LPGA CORNING CLASSIC

May 26, 2001

Mhairi McKay

MHAIRI MCKAY: I birdied the 2nd, I hit a 5-wood just short of the green. Tapped it up to about a foot. Then I eagled the 5th. I hit -- I think it was a 7-iron into about 30 feet; made it. Then I birdied 12. I chipped onto about 9 feet; made the putt. I birdied 15, I hit a 9-iron to about a foot; made the putt. Then I bogeyed 17. 3-putted from the back edge of the green from about 30 feet.

MHAIRI MCKAY: Obviously, I hope so. I wasn't really trying to think about that too much today. I was trying to play my own game and keep hitting the shots as well as I have done the last couple of days. Fortunately, I was able to do that and make putts along the way.

MHAIRI MCKAY: My Pro-Am partners gave me some really good lessons on Wednesday, and I have to give them all the credit. I'm very happy.

MHAIRI MCKAY: I thought it was great today in the two-ball versus the three-ball the last couple of days. We just moved along really well. And I'm sure we'll be able to do that tomorrow if there's some bad weather out there. It doesn't really change my game plan at all.

MHAIRI MCKAY: No, it was in great shape. Greens were great. There wasn't any water lying around anywhere. The course took the rain very well.

MHAIRI MCKAY: No, not really.

MHAIRI MCKAY: Well, I've not really been in this position as a professional, but I'm just delighted to be here and just to see what tomorrow brings. Hopefully it will be a good day. If not, we'll take it from there. Put it down to experience.

MHAIRI MCKAY: It's in good shape. The wind picked up a little bit. The greens were great, nice and fast. I can't compliment the greens staff enough for -- they've got the course looking fantastic.

MHAIRI MCKAY: Since he finished up at Stanford, I hadn't really had much contact with him, but while he was there at Stanford, he was just phenomenal. Something extra special. I guess I was very privileged to be at Stanford at the same time, and it's sort of a nice story that you can tell people. Notah Begay was there and Casey Martin also, so...

MHAIRI MCKAY: Well, today, I felt great being in the position. I just played my own game and executed my shots really well, was able to make some putts -- that's great to have three rounds in the 60s. I've been very happy with that kind of consistency that seems to have come into my game lately. It's nice to be on top of the leaderboard, and see what happens. It's a great experience.

MHAIRI MCKAY: I think it's like that most weeks. It's always competitive. And there's so many good players out there. You know you're going to have to be in the top of your game to win any given week on the Tour. So it's just something you know that happens, but you have to concentrate on your own game versus anybody else's; that's all you're in control of.

MHAIRI MCKAY: I hope I get an opportunity to wear my Sunderland Rainwear. (Laughter). But, you know, I played in the rain quite a lot. Obviously, I like to wear my shorts too. But if it rains, it rains. It doesn't always rain in Scotland.

MHAIRI MCKAY: Of course. If you don't play golf when it rains in Scotland, you wouldn't play golf.

MHAIRI MCKAY: I would have been disappointed to finish bogey, bogey. I was a bit disappointed with 17. 18, that was really -- my 8-iron into the green was just one of the few shots that I missed all day. Fortunately, I was able to recover out of the bunker. I was just happy to make par. Par's a good number.

MHAIRI MCKAY: I had about 97 yards to the pin, and I was on a bit of a down slope. I just kind of closed the face down. So it came out. What was I thinking about then? Well, the first putt, I felt was more downhill. Then I just went through my routine; tried to make the same stroke. I think I pushed it out a bit to the right. That was all.

MHAIRI MCKAY: There's no swear words in Scottish.

MHAIRI MCKAY: I think I parred it yesterday.

MHAIRI MCKAY: I think I bogeyed it the first day.

MHAIRI MCKAY: I bogeyed it one of the days. Thanks for bringing that up. (Laughter.)

MHAIRI MCKAY: My favorite Tiger story would be on the driving range and the guys and girls would practice together, and I'm hitting some balls and minding my business, and Tiger comes up very nonchalantly and says, drops the ball and says, "Hey, watch this." And there's a big kind of oak tree in the middle of Stanford driving range. He said, "See that oak tree? Going to fade if round there and head to --" We had kind of big candy-cane goal post things that you try to drive through. "I'm going to fade it to the right-hand post." A fade of about 40, 50 yards with a driver off the ground in his hand. He just stands up. Does it. He hits the post, just kind of walks away. You're like "Okay. I believe you" (Laughter.)