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MCDONALD'S LPGA CHAMPIONSHIP PRESENTED BY COCA-COLA

June 12, 2005

Michelle Wie West

HAVRE DE GRACE, MARYLAND

Q. We've got Michelle Wie here in the interview room. Just your thoughts after the round and finishing in second in your best finish ever in an LPGA event coming in a Major.

MICHELLE WIE: You know, I just felt really good about myself today. You know, my energy level was up back to normal today, and a couple putts went in the first couple of holes, it would have been a different story, but totally happy how I finished.

Q. What was your goal out there today once Annika was miles away?

MICHELLE WIE: You know, I was trying to make a run for her money, definitely, but I just wanted to shoot a good score. My goal was to shoot consistent rounds of under par, and, you know, I just felt that 68 was a good number and 69 is pretty close to that.

Q. Before the tournament some people said the amateur didn't belong at an LPGA championship. Did that provide extra motivation?

MICHELLE WIE: Not really. I'm pretty used to people not wanting me at tournaments by now. It didn't really give me that, oh, I have to prove to them. I don't want to prove anything to anyone. I was really happy to be here and I felt like I finished really strong.

Q. Talk a little bit about how you hope this helps set up your summer.

MICHELLE WIE: This tournament definitely boosts my confidence. Now on Tuesday I have a couple qualifiers, and hopefully I can make that and work on my game a little bit before I go to the US Open.

Q. Talk about the John Deere real quick.

MICHELLE WIE: I feel really privileged to get another chance to play. I'll try to gain a little bit more distance. It's going to be hot I have to wear long pants, but aside from that, I'm excited.

Q. Did you say you have to gain more distance?

MICHELLE WIE: Yeah, I'm working on it and I think I'm gaining a little bit more.

Q. How much more?

MICHELLE WIE: I'm trying to gain about 10 to 15.

Q. Have you felt your short game has gotten better in the last year or so?

MICHELLE WIE: I think it got a lot better. This week I felt like I played a lot of good field shots around the greens, but definitely, there's a lot of room for improvement, so next week I will work on it.

I'm going to go to the US Open course and practice a lot of those flop shots. I played a lot of them this weekend. The greens are going to be harder, and I just have to have a great short game.

Q. You talked about your energy level. Are you referring to what happened in Thursday, and exactly what did you eat too much of on Thursday?

MICHELLE WIE: Well, my favorite fish is salmon, and I love salmon and shrimp and rice, and my mom made that for lunch, and I think I overate, because I really like the food, and I wasn't really thinking about it. This happened to me before, and, I feel pretty stupid about doing it again.

The last couple of days, even Friday or Saturday, I couldn't eat that month. It was the aftershock of it. Today I felt a lot better. I was eating normally and I was hitting the ball a lot farther today.

Q. Any idea what the second place check would have been worth?

MICHELLE WIE: Doug told me. It's definitely a lot of money, but, you know, I like being an amateur, and it's not going to make me want to turn pro very soon, but, you know, I like being an amateur, carefree, it's fun.

Q. Did you know that you being an amateur meant 36,000 extra dollars for Paula and Laura?

MICHELLE WIE: Good for her, she better give some of that to me. Just kidding. I don't really care about that kind of stuff.

Q. Are you going to continue your education, and if you go pro, when will you go pro?

MICHELLE WIE: Well, I'm definitely going to go to college, finish high school, go to college, and that was in the wrong order, but high school first, and then college, and I don't really know. I don't know when I'm going to turn pro, but even if I do turn pro, I'm definitely going to go to college.

Q. Is it going to be soon, within a year or two?

MICHELLE WIE: I don't know.

Q. You say you're trying to gain 10 or 15 more yards. What exactly are you doing trying to gain them?

MICHELLE WIE: I'm doing a lot of exercises. I'm exercising two hours every day, and I think it's paying off because I'm having a lot more endurance. You know, those first five yards is really easy to gain. The way I was hitting today, I mean, I definitely gained a lot of yardage, but I want to be up there with the big dogs.

