U.S. WOMEN'S OPEN CHAMPIONSHIP

June 25, 2005

Michelle Wie West

MODERATOR: Ladies and gentlemen, Michelle Wie with a 72 today, is tied for the lead with two others at 1-over par. Well, this is what you wanted, wasn't it, to be in contention on the final day? What are you thinking about now?

MICHELLE WIE: Well, I positioned myself very well today. Hopefully I will play better tomorrow.

MODERATOR: Let's go over your card. No. 2, a bogey.

MICHELLE WIE: Yeah, was having a bit of problems on that hole, but I hit it in the bunker and then I hit the lip so I was in the fairway in front and then I hit a pitch shot I had about 60 yards, lob wedge to about nine feet, I didn't make the putt.

MODERATOR: No. 4, bogey.

MICHELLE WIE: Yeah, that one I hit a 3-iron off the tee and then I hit a 6-iron and then it was just a really weird shot because I was right on the collar with the rough and stuff, so I kind of squirted it right and I totally did not hit my chip shot well, so I kind of flopped it, you know, just off the green and I chipped it and made the putt.

MODERATOR: No. 5, you hit driver for one of the few times.

MICHELLE WIE: Yeah, I was behind the lead a little bit and I just felt like it and it was downwind and I had to get something going. I think that was a really good decision. I hit it good. I hit a 5-iron onto the green and I 2-putted for birdie.

MODERATOR: Another birdie on the 7th.

MICHELLE WIE: Yeah, I hit a 3-iron there and then I hit a pitching wedge to the hole and then I had about six feet for birdie.

MODERATOR: No. 8 a bogey.

MICHELLE WIE: 5-iron there, I kind of pulled it to the left and I had a really fluffy lie for my chip shot. So just had to be aggressive with it. I was a little bit long, had about 15-foot for par. I missed it.

MODERATOR: Driver again on No. 11 birdie.

MICHELLE WIE: I hit it -- 3-iron for my second shot. Right of the green. I chipped and putt for birdie.

MODERATOR: Bogey on 16.

MICHELLE WIE: That was actually like two of my best shots came out on that hole and I made a bogey, so, yeah, kind of sucked. (Laughter) I mean, it was -- it was really into the wind when I was on the tee and I hit a 3-wood because 5-wood is going to go too high and stuff. I hit the best 3-wood of my life there, well not -- 18, I hit it good there, but I hit a really good 3-wood there and I just flew the fairway, so I was in the rough and I had a pretty tough lie and I hit a 9-iron and I hit that really good too. I thought it was going to kind of hook off the lie, it kind of went right off the lie. I was a little bit unlucky there and I was again in the right rough and I hit a really good flop-shot but it was too downhill to stop it, so, had about 15-foot for par.

Q. I asked you this a couple of days ago but now it's right here in front of you. What would winning this thing do over the short-term or the long-term or could it make your life any crazier than it already is?

MICHELLE WIE: I will be a very happy person if I win this tomorrow. But you know, I am not really thinking about that. I am having a lot of fun. It's great being in contention so hopefully I will play good tomorrow.

Q. Wondering if you can compare the feeling you have right now the position you are in and being in the last group in a major playing with Annika like you did a couple years ago, I mean, how have you changed from then and how do you feel different?

MICHELLE WIE: Two years ago I was very nervous on The First Tee. Playing with Annika when I was 13 in the final group, it didn't feel real. First couple of holes I kind of stumbled around. I have gotten two years older and hopefully I have a lot more experience under my belt. Hopefully I will do fine tomorrow.

Q. How far did you have left on the 5th hole and were you nervous -- (inaudible -- -

MICHELLE WIE: Into 5 I hit a 5-iron. I think about 190. I wasn't really nervous out there today. I was having a lot of fun. The audience really cheered me on and it was a lot of fun today. Some shots didn't go the way I wanted them to but I felt like I recovered well.

Q. If things work out tomorrow you will be youngest person ever to win a major, what do you think about that?

MICHELLE WIE: I think it would be really cool if that happened. But I haven't really thought about that and if I think about that tomorrow I will put too much pressure on myself. So just play, you know, try to play good tomorrow.

MODERATOR: That was an enormous gallery you had today. Was that the biggest crowd you have played in front of?

