U.S. WOMEN'S OPEN CHAMPIONSHIP

July 4, 2003

Mhairi McKay

MHAIRI McKAY: You're all going to ask about No. 9, aren't you?

Q. No.

(Laughter.) Talk about your day. You were having a wonderful day out there.

MHAIRI McKAY: I played great. I'm really delighted with my golf game. I'm just out there trying to make good swings. I made a lot of them. I putted really well and No. 9 really wasn't that bad. It was just purely circumstance, if you look at everything.

Q. You drove it in the middle pretty much. There just happened to be a trap waiting there for you?

MHAIRI McKAY: It wasn't really my line. But any other hole it wouldn't be in too much trouble there. And just the unfortunate thing there is so much sand up in the face of that bunker. And to barely be able to see the ball, to barely be able to get a stance, I hit it pretty much as hard as I could, moved it a few feet on a 90 degree slope.

Q. Kind of like Scotland.

MHAIRI McKAY: Maybe.

(Laughter.) I think it might have been a pot bunker if it had been Scotland.

Q. If someone would have told you after two rounds you would be leading and you would be 6-under par at a U.S. Open, what would you say?

MHAIRI McKAY: Perfect. I'll take it. I'm just really delighted. I'm just trying to make good swings. I've been working really hard on my game. And it's been exciting the last two days. I felt like I am making the swings that I have been trying to make on the driving range and it's coming together that way. So that's the thing that's making me most happy.

Q. A lot of players have talked about how hard it is to get momentum out here. You birdied 7 holes. You had it going. Why has it been so easy for you here?

MHAIRI McKAY: I'm not sure it's easy. I've just been trying to play really smart golf. Pretty conservative. I didn't hit my driver once today. And I'm just trying to give myself good par opportunities and fortunately a couple of the options I have given myself have turned out to be birdies in the end. And I don't know, it's just -- I'm just on a roll, I'm not sure why. Just trying to make good swings, like I say. And I'm just excited with the way that's going.

Q. You keep talking about how your swing's coming together and the work you put in. I wonder if that changes your outlook of the course. If you see things differently from the tee, from the fairway, knowing that you're swinging well. Knowing that you know where the ball is going.

MHAIRI McKAY: I feel like my ball flight's really tight. So that's great. I have a good sense on the tees and the last couple of days that it has been good. And I've just -- there's a lot of trouble out there and I'm just trying to play very sensible shots and avoid the trouble as much as possible.

Q. Easier to do that now because of how you're swinging?

MHAIRI McKAY: That definitely helps me a lot. But I'm just trying to lay up short of the trouble, avoid most of the trouble and avoid making mistakes.

Q. How are you feeling? Are you pretty tired?

MHAIRI McKAY: I feel great.

Q. Did you sleep very well last night?

MHAIRI McKAY: I had one glass of wine and that helped me unwind last night.

Q. You seem to have a very good relationship with a very old 3-wood. How long have you been playing with that and what is it?

MHAIRI McKAY: I think that 3-wood's probably been in my bag for about four years but it's one of the original S2H2 Calloway three woods. And I just love the way it looks, the way it sets up. And so far it's been fairly nice to me.

Q. Can you talk about that birdie putt on 5, a tough par-3. It was a long putt that kind of wrapped up your birdie streak there. And it was pretty incredible.

MHAIRI McKAY: Yeah, I actually played the hole -- that was where I was aiming, where the shot ended up. I just wasn't going to go for that pin. And I maybe had a 40 foot putt. As I walked up and saw it, it is on a bit of a downhill slope and the green is getting very dry. So I knew it was going to be fast. And I hit the putt and I wasn't sure at first if I had hit it quite hard enough and it just kept tumbling and tumbling and kind of the last roll it fell in. So that was really exciting.

Q. You said after your round yesterday it's only Thursday, nothing to get excited about. Well, now that you're halfway through, are you still -- how do you still maintain your composure and maintain a level head instead of getting your mind wandering?

MHAIRI McKAY: It's still just Friday.

(Laughter.) There's 36 more holes out there. And anything can happen out on this golf course. Somebody could get really hot this afternoon and I'm just excited about the last couple of days. And I'm just going to try and keep making good swings again. I think that's really my key thought for the weekend.

Q. Will you think tomorrow about that ninth hole or will you erase it from your memory banks right now?

MHAIRI McKAY: I'll think about the putt that I made.

Q. Were you going left of the bunker or right of it?

MHAIRI McKAY: I was going left.

Q. Tell us a little bit about yourself away from golf. What do you do for fun? Do you have hobbies, family?

MHAIRI McKAY: Quite boring, really.

(Laughter.) Well, my family all live in Scotland. So probably talking on the telephone to them is number one priority. And I like reading and I'm a big Starbucks fan. I spend plenty of time in Starbucks reading. And going to movies. Also I used to like to paint and draw and things like that. But I haven't had too much opportunity to do that lately.

