WEETABIX WOMEN'S BRITISH OPEN CHAMPIONSHIP

August 8, 2002

Mhairi McKay

LAURA NEAL: Mhairi, welcome. Nice round. Can you give us some comments about how you feel about your start?

MHAIRI McKAY: Yesterday, I probably wasn't too sure how to hit the first shot, and the expectation from myself and everybody else. But I'm happy to be sitting here having shot 68.

Q. (Inaudible.)

MHAIRI McKAY: It was definitely a nice pressure. I think I put a lot on myself because it's home and I want to play well. Actually, when I got into the first tee I didn't feel as bad as I thought I would. I think I was so caught up in thinking about my first swing and what technique I was going to use, and I've been working on some things on the range and I think I kind of distracted from the significance of the moment.

Q. (Inaudible.)

MHAIRI McKAY: Yes, I would say so because I had never really competed on the course, and that's my first score, really, I guess. Put it in the ballot box for my handicap. (Chuckles).

Q. (Inaudible.)

MHAIRI McKAY: I shot the ball really well. I got off to a good start, but I had a bit of a lull in the middle of the round with a couple of errant drives, missed a short putt, but finished really strong, as you see. I fired the ball the last three holes, inside 15 feet, all of my attempts, and was glad to see them go in.

Q. (Inaudible).

MHAIRI McKAY: A lot of dreams there and I think when you're playing landscape, you don't really realize how much you are taking in about the course. You know, I was talking to my caddy, Brian, a lot about the reads, and, oh, this green doesn't break towards the ocean or it doesn't break as much as it appears. For the most part, I read the greens very well, and that helped me, certainly, at the end.

Q. (Inaudible.)

MHAIRI McKAY: Since I was nine. They are fairly cool, too. But you still have to putt the ball in the right place because if you have an errant shot, even in these conditions, you can be punished for it.

Q. (Inaudible.)

MHAIRI McKAY: Well, I'm going to be apprehensive again tomorrow morning, but I'm just going to savor this moment.

Q. (Inaudible.)

MHAIRI McKAY: A bit of both. I think I had a bit of comfort in the fact that I had that inside knowledge, and certainly the most focused I have ever been playing the course. So it obviously has the feeling of being in a major.

Q. (Inaudible.)

MHAIRI McKAY: It's nice to see so many friendly faces. I start to appreciate so many people turning up to support me, and I'm glad I can have a few birdies for them. I just feel really lucky right now. It's great to be home and see everybody again.

LAURA NEAL: Let's do your scorecard, please.

MHAIRI McKAY: I birdied the first. I hit 7-iron into four feet.

I birdied the third. I hit 3-wood onto about 50 feet and 2-putted.

Then I birdied the seventh. My 3-wood came up about ten yards short of the green and I chipped onto about five feet, made that putt.

Bogeyed the eighth. I missed my drive out to the right and I missed my 4-iron from downhill lie, and I actually missed the green with my first chip and then chipped onto about an inch.

Then I birdied the ninth. I hit 6-iron onto about four feet and made that.

I bogeyed the 10th. I pulled my 3-wood drive left and just had to hack out, played on to the green and I had a 2-putt.

Then I bogeyed the 14th, left off the tee, right on my second shot. Chopped on to the green to about 60 feet and 3-putted. Probably 3-footer.

Then I birdied 16. I hit pitching wedge to like 15 feet. Made that.

I birdied 17. I hit pitching wedge to about 15 feet there.

And I birdied 18. I had a sand wedge to ten feet and made that.

LAURA NEAL: Great start. Thanks a lot.

End of FastScripts....