U.S. WOMEN'S OPEN CHAMPIONSHIP

July 4, 1998

Mhairi McKay

MHAIRI McKAY: I bogeyed the first and I hit it just over the back and then I 3-putted and I just reached the first putt by and lipped out by the return. You actually have it wrong here on the -- I had a bogeyed number.

MHAIRI McKAY: Sorry.

MHAIRI McKAY: Sorry. Then I bogeyed No. 4. I drove the ball right into some rough and I lobbed it onto the green and 2-putts for bogey. I birdied No. 8. I hit think it was a 7-iron in and went to about 20 feet, 25 feet and I rolled it in. Then I bogeyed No. 10. It was actually a really good bogey because I snapped-whipped it off the tee into the hazard and had to retee and I made about a 10-footer for bogey. So it was -- I was really pleased about that. Then I birdied 12. I drove the ball to the right in some rough and I couldn't really go for the pin or anything. I put it on the green and made about a 60-foot putt for birdie. On 13, I hit 6-iron into the green and I hit it to about ten feet and rolled it in for birdie. On 14, I hit 5-wood off the tee and had about 90 yards to the pin and hit my lob wedge to about 15 feet, rolled that one in. Then I doubled 17. Again I hit it into the hazard and put it into the ball drop and on the green and made two good putts for the double. On 18, I drove the ball right into the bunker. Played out, and almost made my putt at the end for birdie. Just lipped out.

MHAIRI McKAY: Well, I am obviously delighted with the way I played. The conditions are really tough out there. It was very windy and at the start of the day, I knew it was going to be challenging; everybody would find it difficult. I just tried to remain patient and focused on every shot, just have some fun out there, and have a good time. I new the mistakes were going to happen but not to let that put me off; to keep the faith the way I was playing and the way I was swinging and just to remain focused.

MHAIRI McKAY: It is a dream come true. Couldn't be happier. You grow up - when you think about the U.S. Open, you always imagine being in contention and playing in that last group and to be able to live that tomorrow, I couldn't be happier.

MHAIRI McKAY: My caddie and I were just -- I don't know, we just get on very well and just talk about normal things and just relax and just take one shot at a time and don't get ahead of ourselves and just basically enjoy the experience.

MHAIRI McKAY: Well, probably about a two-club wind, I thought. It got fairly gusty and yesterday on 7 actually, I hit a 9-iron into the -- or 8-iron into the green and today I hit 3-wood into the green. So, the wind is in a totally different direction, but a two-club wind if there hadn't been any wind at all. But, I think growing up in Scotland and playing my home course being at Turnberry and used to playing in the wind and I think that was a big help today.

MHAIRI McKAY: I feel like I have really played well the past six weeks. I have been swinging the club well and for four of those weeks, I really struggled a lot with my putting and that was the hardest thing to overcome and that really prevented me from doing better, I feel, and a couple of weeks ago I worked on it really hard and tried some new things and it has really clicked. I just feel still swinging well and the putts are going in and that makes a huge difference. It is a great confidence boost to stand up on the green and really focus in on the hole and your line.

MHAIRI McKAY: I knew I was leading and I tried to hit 7-iron and I just -- I put a bad swing on it. It was -- just kind of dropped into the shot rather than swing through it. Wasn't positive enough through the shot. And then I dropped it in the ball drop and hit a 9-iron in, caught it a little heavy, but got it on the green, about 40, 50 feet away, I think, probably about 40 feet away. Kind of going downhill, then uphill up the tier, and I made really good first putt from -- I think if it had nice pace on it might well have gone it, but it ended up going seven feet by and knocked the return in.

MHAIRI McKAY: I wasn't unhappy. Reminded me a lot of playing at home and just tried to really focus. That was just all; concentrate on one shot at a time and hit the ball and whereever it goes, just play it from there and just remain positive and believe in what I was working on and the way I was swinging and just have a lot of fun out there. That is all I have been doing all week. I have loved the week. It has been so much fun and whatever happens, I mean, this is a memory I will always cherish.

MHAIRI McKAY: Yeah, it was nice. Similar to yesterday. Just got on the green and had some really good putts. The stroke felt -- as soon as I hit them, the stroke felt really good, just watching the putts drop in, that was a real buzz. Got some very good reads off the greens from my caddie. I have to give him a lot of credit. He has been fantastic this week. He has kept me really positive. He has really been a lot of help on the greens. He reads them very well.

MHAIRI McKAY: Andrew Deardon (ph).

MHAIRI McKAY: No, he is from Manchester, England.

MHAIRI McKAY: Yeah, I sneaked in, I started the Tour school -- I started out really well. I was level par through six holes, then just made some bad swings and sure I got nervous, I think that is probably the most pressure-packed situation I have been in. It is not a fun week at all out there. Everybody is on edge. You realize that your whole year depends on your performance at Tour school. I am grateful now that I wasn't one shot more and I have my card on Tour, but you just have to take what is dealt to you. I feel like I have made a lot of improvements since then and really happy with the way I am striking the ball this week, a lot happier than I was at Tour school. I am just having fun.

MHAIRI McKAY: Well, I think they are two entirely different tournaments. One, you are thinking "my whole year depends on this" as far as playing on the LPGA. On the other, you have the pressure of playing in the greatest golf tournament in the world and having all the crowds around and putting your golf game to the test against possibly the hardest golf course that you will play in your life. I mean, it is a great feeling.

MHAIRI McKAY: Yes.

MHAIRI McKAY: What is --

MHAIRI McKAY: I don't know, maybe I was in the top-30 going into the last day in a professional tournament.

MHAIRI McKAY: Actually on the last day I played in one professional tournament as an amateur in Scotland, the McDonald's at Gleneagles and I think I was maybe in the fifth to last group, or something.

MHAIRI McKAY: I started to work with Gregory Jamieson who is the director of golf at Lake Nona (ph). I started working with him January of this year. I have been seeing him about four times throughout the season. I feel like I have made a lot of good swing changes and I feel really happy with where my golf game is right now.

MHAIRI McKAY: Gregor's father, Bob Jamieson. He is the head professional or he was the head professional at Turnberry until he retired a couple years ago and I -- actually, when I first started playing golf, when I was about 8, Gregor gave me some lessons and then he married an American girl and came over here and after that I worked with his dad for a long time until I went to the University at Stanford.

MHAIRI McKAY: Definitely. Stanford was a wonderful place to go to school. We played in the PAC-10 against the Arizona schools and it was very competitive. You play golf competitively every two weeks and you are playing everyday. We had tremendous facilities at Stanford and a great golf course. I think that really has helped me a lot to have that American experience.

MHAIRI McKAY: No, Andrew has worked with me in couple of the Monday qualifiers. He caddied for me on the weekend at the tournament in Sacramento. He was great then. He really was fantastic on the greens again. Just gives me a lot of confidence and keeps me relaxed and he is great to be around on the golf course. I really enjoy having him caddie.