MICHELLE WIE: I don't know. The first hole was pretty lined up really good, so it was pretty fun out there. When they cheer for you, hit a good shot, so it feels good.

Q. Are you handling this the way you expected to and do you find yourself maybe trying not to get too excited out there?

MICHELLE WIE: Well, my goal in the beginning of the week was to shoot consistent under par rounds and by now I haven't really achieved that goal. So I have readjusted myself and you know, hopefully I will shoot under par tomorrow so at least two days I will shoot under par instead of four.

Q. You have been saying how much there's no pressure, you haven't felt any pressure, will tomorrow be any different? Do you feel anymore pressure going into the final round with the lead like that?

MICHELLE WIE: I will tell you how that goes after I play tomorrow. I am not really sure today.

Q. Are there moments during a week like this where you run into things that remind you that you are 15 years old, not just on the golf course, but just in general and second question is do you know who Catherine La Costa is?

MICHELLE WIE: Well, the first question, when I am out there on the golf course I completely forget my age. I don't think anyone really remembers their age, you know, everyone that I know wants to be older than their age right now, so out on the golf course I am a golfer, trying my best so I don't really think that oh, I am playing good for a 15 year old I don't really think that.

I actually do know Catherine LaCoste is. I was watching Golf Channel trivia. It pays to watch that sometimes. She was the only amateur to win the U.S. Open. It was in 1967. (Laughs).

Q. You and Morgan are both co-leaders 17 and 15 year olds. What do you think this does for golf for teenagers, do you think a lot of people will be tuning in tomorrow because you guys are so young?

MICHELLE WIE: I think so. It's going to attract a lot of attention. I think it just shows how much better amateurs are these days, and you know, it's great to have Morgan in contention tomorrow. I am just really focused on my game tomorrow.

Q. If you add the ages of you and Morgan, you get the age of Stupples, what do you think of just the fact of living experience, disparity between how long you and Morgan has lived with what Karen has been through, will factor in what happens in the pressure tomorrow?

MICHELLE WIE: We just won't tell her that you said that. I just think that in some moments age doesn't matter. I just -- we are all playing the same game. Of course, she played it a lot longer, of course she's a lot older than I am, but I still think that we're still playing golf tomorrow and just -- it just comes down to who plays best.

Q. No matter how you do tomorrow is there anything you have left to prove as an amateur?

MICHELLE WIE: Well, I mean, in any tournament that I enter into I don't feel like I have anything to prove. But I am just having a lot of fun as an amateur. It's a lot more care free.

Q. You keep hearing about how 15 year are not supposed to do this, all the disadvantages you are supposed to have because of your youth. What advantage do you think you may have and that, you know, that the others up there on the leaderboard might have because -- with your youth, any advantages?

MICHELLE WIE: Well, I mean, I am younger so that I think that's an advantage by itself in any sport. But I think that you know, I don't really think I have any -- I have any advantages or disadvantages. We're all playing the same game tomorrow, so hopefully I will just play fine.

Q. You were talking about two years ago playing with Annika. How much better a player are you now two years later?

MICHELLE WIE: Well, I feel like I am a lot better player. I think I improved my game a lot since two years before and I still have a lot more improvement to do so hopefully I will do better.

Q. Has your caddie helped you this week and if so, how?

MICHELLE WIE: Yeah, Jimmy helped me a lot this week. Keep me calm, you know, patience, telling me fairways and greens, fairways and greens. I think that's really important.

Q. You talked about consistently shooting under par and today you had -- I think you used your driver a couple of times and you got birdie both of those times. Are we going to see your driver more tomorrow?

MICHELLE WIE: Well, I think that I will hit driver on the appropriate holes, but on the inappropriate holes I won't use driver.

MODERATOR: Didn't you use one more driver today than you have been using?

MICHELLE WIE: Yes, I have.

MODERATOR: Three times as opposed to two.

MICHELLE WIE: Yeah, I hit 3-iron on 5 yesterday then I hit a 5 -- I mean a driver on 5, I mean, I hit some bad chip shot I made such a bad bogey I mean, somebody would have -- I had to hit driver there and it felt good.

MODERATOR: Wonderful round, Michelle. Thank you. Good luck tomorrow.

MICHELLE WIE: Thank you.

End of FastScripts.