U.S. WOMEN'S OPEN CHAMPIONSHIP

July 8, 1997

Karrie Webb

KARRIE WEBB: Well, it's a great golf course. I really enjoyed playing it today. It was in great shape. The greens are a little soft after the rain, but I think that's good, because you can still play some good golf shots. And I think by the time Thursday comes around, if the sun comes out, they'll dry out a little bit anyway. But it's going to be tough. The rough doesn't look as long, but once you get in it it's tough to get out of it. It grabs quite a bit and it's really hard to get a ball to the green if you've got a 7-iron distance in.

KARRIE WEBB: Well, I like this course, because I think it eliminates a few of the players, just because it does a lot of carrying, you have to carry it through the green. You can't bounce it up on the green, and there's a lot of water carries, as well. I'm a high ball hitter, so I think that's one of the advantages I have.

KARRIE WEBB: I have a lot of respect for Annika. She's obviously won 2 U.S. Opens. Playing alongside of her Thursday and Friday, so I'm sure she's definitely going to be in there in contention. Hopefully I can keep up with her or be a step up with her.

KARRIE WEBB: My scoring average is lower than it was last year, and at this stage last year I'm probably at more money this year than I had last year. I've only won once this year, whereas this time last year I won twice. But I've had more top-10s and played a lot more consistently probably than I did last year.

KARRIE WEBB: I don't know. I think anyone can win in their week. Everyone out here can play well enough. But I think it's probably a good 58 percent of the field would have a good chance of winning. Anyone that plays on the LPGA Tour that's qualified or was exempt to play this week has a good chance, normally. But as I said, with any of the low, low ball hitters where you hit longer clubs into the greens, the greens are quite small and you have low cut areas down into little dips, it's not easy to get up-and-down from there. I think the high ball hitters, maybe the long hitters will have more of a chance. But then you can always be surprised by that.

KARRIE WEBB: Yeah, I do. The crowd gets you going, and they get excited. And you hit good shots, they get you pumped up, as well, and I like that out there.

KARRIE WEBB: Last year obviously I didn't know what to expect. I didn't know how hard the course would be, or the atmosphere, but I probably was a little overwhelmed. I played with Annika last year, as well. But this year obviously I'm still really excited to play this week, and probably not as awed as last year. I'm trying to be more relaxed this Thursday than I was last year on Thursday.

KARRIE WEBB: I'm just really trying not to think that I'm playing the U.S. Open, and trying to think that I'm just playing a regular Tour event.

KARRIE WEBB: Well, I've been struggling a little bit with my swing, but it seems to be coming around. I had a couple of good rounds last week, and my game's just been solid. I think one day something let's me down and another area of my game picks me up. And I seem not to have too bad a round. So I just think right now that I'm feeling that my game is -- it's probably not quite at the level I'd like it, but hopefully by Thursday and another practice round tomorrow I think it will probably be up there.

KARRIE WEBB: It was my second nine. It was actually the front nine. That day I really hit the ball very well, and probably the best I had for about 6 weeks to two months. And that's what I'm trying to take my confidence from going into this week. And I started hitting some shots that way today. That was like that last Thursday, so hopefully I can continue to do that.

KARRIE WEBB: The first round of Toledo last week, Jaime Farr.

KARRIE WEBB: Obviously it's one of my career goals to win a U.S. Open. And I think if I was 40 and nearing the end of my career and I never won a U.S. Open, I'd probably want to win it really badly. I want to win it badly because it's a career goal, but if I don't win it this week, I've probably got another 20 chances. I'm just going to try and play my best, and if it comes off this week, then I'm going to be over the moon.

KARRIE WEBB: He's sort of just been trying to -- I've just had a little bit of a funk in my swing and he's been giving me a few suggestions and sort of just -- he's trying to give me a little confidence and trying to give me some swing thoughts that normally help me out a little bit.

KARRIE WEBB: Let me see. I think I can reach two of them. The other two, maybe if the course dries out a little bit. But 18 I can reach now, and once the fairways dry out, I'll be able to reach that quite easily. It's kind of weird to reach a U.S. Open par-5 as the last hole, being able to reach it in two, but that will make for a very exciting finish, I think, for this tournament.

KARRIE WEBB: I actually didn't have too many shots in there today, but I just tried to play the course today and get some yardage, and tomorrow I'll hit a few more out of the rough. But it is thick out there. And it doesn't look as long as probably last year's rough did, but once you get in there it's really hard to get out, especially when it was raining today, it was wet and really thick to get out of. But I've actually lowered myself to put a 7-wood in my bag this week, so I'm trying that out and seeing how that goes. I might put that in the bag, because I hit a couple of those out of the rough today and they came out quite well.

KARRIE WEBB: I haven't decided yet. I've just got a few clubs in there. If I put the 7-wood in, I'll probably drop my 5-wood out.

KARRIE WEBB: There's not a lot wrong with it. I'm just struggling with my setup. I have days where I feel really comfortable over the ball and I can get my swing back on the correct plane. And when I'm not feeling comfortable over the ball, that's when I struggle with getting it back on plane. So I'm just trying to get a few key things to get me set up properly. I don't think anyone can help you with the feel of it. You've got to feel around with it yourself until you feel what's right.

KARRIE WEBB: Not well under, but it's going to be under par. There is a chance that you can get on a roll out here, especially if you're putting well. And if you hit the ball well and get it on the right part of the green, because the putts that you can have if you're on the wrong parts of the green are pretty phenomenal. But if you're hitting the ball well and getting some putts to drop, you can't really set a score for a U.S. Open. If you say 10-under the USGA will cut the greens and make them run at 14. So I don't know, but I think it will be definitely -- there will be a few people under par, probably more than normal.

KARRIE WEBB: Well, Kelly played -- I played with her Saturday and Sunday. She played great golf, didn't make any errors. And when she did, she got herself out of trouble and made pars. And I sort of struggled a little bit on the weekend, and her momentum was too much for me. I couldn't even hold on to that. And I sort of went the other way. But it was great to watch that and watch someone set a LPGA record.

KARRIE WEBB: Will have to beat Annika? Well, obviously she's one of the players in the field. But she is definitely a U.S. Open player. She doesn't make too many mistakes, and she has the mental game for a U.S. Open, too, where she is very patient. And it's something I'm going to have to concentrate on this week is keeping my patience, and just saying that par is my friend and if I make birdies I'm happy with that.