Q. You mentioned that you wanted today to give Annika a run for her money. Are you to the point where you can think about that on the last day where you're in that position, or do you not really want to think that far ahead yet?

MICHELLE WIE: Well, definitely, you know, when I was out there today, I definitely felt like I had a chance. Although, the last couple of holes, I knew it was kind of far to reach, but, you know, I'm thinking about the first place. I want to hopefully win this year and, you know, I just feel like I can cope with the last day pressure a lot better.

Q. It's a little early now, but what is your exact goal for John Deere?

MICHELLE WIE: To definitely make the cut this year and, you know, if I get an exempt place high enough to get into the British Open, great. A lot of people it's really funny, they're talking like about I shouldn't go to the British Open even if I qualify for it, and I haven't even played the John Deere yet. My goal is to shoot consistent under par rounds there, too.

Q. Are you going to go to the course early as well?

MICHELLE WIE: I'm not sure. I think I have a tournament before it. I'm not sure, though. My dad and mom will probably tell you.

Q. You have a qualifier Tuesday?

MICHELLE WIE: Yes, 36 holes.

Q. And you're going to play tomorrow?

MICHELLE WIE: No, I don't think so. I already played the course before. I'm going to save my energy tomorrow, because that course is pretty hilly, so I'll try to get my endurance back up.

Q. Did you and Annika chat at all on the green during that ceremony?

MICHELLE WIE: Not really. She was speaking to the crowd most of the time with the mike in her hand. I think it's great how she won three times in a row. She's a very solid player.

Q. I saw you hitting with a 3 wood instead of a driver. Do you feel more comfortable doing that?

MICHELLE WIE: No, it's just my energy was so up that my 3 wood went farther than my driver in the last couple of days. I have been down clubbing a lot, and like on the 16th hole, I used to hit a 3 wood there, and I hit my 3 iron the same distance as my 3 wood.

Definitely I was hitting the ball a lot farther today, and it was going the same distance as my driver.

Q. What do you think the odds would have been at the start of the year that Annika could win the Grand Slam, and what do you think the odds are now?

MICHELLE WIE: Well, you know, I think she put a lot of pressure on herself last year saying she wanted to win the Grand Slam. This year she has a very high possibility. She has two more left, but I think all the other players, including me, are going to practice harder trying to stop her. I really admire her. Her goals are really high, but, you know, I'm trying to go for one Major, too, so maybe she can win three.

Q. Is this the best you've done? I mean, if you look at Sony, do you put this on top now as your most impressive performance in your own mind?

MICHELLE WIE: This week really hasn't sunk in yet. It's all very fresh in my mind still and, you know, it's definitely one of the top. I felt like I played very solid this week, although I made a couple stupid bogeys. Hopefully I'll eliminate those. I felt really good about my game this week and, hopefully, it's going to get better.

Q. You said that you don't think about what others are saying, criticizing you about being in this tournament. Do you think, now that you've done what you've done, that some of the people on the Tour who spoke out might change their mind, might not speak up next time or oppose it?

MICHELLE WIE: There's definitely going to be some people who are against me, and, you know, I don't really care about it. I'm pretty used to it by now. I'm going to do what it's what I want to do, so I'm going to go out there and play.

Q. On the putting, for the week, is part of you trying not to run it by so you have 5 or 6 feet coming by, or were you protective putting?

MICHELLE WIE: Yes, I was very tired this week, which I regret a lot. Like the beginning of this round, and yesterday, I mean I just couldn't hit it for some reason. On the first day, it took a lot of energy out of me to run it by and have 6 feet every time for a par. Today, the last nine holes I was thinking I made every single 3 putt so far this week. I felt really good about my putting today, so maybe I'll carry that thought on to the US Open.

Q. How many spots Tuesday are available, do you know?

MICHELLE WIE: Two or three. It's pretty tight.

Q. Let's go over your scorecard real quick.

(Scorecard done.)

Q. All right. Thanks a lot Michelle, great tournament.

End of FastScripts.

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