY: I hit driver and 4-iron, wanting to just -- I was just wanting to play for the middle of the green and hopefully take the slope down, and unfortunately it just kind of stayed there. So I had to putt up a little bit and then down. I was about pin-high. And still rolled probably four or five foot past and made that one coming back.

LISA HACKNEY: Absolutely. A number of other holes, as well as other holes, par is a good number. Last round, U.S. Open, par is a good number.

LISA HACKNEY: Do you count the British Open as a major?

LISA HACKNEY: I've played in the British Open probably -- well, six times as a professional and twice as an amateur. I played at the U.S. Open in Oakmont, which I think was '93 -- '92. So that's my only other previous U.S. Open. And I played in the Dinah Shore earlier this year.

LISA HACKNEY: Well, I've been to the Q-School a few times.

LISA HACKNEY: Five times. And so it took me a few years. I made the decision a few years ago, but it's taken me to this year to actually do it.

LISA HACKNEY: Yeah.

LISA HACKNEY: No, conditional player.

LISA HACKNEY: I hope not. I'm like 30th on the order of merit, so, no -- I've made enough money not to go back.

LISA HACKNEY: Yes.