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JOHN DEERE CLASSIC

July 7, 2005

Michelle Wie West

SILVIS, ILLINOIS

PHIL STAMBAUGH: Okay. Michelle, 1 under par 70 to start the 2005 John Deere Classic. Michelle, just a couple general thoughts about the round and then I'll have you go through the card if you could.

MICHELLE WIE: Well, you know, general comments. The front nine I just was a little bit shaky and made a lot of stupid bogeys. But I'm pretty proud of myself for getting back on track. You know, the back nine was pretty solid, and I feel like I'll see some good scores from now on.

PHIL STAMBAUGH: Could you take us through your round? It appeared the birdie at 9 was sort of a key birdie.

MICHELLE WIE: Yeah, No. 2 I made a birdie. I had a good drive there and I hit like a 5 wood into the right bunker and then I hit a 15 foot putt for birdie.

Then I made a bogey on 3. I was like right on the lip of the bunker and I was like choked down to the shaft, I was about to bunt it and it completely flew on me, so I was a little bit over the green, and I putted, two putt for bogey.

Then No. 5, I hit a really good drive there, and then I just the shot didn't cut as much as I wanted it to, so it was back in the grandstand, and I dropped, and then I chipped and two putted for bogey.

Then the 6th hole I hit it left into the bunker and then I hit a really great shot out of the bunker, and then it hit the tree on the left and just dropped straight down, so I had an iffy little pitch shot there. I didn't really make a par there, I just had about a 12 foot putt for par.

Then 7th hole I hit a 5 iron and I hit it to about nine feet and made it.

8th hole, I hit into the middle of the fairway but then I was in the really huge divot, then I tried to knock down on it, then it went left and then I hit it into the bunker and then I two putted for bogey.

Then on 9 I totally blocked my driver, then I was the behind the tree, which I'm really proud of, and I sliced the ball, and I hit it onto the green about 30 feet and I made the putt.

Q. What did you hit second shot there?

MICHELLE WIE: 3 iron.

Then on No. 11, I hit a 3 wood, and then I hit an 8 iron, and then I had about nine feet for birdie no, 12 feet.

Then on 17, I hit a driver, and then I hit a 3 wood. Then I hit it to about 12 feet and then I two putted for birdie.

PHIL STAMBAUGH: And 18 you made a nice save. How far was your par putt?

MICHELLE WIE: About 15 feet.

PHIL STAMBAUGH: Very nice. Any comments about how the course played compared to early in the week.

MICHELLE WIE: Well, it's definitely a lot firmer. I was hitting some 3 woods instead of drivers today. You know, it was playing a little bit shorter than it had, and the greens are really in great condition. They were firm, they were a little faster and they were really nice.

Q. Can you talk about the second shot on 9? It seemed like a very key moment, 2 over at that point, what your approach for that shot was?

MICHELLE WIE: Yeah, definitely. I had no view of the hole on that hole, and it could have been a bogey or worse hole. You know, I haven't played that big slice in a long time. It has been like at least a year since I played that shot. That was like the pivotal point was that I really trusted in myself, and it felt great. It was really good.

Q. How far were you away?

MICHELLE WIE: About 30 feet. Oh, the second shot in about 208 yards.

PHIL STAMBAUGH: It said 199 on ShotLink.

Q. Just talk about how you were able to gather yourself. That putt went in and you just turned it right around, 3 under from 9 on in, and how you were able to keep that going.

MICHELLE WIE: Well, I just saw the line on the putt and like I said, I trusted in myself. I think that's going to be the key point tomorrow.

Q. Talk about on 18, the sand save there.

MICHELLE WIE: Well, it was a pretty stupid shot that I hit the shot into the bunker. You know, it was hard. It's super hard when you have a bunker shot and there's water right in back of the hole. I was a little tentative on it. But the putt, again, I saw the line and just hit it.

Q. When you make a save like that, going into the second round, are you going to feel a lot more comfortable out there tomorrow? In the second round, do you generally feel that way?

