LPGA CORNING CLASSIC

May 25, 2001

Fiona Pike

FIONA PIKE: I started on no. 1, birdied no. 2. Put the shot to the back of the green and hit it straight into the green, long putt. That was on the back of the green, was cut left and centered and I birdied the par 3, hit a 4 line in, just on the front edge. The putt was about 18 feet on the left-hand side, made that nicely and then I birdied no. 5, par 5, only to hit a 5-iron into the green. That spot was probably about 8 feet and then I went par in from there. I birdied no. 10. I hit a good shot to the green, but it just landed high left of the green. I think I hit a spike mark coming over on the second putt and I was confident of the putt. Just hit the spike mark and went a little left. It was a straight putt green unfortunately. Then I birdied the par 5 no. 12, hit a nice wedge about 6 feet and nice putt. And I birdied 14, par 5. That sort of shot in (inaudible) and I had a 52 degree wedge and that putt was probably 5 feet and then I parred in from there. Just pulled myself there a little bit on the 18 to miss the green but I made a nice up and down to be 8 under.

FIONA PIKE: I've never been 8 under after 2 rounds. The closest I had been was in the British Open in 1999, I think I was 7 under after 2 rounds and I mean it is what I am working for and I have been playing really well, hitting the ball really solid, not getting the ball in the hole. But the last couple of days I've been putting really well. And that's the difference, everyone hits the ball very well but it's making the score in the green and particularly this week the greens are relatively small and I found that we can fire at the pins and get it close, just make a good stroke and the greens are good, are rolling really smooth. That's the difference, it's getting the numbers on the greens.

FIONA PIKE: It's probably going to be about 75 and really nice this afternoon. I think with the forecast that we've had, I think it's a relief to get in because there could be a few thunderstorms this afternoon so its nice to come in on a good number and sit there and say the weather could be a bit dodgy this afternoon. Yeah, I'm happy right now. There are a lot of good scores on the leaderboard and I wouldn't be surprised to see a few good numbers this afternoon because the course is playing really well. So I don't think I am going to be the last interview you're gonna be doing. I think there are going to be some good scores.

FIONA PIKE: No. I was going to go ahead and chip it out and then I thought, no, I'm just going to take my time. She might play a little shoddy and it might give me a better understanding of where the ball is going to run on the green. I will take my time. I'm not going to be rushed. That's the difference; I've been a bit more patient now. I used to be a bit hurried and want to get things over and done with. Now it's just sit back and take your time and sort it out so it was good.

FIONA PIKE: Well, yeah. I mean no one likes to wait all that much but just a little shot wedge needed a ruling behind the late chip on the 18th. I was going to wait. When I saw the rules official come up I said I might as well wait.

FIONA PIKE: You just have to try and block out what others are doing. You have no control of anybody else's goods scores or bad scores. As I said before, you're the master of your own domain and its what I've been working hard for and had I made some putts in the last couple of weeks, I probably would have been in a similar position. I will just play my own game to tomorrow and its hard but try not to look too much at the scoreboard, just get in there and try to hit those greens and then take it from there and try to make the scores.

FIONA PIKE: Probably plays a little shorter than most courses that we play on the TOUR. The greens are really small so I think it favors the person who is swinging it well with their eyes and then getting it close, putting the putt in. You ^know ^ no, there's some good scores out there; long hitters as well. Kris Lindstrom is out there and she's one of the longest on the TOUR. And I'm not long but I'm not short; I'm probably average. I think I used my driver five times yesterday and today very similar. I'm using a whole bunch of varied clubs off the tee but it's to put the ball in play; not to get the links out there, it's just to get it in a sensible position.

FIONA PIKE: When I came up to that hole today, I didn't think what scored there yesterday. It was probably what the wind was doing and the club I used yesterday. I actually hit a 9-wood there yesterday and it pitched pin high and went right to the back of the green and I probably understood a little more that we needed the number to just the front of the green and my number was perfect for the 4 -iron. I wasn't standing out on the tee thinking of my score; I was thinking how the shot can be improved. It was just by changing the club and the wind was still going from right to left but it the front numbers I was concerned about.

FIONA PIKE: The day before, the pin was out the back and I left the ball beyond the pin so I had a tricky little downhill putt and I was confident of the line and I hit it well. Today I was still confident with that putt but I had to be committed when I knew that that spike mark was there. But I hit it and jumped a little and missed the hole on the left. I guess with those sort of shots, if you got something in the way you just have to be totally committed and not worry about it. If you will miss it, you miss it and you can't do anything about it.

FIONA PIKE: It's good. Obviously the hole number 2 and hole number 5 at the par 5s I would say most of the girls on TOUR would be likely to reach and they are like playing at the par 4 and picking up the stroke. Probably hole number 12 is a little longer. I don't want to lead myself in the rough short of the green so I just play a good club that suits my yardage into the green. I'm happier doing that than trying to chip from some floppy stuff. I have been playing par 5s well and putting the ball in really good position off the tee which has been the key I think.

FIONA PIKE: I hope so. I had a good week in Nashville a couple of weeks ago. Once again hitting the ball really solid. Probably within the last four or five weeks I started to just really make good contact, started to strike the ball a lot better than what I have ever been playing and, as I said, the difference that week and this week is that I'm hitting accurate enough to able to make those putts and not always say putt from 20 feet or 25 feet; the accuracy with the irons is a little better. But it has been a slow start. Sort of always been notorious for being a slow starter and trying to play catch-up but I feel a little more confident now that I'm hitting the ball a lot better than I ever hit it and my coach came over from Australia a couple of weeks ago and that has helped as well.

FIONA PIKE: So far it's been just drive in, have a practice round, tee up on Thursday and go from there but I can't really see any of the wineries from where I come from. I wouldn't mind sampling -- in fact Diana D'Alessio is doing a wine tasting this afternoon and I have to find out where she's been or if its any good. Some girls have been fishing. I don't mind doing a little fishing. I might have time this afternoon.

FIONA PIKE: Yes. This is my third year at it and its just amazing how much more knowledge you get from playing it year after year and I'm not surprised that the veterans have said that because, yeah, I probably had ^1know ^ no idea on the greens. There's very subtle little breaks everywhere. And last year I understood the course a lot better, I think quite comfortably and didn't really have a good weekend. But that's where the understanding comes from playing it year after year, you ^know ^ no where to put ball on the green and where to pin the cup and where the subtle little differences are.

FIONA PIKE: When I knew that 7-under was the leading score yesterday, coming out today I knew that those par 5s are gettable, there are a couple of birdies anyway. And then just the way I have been playing, I feel I was fairly confident I could birdie some other holes. You might have to accept a bogey here and there but basically a couple of the par 5s are the saviors. I was thinking it wasn't too far out of my reach to get to the 7 number just with the par 5s.

FIONA PIKE: Not at all. It doesn't matter who I'm paired with, I go out and try to hit the best position off the tee and then just try depending on where the pin is, put the ball in a decent position that I know where I'm good to putt at it. It's all position play on this golf course because it's not a long golf course like some others that we have been playing. You look for position and accuracy and go with the pin and get the putt.