THE NABISCO CHAMPIONSHIP

March 22, 2000

Karrie Webb

KARRIE WEBB: Well, obviously I'm playing very well going into this week. I feel pretty good about my game, and, you know, I think, you know, I gave it my best shot last week. And I think every week that I step into a tournament, if I have a chance to win, you know, obviously I'm trying to do that. And, you know, it just wasn't meant to be. Charlotta plaid very well coming down the stretch and made some great par-saving putts. And it was just meant to be her tournament. So, you know, I had stolen a few tournaments from a couple of people already this year. So, you know, it was my turn to be on the receiving end, I guess. But no, I'm feeling pretty good about my game. And I'm just hoping to try and get myself into contention this week and have a chance to win.

KARRIE WEBB: Like I said, obviously, I didn't want to win last week just for the sake of winning. I think by not winning, the attention probably is a little bit less. But, you know, obviously I'm still playing well. So, you know, I don't know how much less it is because obviously, we never -- we're never going to know how much it would be if I had won. But I think, you know, it hasn't really been any other -- different to any other year I've been here so for. So, you know, I'm just looking forward to having a good practice this afternoon and getting my mind set for the weekend.

KARRIE WEBB: No. It has been stretched out a little bit. And I think any time someone shoots 19-under, you know next year the course is going to be set up a little bit tougher. And the rough is probably the thickest I've seen it in the five years that I've played this tournament. So, yeah, I think -- I don't think you're going to see those scores again this year, somehow. I mean, last year we had four perfect days of weather, too. So any time that you play out here and play with no wind and sunny skies, and a course in great shape, someone is going to shoot good scores, no matter how hard the course is set up. But I think the course is definitely set up a lot tougher than last year, and you're going to have to be very patient. You're going to have to try and make sure you hit a lot of fairways and you hit a lot of greens because the rough is a lot longer out there. And unfortunately, today was my only look at the course because obviously, an interview here on Monday, it was slight cyclonic as we say in Australia, and I didn't even venture out past the parking lot. So the rough is definitely thick. And hit a couple shots out of it today, but it's very hard to get the ball to the green. You want to be hitting your driver pretty straight.

KARRIE WEBB: I don't know if I can really answer your first question. You know, I just think that players get on a bit of a hot streak, and I know if you get off to a good start in the year, sort of ends up being a continuous roll. I know that it did for me last year, and hopefully it will this year. But I think that -- I guess as far as rivalries go, I think it's good for the LPGA, because it gives you guys something to write about, and it gets people excited come out and watch that. And, you know, obviously Annika is playing well this year. She has won once and she's been playing very well. You know, I'm just hoping to do the same, keep playing well and giving myself chances to win.

KARRIE WEBB: I didn't think I was going to get the questions of: Are you glad that you're not getting the questions of not winning a major. But it is a little easier because, obviously, after the start that I've had this year, that would be the No. 1 question on everyone's list. And it's not, fortunately. So hopefully, you know, I can take a little bit of my experience from du Maurier and put it to this week and sort of the never-say-die attitude and hope that I can put together a lower round on tough golf courses and just try and stay patient.

KARRIE WEBB: Well, the tee on 1 is moved back 20 yards. I don't think it's going to affect play that much there. It might just give you an 8- or a 9-iron in there instead of a wedge. So that's not that big a change. The tee on the 5th is moved back -- I don't know how far back it's moved, but I think, actually, it's about a better tee for the way the green is shaped. I think it actually makes the pins more accessible in the back right instead of -- we're actually playing the hole how it's a designed, rather than hitting across the slope the way we have in the past. And I think No. 10 has been moved back. I think the biggest hole is No. 13. We're about 15, 20 yards back on that tee. And when you're off 15, 20 yards, I can pitch it on the downslope and hit probably a 9-iron 8-iron to the back of the green; whereas now, I really have to bust one to get it down that hill even. And it really just brings in a longer shot, I think, probably more of a 6-iron. I missed the fairway there today so I don't -- I just had to hack it up the fairway. But you are going to hit a longer shot in there. And 15 has been moved back as well. But it won't be -- it won't play much of a different club into the green. You just have to hit a driver off the tee instead of a 3-wood.

KARRIE WEBB: Well, I normally have just a few key thoughts that I think about on the range. And, you know, if things are going really well on the golf course a lot of times I don't really have any thoughts on my mind. But the shot that I have in mind to hit at the pin. But, you know, a lot of the times, you know, you're not fortunate enough that you're hitting that well that you don't think about anything. And I normally just think about those couple of things that I work on on the range with.

KARRIE WEBB: Our schedule has changed? I have heard that the men's schedule -- the men's schedule of tournaments has changed so they don't have to come up against our tournaments. I think the first week that we play down there, the Australian Open in Melbourne, I think our ratings were 16 to 3 over the men's tournament, and they played just north of Sydney. And I think that's what they are talking about; that's the tournament they are scheduling to not clash against any of our events so that their TV ratings will be a little bit better. But no, I think it's great. I think now we just have to go to those stations, channels that cover the tournament, and instead of them -- instead of us paying them, you know, they need to be paying us, because we gave them a great couple of weeks, great golf and very exciting finishes both weeks. You know, the ratings proved that. I think that's a great step forward for us down there.

KARRIE WEBB: Why, because I've been here longer than 10?

KARRIE WEBB: I guess so. I think is it works both ways, because if there's no questions being asked to me, then, you know, a press conference will last as long as both parties are asking questions and answering. But I think what a lot of people don't understand is that when you come out and you're 21 years old and had the success that I first started, talking to 20 people like this wasn't something that I grew up knowing how to handle, and I think it's big art sometimes that the media and people put on you to -- to me, it was a very hard adjustment. And I think that I've just started every year, I've grown to be getting used to it and understanding what my responsibilities are and just -- and just getting to know a lot more of the media people that are out here and being able to talk to them, even on a personal basis, I think makes it a lot more comfortable.

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