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JTBC FOUNDERS CUPMarch 20, 2015Karrie WebbPHOENIX, ARIZONA KELLY SCHULTZ: We'd like to welcome Karrie Webb into the interview room. A long day out on the golf course, but you have to be feeling pretty good to be walking away after getting most of two rounds in at 7‑under par. KARRIE WEBB: Yeah, I do feel pretty good. You know, it was a long day, early morning. I think I made the most of the conditions this morning with the greens being freshly mowed. They got a little slow and bumpy this afternoon, but you know, all in all, I feel like I played pretty solidly today, so I'm happy about that. KELLY SCHULTZ: How was the course overall? Was it still holding water or how was it playing overall. KARRIE WEBB: It's hit and miss. This morning it was still quite damp. More of the water had come up to the surface. Some of the fairways were a little wetter this morning than I felt they were yesterday. But it seemed to dry out as the day went on. KELLY SCHULTZ: Overall we know this course can produce some low scoring. We saw last year in your final round, 63. The way it's playing right now, do you expect those scores to keep going lower even if it dries out a little? KARRIE WEBB: I think so. I just think the greens are a little inconsistent this year pace‑wise. I don't know if because we've had‑‑ they watered them quite a bit to start the week and then we had that rain, that they are just growing, really fast. But they get really slow and bumpy in the afternoon. So I don't know; 63, you're still able to shoot that out here, but I felt like I played pretty well and didn't putt all that badly. I only shot 2‑under this afternoon. Fresh greens definitely makes a difference. Q. When you have disjointed play like this where everybody is going to end up playing numerous holes; are you happier to have that happen on Friday or Saturday or does it make a difference? KARRIE WEBB: I don't really think it makes a difference but I'm glad now that I'm going to get to sleep in tomorrow. Although, I think we'll probably still be off around lunch time, so it won't be a long sleep‑in. But I'm glad that they are just out of the way. Q. Stacy Lewis was saying earlier she thinks it's not good for the Tour when there's not one dominant player and it's better to have her and Inbee going after things. You've been around a long time; do you think it's better to have one dominant player everyone is trying to catch? KARRIE WEBB: I don't think it makes a difference. I've been around where there's been two or three of us and then just one for a long time. Then Lorena came along and she dominated and then Yani after that. I think we have so many good story lines right now, I don't think it really matters if one person dominates or not. It looks like right now Lydia could take that step where he's going to dominate, but I really feel like Inbee and Stacy are definitely hungry enough to maybe not let her get too far ahead and there's a bunch of other good players that will definitely have consistent years, as well. Q. The LPGA has 15 events out of the country. Is it good to have Inbee from South Korea, Stacy from the U.S.; you have all sort of places represented near the top. KARRIE WEBB: Yeah, definitely. I think if we didn't have the international flavor we do, I don't think that we would be overseas as much as we are. And quite honestly, the reason why we are sitting here in Phoenix is because we were fortunate enough to make the opportunities work overseas when we weren't as successful here in the U.S. I think that really saved the Tour. Now I think it's a really good mix in the schedule. You have some overseas events at the start of the year and some at the end, but I think it's a good mix of both. Q. Having said what you said about Inbee, Stacy and Lydia, has it become a situation‑‑ they are getting on so many leaderboards where you guys look up and kind of expect them to be there and kind of know they are going to be there? KARRIE WEBB: Yeah, 15 years ago, I don't remember it ever feeling as automatic as it seems whenever you play with Stacy or Inbee or Lydia, that they just put themselves on the leaderboard. This morning, we resumed early and Stacy 3‑putted from nowhere and all of the sudden, she's only 1‑under. Then in the next 10, 11 holes, she shot 7‑under in the next 11 holes. I think those players are playing with that sort of confidence that I don't feel like they feel like they have to press; that the scores are just going to be there, and that's a great feeling to have is to know that, yeah, I gave one away there but there's plenty of opportunity still to go. Q. Yani had a really tough day today. I know you guys playing at this level are all about patience. Is there a point where that wears thin, or are you just glad it's not happening to you? KARRIE WEBB: Well, you definitely feel for a player when they struggled as much as Yani did today. Before our delay last night, or actually until her last tee shot last night, I actually felt like I saw a bit of Yani of old. She didn't make any putts but she was hitting it very nicely off the tee and hitting some good iron shots. Then she just hit one poor tee shot right at the end of our day after the horn went off and that was it. I feel for her because she's going to do everything she can technically but I think she's got to overcome a few demons before we see her back to playing the way we know she can. Q. 15 years ago, it was you and Annika and Se Ri; were you in any way prodded or inspired by their play? Did you look for them on the leaderboard and up your game when they were there? KARRIE WEBB: I guess I probably did but I never really felt that at the time. I think I was so focused and driven on just being the best that I could be, that‑‑ I mean, ultimately, I know when Annika and I were paired together, that we brought the best out in each other, and some of the best rounds of golf I've played, I've been paired with Annika, and vice versa I think. So I know that we did motivate each other to get to better levels. But I don't think I ever compared my game to theirs and what do I have to do to beat them. It was more about just improving. I've always been pretty honest with myself and known exactly‑‑ probably too harsh a critic at times, but known exactly what I've needed to work on to be better. And so I've never really used that as motivation. Q. I know I can't remember what I had for breakfast, so remembering something 15 years ago is a little tough. Do you recall whether or not you looked for them on leaderboards? KARRIE WEBB: Yeah, I'm sure I did. I'm the leaderboard watcher. So it's like, I see Stacy's name on the leaderboard every week now and I probably saw Annika's every week 15 years ago, too. KELLY SCHULTZ: Our current leader is Hyo Joo Kim, and some fans might not be completely familiar with her. You got to play with her‑‑ KARRIE WEBB: I know who she is. KELLY SCHULTZ: ‑‑ you got to play with her in the final round at Evian last year and got to see how impressive she was as a 17‑year‑old who was playing well and now as a rookie out here. What can you say about her game and what is so impressive about how she was able to play. KARRIE WEBB: Well, I've only played that one round with her, but I felt like I was putting plenty of pressure on her, and she just hit good shot after good shot. Even when I thought, you know, the nerves had gotten the best of her, she made one of the best up‑and‑downs I've ever seen under pressure on 17 and then made one of the best birdies I've of seen on 18. So, you know, she's definitely got game. Winning Evian wasn't a fluke last year. Q. Can you just talk a little about some of the birdie putts that were extremely close, and then towards the end when you made a run and had about four within a matter of maybe nine holes, you had four birdies; is it kind of a feeling when you can feel you're going to get hot or is it transitioning through the course? KARRIE WEBB: Yeah, I think I missed a couple of short ones through ten holes today and was a little frustrated with my putting because I really wasn't playing that poorly. Made a nice 5‑footer for birdie on the second and then really didn't make long putts after that. I hit it to about a foot on the third, and then 2‑putted for birdie on the fifth. Made maybe a 10‑footer on the seventh. So I definitely had a lot of opportunities today. So I feel pretty good about where my game's at. FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports |
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