MICHELLE WIE: Yeah, of course I didn't have a tournament last week, so I guess I wasn't really that rusty, but hopefully I'll have a lot more feel tomorrow.

Q. You talked a lot about your bunkers. How do you describe your sand play and how much practice time do you put into it?

MICHELLE WIE: Well, it's pretty good. I mean, it's not the best, but it's pretty good. I spent a lot of time in bunkers trying to control the spin and stuff like that, but it all depends on the lie when you're out there.

Q. Overall, how do you feel about the round?

MICHELLE WIE: I feel pretty good. I mean, well, the back nine was awesome for me. I hit almost every green. It was pretty good. I feel like I can improve a lot on the front nine. Hopefully I can do that tomorrow.

Q. You have a lower score than you had in either of your Sony Open things. Is this the best you've felt in a PGA event and is it getting a little more comfortable?

MICHELLE WIE: Well, I'm not really sure. Last year I didn't really play I mean, the Sony Open I didn't play very well. The conditions were very different. I mean, I felt like I played very well at the Sony Open, but I felt like I scrambled a lot better here. I feel a lot more comfortable. I'll go out and shoot a lower score tomorrow.

Q. You said you struggled on the front nine up until the second shot on No. 9. How close were you to really losing the round altogether and were you getting really frustrated out there?

MICHELLE WIE: Well, no, not really. I had a couple of birdies, so I still felt like I had something in me, and I knew what I was doing. I really realized what was happening, and I think that's how I was able to turn it around.

Q. We talked the other day about how your mental game has progressed. For some this pressure of being 1 over through 8 might have let the wheels come off but you turned it around. Is that something you wouldn't have done as well maybe a year or two ago?

MICHELLE WIE: Yeah, definitely, if I had made those two bogeys in a row, it would have been kind of tough because I was really young. I'm pretty young now (laughter), but I've gotten a lot older and a lot more mature. I have a lot more experience. I know what to expect.

Q. You've got a little time between now and when you tee off tomorrow. How are you go to avoid thinking about what's in front of you and what you can accomplish? How do you keep from feeling the pressure?

MICHELLE WIE: Well, that's not very hard for me once I get off the golf course. I don't want to think about golf, so it's not that hard. I'll just watch a couple of movies tonight. I don't really think about stuff like that.

Q. It might be a little too early to ask this, but what do you think your chances of making the cut are now?

MICHELLE WIE: I'm not really thinking about the cut. I'm only five shots behind, and if I put up three crazy rounds, who knows?

Q. Is it great to see all these young girls coming out, and they're saying she's going to play on the PGA TOUR some day?

MICHELLE WIE: Yeah, it's great seeing all these young girls and boys out there. It's great to see them cheering me on and have faith in me. It's really awesome.

Q. Can you talk about maybe the mental state after the birdie on 17 to kind of get back to red numbers at that point after the way the round had gone?

MICHELLE WIE: Well, I felt like I was kind of disappointed on that hole. I felt like I should have made an eagle there, but I was still happy with a birdie. I felt like I had a birdie chance on 18, too, but it kind of slipped.

Q. How about the gallery? Was it almost overwhelming to see how many people were out there behind you today?

MICHELLE WIE: No, it was actually the opposite. The more people that come, the better.

Q. If someone told you a day or two ago that you'd be 1 under after today, would you be happy with that or not happy?

MICHELLE WIE: Well, in a way happy and in a way not happy. I mean, of course I want to shoot a lower score, but I'm really happy the way it turned out after playing today.

Q. Both your playing partners had blow up holes. Did you just try to avoid watching that?

MICHELLE WIE: Well, they're very fun to watch. Seeing them hit the driver that far, it was pretty amazing to see. I think they played okay today.

Q. Were you able to play as aggressively as you'd like?

MICHELLE WIE: Well, the front nine, I mean, I did try to play sort of aggressively, but my shots didn't really follow through. But then the back nine, my main focus was just hit the greens.

PHIL STAMBAUGH: Michelle, thank you very much. We'll see you tomorrow.

End of FastScripts.

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