Q. What kind of reading?

MHAIRI McKAY: Well, I used to like water color but I don't think I would be very good any more. I like going to museums and things.

Q. What do you like to read?

MHAIRI McKAY: Just anything. I read -- the last book I read was Harry Potter, I must admit.

Q. So is Michelle Wie.

MHAIRI McKAY: Yeah, I should ask her. I read a great book, the Life of Pi just recently. Just anything that's out there.

Q. Where is your family from?

MHAIRI McKAY: Glasgow.

Q. Did you call mom and dad this morning?

MHAIRI McKAY: No, I didn't, so I'm sure they will be dying to talk to me.

Q. Talk to them today or tomorrow morning?

MHAIRI McKAY: I'll call them after I get done with you.

Q. What got you to Stanford?

MHAIRI McKAY: Actually a very good friend of mine from Stanford, her daughter was a nurse at Stanford University Hospital. She was visiting her daughter on one occasion and happened to bump into the women's golf coach. They got talking, she said I know a girl who would love to come here. She got the ball rolling there and I ended up at Stanford.

Q. After a handful of years out here, to be in this position going after your first not even Major but LPGA win at a tournament like the U.S. Open, what does that mean to you?

MHAIRI McKAY: It's a thrill. It's a dream come true, absolutely. This is why you play. In my mind the U.S. Open is the premier event for women. And it's just very exciting and the last two days have been great. If it continues like this, then that's great. And if it doesn't, I mean it's been a great experience.

Q. You were in contention at Blackwolf Run, is there anything you can take from that here that could help you?

MHAIRI McKAY: I guess bunkers don't like me at either place. But that was really fun. I played with Se Ri Pak in the last group. That was a few years ago now. I felt like I played really steadily there and I'm just not really thinking too much about that. I'm just really just trying to focus on hitting good golf shots.

Q. Is there any point in your round today where you looked at the score board or you were aware that were you kind of separating yourself from the field?

MHAIRI McKAY: No, I didn't look at the score board.

Q. How do you avoid doing that when you're out there all day? How can you do that?

MHAIRI McKAY: You just look the other way. I know where they're at, I just don't look at them.

Q. You thought it would be a distraction if you did?

MHAIRI McKAY: Well, what's the point in looking at the score board, because they're not really there for me, they're there for the spectators and that. I played amateur golf and didn't have score boards and you just got to -- I'm trying to make swings, not concentrate on what somebody else is doing out on the golf course.

Q. That might change Sunday though?

MHAIRI McKAY: No, I'm not going to look.

Q. Not at all?

MHAIRI McKAY: No.

Q. Will you relax tonight, try to get your mind off the game or will you just kind of stay out here?

MHAIRI McKAY: I'll probably hit a few shots and then go back to my friend's house, the Pippen's, here in Portland, who I'm staying with and I don't know, maybe run over to the Nike employee store or something like that. That's a nice perk of the tournament.

Q. One more glass of wine?

MHAIRI McKAY: Maybe just one. Tonight. Or half of one.

Q. You've obviously got an excellent game. What do you think's kept you from winning any one the six years you've been on the Tour, the LPGA Tour?

MHAIRI McKAY: Watching leader boards.

(Laughter.)

Q. Seriously.

MHAIRI McKAY: I don't know. I just, the timing hasn't been right. I think things will be as they're meant to be.

Q. Has it been frustrating or are you a pretty patient person naturally?

MHAIRI McKAY: Well, I try to be patient. You really have to be patient out here. Obviously, I don't know if I'm necessarily the most patient person, but everybody wants everything now, but sadly that doesn't happen. And if it's meant to be, it will be.

Q. Were you getting a little impatient last week? You went back for training and you have a new caddy this week. I mean was your patience wearing thin at all?

MHAIRI McKAY: No, I don't think so. I was maybe just a bit frustrated with where my game was at. I felt that it was close and it wasn't that far out of sequence. And it just needed tweaked a bit. And my coach, Chris Wolkey, was able to help me out a lot and I have got tremendous faith in him and what he tells me to do. And I have him here this week and he's really helped me so much.

Q. How does Peter, how is that relationship working out?

MHAIRI McKAY: Peter? It's been great. He's such a great guy. And he's put in so much work this week with the course and kind of figuring out our game plan. And he's just really nice to be around. I really enjoyed the two rounds with him. He's helped me tremendously.

Q. Why did you decide to change?

MHAIRI McKAY: I just felt that things were a little bit stale with my previous caddy. A change would probably do us both good. And Jeff's a very, very good friend of mine. And he's helped me a ton too. And I think it was just time to mix things up a little.

Q. The name of the tournament you won in Europe?

MHAIRI McKAY: The Australian Women's Open.

Q. And the European Tour event was that?

MHAIRI McKAY: Yes.

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