WENDY'S CHAMPIONSHIP FOR CHILDREN

August 1, 2002

Wendy Ward

MODERATOR: Questions.

Q. What do you think of the course? (Inaudible)?

WENDY WARD: I you never want to count it out. But I think it might be pretty safe this week. The fairways are starting to roll out a little bit. Some of the holes I had three to four clubs shorter into the greens. You had wedge instead of 7-iron or something. But they also had some of the tee boxes up further for the ProAm.

I would expect it to play pretty tough.

Q. (Inaudible)?

WENDY WARD: I would say the shots into the greens I think are a lot more demanding. The greens may be bigger, but there's certain sections that you definitely need to be in if the pin's there. 18 is a perfect example, you know.

Q. (Inaudible)?

WENDY WARD: I'm sorry, the length of the club in?

Q. (Inaudible)?

WENDY WARD: I think the greens are holding really well. Is that what you mean? Like a wedge, you can pretty much ...

Q. Can you hit a long club in at 2, 8? Narrow greens from front to back.

WENDY WARD: 8 is tough. 8, you have to pull the right club, definitely. No. 2, yeah, that's a good one, too, definitely. Got to have a good caddie out there, I guess (laughter). I think I've got one this week.

Q. Do you feel a bit deprived because it's shifted, you have to go to a different venue?

WENDY WARD: In one sense, yes, it's unfortunate I don't get to see the same course I played so well on. But I think Tartan is great, to be able to go out and do the same thing. Out at New Albany, I didn't think the course was all that easy on Tuesday. Then you start making some putts and gaining some confidence, and all of a sudden the low scores are there.

I think it's the same thing out here. If you can hit it in there tight, the greens are in great shape, you're going to be hopefully making a lot of birdies.

Q. We're supposed to get some rain tomorrow. Obviously, that makes the greens hold better, but it probably also gives you longer shots into them. If we do get rain, does it make the course play harder or easier?

WENDY WARD: It makes it play longer, you know (laughter). You're going to have a little bit more into the green. I think the greens are very, very receptive right now. You know, they could also make the greens tougher if they get too soft. You get a lot of footprints out there. Maybe you're spinning the ball too much.

Rain always plays into it as a factor that I think affects score a little bit, usually towards the higher side.

Q. A couple players tell me they think this course favors a long hitter. I'm wondering who you think the long hitters are on this tour who this course might favor.

WENDY WARD: I think every ball player out here can play well. I mean, I'm playing with Mi Hyun Kim tomorrow who doesn't hit the ball the distance that I do, but she can stick her 5-wood inside my 5-iron. So I think anybody that's hitting the ball well and making putts is going to play well. I'll certainly take a little distance out here, though, hopefully carry the ball a little bit further.

Q. (Inaudible)?

WENDY WARD: What did we shoot? 5-under, five birdies, four pars on the backside. We had to have been about, I'm guessing, 12-under. I didn't add it up. But the group behind us had a girl, I think from the Ohio State golf team, that was driving all the greens. If they're not 20-under or more, I'll be disappointed (laughter). I don't know who it was. They had (inaudible) wedge into No. 9 at their second shot.

Q. (Inaudible)?

WENDY WARD: No, I think she's playing as an amateur in the ProAm.

Q. There is a girl who qualified from Ohio State.

WENDY WARD: Sometimes they let them play in the ProAm. It was kind of fun to watch from behind. She was playing with Beth Bauer. Beth is probably thinking, "Gee, I'm not getting to hit any of the shots that I normally would." I don't know if that's a good thing or a bad thing. Putting for eagle off the green.

Q. You said the fairways were rolling out, three or four clubs less in than you usually hit. Did you play Tuesday?

WENDY WARD: Played Tuesday, right. I mean, there was one hole out there that we had 9-iron in and then all of a sudden we've got our 58-degree wedge in. I mean, I think that's a little bit of an advantage. If it's going to rain a little bit, you're going to be back to the 9-iron.

Still have to hit the shot, I guess.

Q. If you weren't the former champion, would you play here this week?

WENDY WARD: Sure.

Q. Normally wouldn't you take a week off before?

WENDY WARD: I just took two weeks off (laughter). I couldn't justify three, although that sounds kind of nice.

No, I like to play the week before the major. I've had more success playing the week before a major than taking that week off. I think it gets you competitive. I'm still thinking about this week, and I think on tour we play such a variety of courses, you know, it's hard to say, "Does this course prepare you for next week?" Yet from what I've heard about Turnberry, they've gotten a lot of rain this year. It could be the perfect prep week. It's this tournament that I'm focused on for now.

Q. Do you feel like you've played this course both ways?

WENDY WARD: You mean fast and slow?

Q. Long and relatively short.

WENDY WARD: Yeah. I think it was good to get to see it play a little bit faster today. But I'm telling you, the greens are still demanding. It's going to come down to the putt stick and who can make the putts. Got some nice, tough finishing holes. 17 and 18 are good holes to finish on. That's always fun when you've got challenging holes as your finishing holes.

Q. Is 18 the only reachable par 5 or are the other par 5s reachable?

WENDY WARD: The way they reverse us, 18 is a par 4. 9 is a par 5. There's a hole on the backside.

Q. The back as you're playing it?

WENDY WARD: We talked about this.

Q. 13.

WENDY WARD: Yeah, 13. 13, I think it is. 13 we hit 5-wood into today.

Q. Feed it down in there.

WENDY WARD: Here is another interesting thing. On Tuesday we had 225 to the front, 240 to the hole. We hit 5-wood. Today we had 208, so 17 yards less. We still hit 5-wood.

You know, there's so much strategy to this course. I think that's what makes it interesting. Whether it's which side of the fairway to be on, how far down to get yourself, how you're going to play. Big fairways and big greens, but you better be on the right side of them if you want to score well.

Q. How many holes do you expect to hit driver on?

WENDY WARD: Quite a few of them actually. Wind kicked up a little bit today. I was able to hit driver a little bit more. I can't think of a hole I didn't hit driver on today.

Q. How about 3?

WENDY WARD: I heard somebody say 3. Yup, hit driver. Of course, we only had 80 into the front. But, you know, that's a hole that, yeah, you could hit 5-wood, 3-wood, if you wanted to. But I think it's an advantage to get down there close to get into the right section of the green.

Q. How about 10 and 11?

WENDY WARD: 10, yeah. Well, see, that was another one, I had 132 in on Tuesday, and 100 in today. I'll hit it off -- well, 11 I would say is questionable. 11, I kind of like 3-wood. For the most part, it's a driving course, you know. Phil Mickelson would like it here.

MODERATOR: Thank you.

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