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U.S. WOMEN'S OPEN CHAMPIONSHIP

July 3, 1998

Mhairi McKay

KOHLER, WISCONSIN

RHONDA GLENN: Ladies and gentlemen, we are with Mhairi McKay who shot 32 on the back 9. She is now at even par for the Championship. Before we start I want to announce the new total of attendance for today. It went up to 26,000. That was at 5:30. We sent out a little bulletin for you, but Friday's attendance is 26,000. That is a new record by 7,000. 7,000 more than we have had for the Women's Open on a Friday. Well, Mhairi, what an incredible round you had today. Front 9 included three 6s. You still managed to shoot a 38. That wonderful 32 on the backside. Give us just how you felt today while you were out on the golf course and your general impressions of your game today.

MHAIRI McKAY: Felt really confident about my game. I feel like I have been swinging really well for the past month or so, and yesterday I played very well, struck the ball well, so felt confident going into today's round, kind of got off to a bit of a bad start on the first two holes, which was a bit nerve-wracking, but I managed to pull it back together towards the end after the rain delay so that was nice.

RHONDA GLENN: All right, we will get into details about your personality and where you were born and everything in a few moments. But you started with a double-bogey on the first hole.

MHAIRI McKAY: First, hit a really good drive middle of the fairway, had a 9-iron into the green and I just came out of it a touch and it didn't make it up the top of the hill, rolled back down. I tried to run a 5-iron up the hill and it didn't come off and I ended up still having to chip one. I missed the pull. So it was a bit of a frustrating start.

RHONDA GLENN: Double-bogey on the first hole.

MHAIRI McKAY: Yes. The 2nd I brought my driver out to the right, my third -- actually I hit it over the green long. I pulled it. Landed in a nasty lie and chipped and 2-putt. So wasn't really a great start.

RHONDA GLENN: We will just go over the bogeys and birdies then.

MHAIRI McKAY: No. 4 I had a sand wedge in. I hit it to about twelve feet. Made a putt. No. 5, I had doubled. I hit my driver left. I tried to lay-up with a 5-iron and I pulled it into the hazard. But I managed to hit it out of the hazard, chipped onto the green and had two putts for double. On No. 8, I birdied. I think I hit 7-iron in, must have been about 20 feet, rolled it in.

RHONDA GLENN: What happened on 9? I understand you were in the drainage ditch between 9 and 18.

MHAIRI McKAY: Yeah, on 9 I was in the rough off my drive. I tried to hit a 9-iron. I just pushed it a bit right. It hit the tree, rolled into that funnel by the drain - there is a drain there - and I called the rules official over, she gave me relief from the drain because it was going to be obstructing my putt. I got a club length from there. It was a bit of a rollercoaster club. My caddie helped me out. I missed the line. I managed to roll it up to about six inches, which was nice.

RHONDA GLENN: How long was that putt?

MHAIRI McKAY: I think it had to be at least 100 feet.

RHONDA GLENN: So you managed to save par then on 9.

MHAIRI McKAY: Yes.

RHONDA GLENN: You made the turn in 38. Where were you when the rain delay came in.

MHAIRI McKAY: I was on -- we were just getting ready to drive on 12, but we didn't tee off.

RHONDA GLENN: You had parred 10 and 11. What did you do during the rain delay?

MHAIRI McKAY: The vans came up to side of the tee and we sat in the vans for a while and my caddie turned the radio on and I think about six of my favorite songs came on in a row and got me in a good mood and got back out and everything seemed to click.

RHONDA GLENN: Six of your favorites in a row, okay. Good. On the very next hole after the rain delay you made a birdie, the first of a string of four. Tell us how that happened.

MHAIRI McKAY: Hit a good drive down and had a 7-iron in, I pulled it just a touch, but it was about 25 feet away and I managed to knock it in. On 13, I hit an 8-iron in, I think, to about eight feet, and rolled that one in. On 14, hit 5-wood off the tee, had about 80 yards to the flag, just hit my lob wedge to about six feet and that one went in as well. My last birdie was on 16, laid up to about 80 yards and had the same type of shot that I had on 14 and similar distance and knocked that one in too.

RHONDA GLENN: Actually, you didn't have four in a row; you had four birdies in five holes there.

MHAIRI McKAY: Yes.

RHONDA GLENN: What were your feelings, say, after the third birdie? Were you starting to think: Well, this might be a good day after all?

MHAIRI McKAY: I was delighted. I felt like I was striking the ball really well and felt very confident on the greens and just dying to go onto the next shot, basically. It was a lot of fun.

RHONDA GLENN: Questions.

Q. Do you really think the music had something to do with calming you and helping with the four birdies in five holes?

MHAIRI McKAY: I am sure it had something to do with it. I was just tapping my feet in the van and having a good time. I was really relaxed. I wasn't thinking too much about the golf course at that time, or the rain delay and the length of time that it was taking to get back out there. So it put me in a good frame of mind to get back out and have some fun.

Q. A follow-up, what were some of the songs that were played?

MHAIRI McKAY: I think one of them was: Killing Me Softly, by the Fugees, was it? Other one was Walking on the Sun, but I can't remember the name of the band.

Q. Smash Mouth.

MHAIRI McKAY: Smash Mouth.

RHONDA GLENN: Can you remember any of the others?

MHAIRI McKAY: Right now I can't, but I just know I knew them all. I was just singing away and relaxed.

RHONDA GLENN: I think you need a tape of those for tomorrow.

Q. How do you feel about being in the position you are in, halfway through the Open?

MHAIRI McKAY: Delighted. It is probably beyond my wildest dreams right now. I just set out at the beginning of the week to play as well as I could, and enjoy the experience and have a lot of fun and see what playing in an Open Championship course was like.

Q. Have you time to think about tomorrow, one of the last groups and what it would be like?

MHAIRI McKAY: I think I am just going to relax tonight and have some dinner and try and not think about it, just keep having fun and relax as much as possible.

Q. What is the most pressurized situation you have been in so far, would you say?

MHAIRI McKAY: Definitely the Tour school, Qualifying School.

Q. As a leader, say, Gleneagles two years ago, weren't you in one of the last groups that day?

MHAIRI McKAY: Yeah, I was in one of the last ones. It was quite pressure-packed. The British amateur, something like that. Curtis Cup.

Q. You said you wanted to see what playing an Open course was like? What is it like and what is it in your makeup that allows you to play it well?

MHAIRI McKAY: Well, I think you just grow up seeing the Open on television and you see the thick rough by the green and you see the narrow fairways and you just -- you know, it is challenging your game to the max and you are seeing how the test - how you stand up to the test. I think it is everything and more that I saw on television, just the undulating greens and just all the pressures, the crowds and the challenge. It has really been fantastic.

RHONDA GLENN: She is a rookie on the Tour and this is her first Women's Open. Growing up in Glasgow, you were able to get the Women's Open in Scotland on television?

MHAIRI McKAY: I haven't seen too many of the Women's Open. More of the Men's Open. But certainly was watching it last year when Alison won and just to see a Championship course like that, real thrill to be able to play it myself.

RHONDA GLENN: Were you in Scotland when you watched last year's Women's Open?

MHAIRI McKAY: Yeah.

RHONDA GLENN: What is the name of the channel that you get it on or the satellite?

MHAIRI McKAY: It is Sky Television.

RHONDA GLENN: Skytel, okay, thanks. Congratulations. Last time we saw you was in the Curtis Cup Match. You played very well, two teams. You are certainly doing very well in this Championship. Great round.

End of FastScripts....

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