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MICHELOB ULTRA OPEN AT KINGSMILL

May 8, 2004

Michelle Wie West

WILLIAMSBURG, VIRGINIA

DANA VONLOUDA: Thanks, Michelle. Tough day out there. It was windy, but you did a good job scrambling and saving par and having a good day. Tell us about the day.

MICHELLE WIE: I don't know. I wasn't hitting the ball good at all today. I mean, my shots were really bad at first but then I kind of got may rhythm back on my tee shots, but I don't know what happened on my second shots. It was -- just wouldn't get close to the green, I mean, everything was short and it was just bad today. I think I scrambled really good today. I could have shot worse, but I did a really good short game and putted well today and I think I am ready for tomorrow.

Q. The wind, how would it compare to wind at home? Is it a swirling wind versus something in the same direction? Is this a breezy day at home?

MICHELLE WIE: The wind right now isn't that bad at all. It's just that it's swirling so one time -- like one second it's like that and one second it's like that and I was picking up the grass I was throwing it. It will come down like this way (indicating swirling like a string of S's). I would be like, that doesn't tell me anything. (Laughter).

Q. On a day like today when the field starts backing up to you, I mean, be it you or anybody in the field, does it just open the tournament up to all kinds of pockets? Nobody ran away today and got a lead.

MICHELLE WIE: Yeah, I mean, I actually like tough days like this. If you just keep on making pars, you just keep on moving up and you don't have to shoot a ridiculous number just to catch the leader. I could have been more in the hunt for tomorrow. I just missed a couple of opportunities and just didn't play as well as I did today but I think I would have shot even par, I think I would have been tied for 10? 8? 7?

Q. Did the course play a lot differently today than the first two days?

MICHELLE WIE: Yeah, the first two days they were pretty easy. There's no wind. But today there was wind. But when -- the during the practice rounds it's kind of blowing like this, I was kind of ready for this type of conditions, but it just, I don't know, I just couldn't play today.

Q. Did you also feel like the pin placements were a little bit more difficult today? They looked like they were on humps and ridges and tucked --

MICHELLE WIE: Yeah, the pin positions were a lot harder today but they seem a lot harder when you are not really playing well. Everything seems harder.

Q. Of all those par saves, which do you think was the hardest?

MICHELLE WIE: There were so many of them. I can't remember.

Q. Even if you were watching, it's difficult, sometimes if you are not right on top of the shot to see how hard some of those little chips, sand shots are, but I just wondered if any of them struck you as being particularly difficult?

MICHELLE WIE: They were pretty tough today but I think the birdie on No. 15 I think that was a really good shot, that was one kind of shot that I didn't feel comfortable with. It wasn't that -- it was a pretty bad lie and the green was kind of running away from me. I didn't really feel comfortable. So I think that's one of those up-and-downs that --

Q. About how far were you off the green?

MICHELLE WIE: Not that far off. I was like six yards off the green.

Q. Have you found Fluff this week good company?

MICHELLE WIE: He's awesome. He has a lot of good stories. It's just really fun.

Q. When you are making all those par saves do you feel like you are hanging on or that I don't know, whether like it's going to catch up with you or that you are just fortunate to keep hanging on?

MICHELLE WIE: I think, I don't know, the way I was playing today, I was pretty fortunate of making those pars. I mean, it wasn't like yesterday where my par saves, it was just like I should have made birdie there but I made a par. But today I was like I am really lucky that I made a par over there. Could have been a bigger number. But I wished I just had more birdie opportunities, because I think my putting was really feeling good today; just had a lot of unlucky breaks.

Q. After a day like this, like say you missed a lot of greens, some of them from the middle of the fairway. What do you do? Do you go on the range to try figure out what was wrong right away or do you just figure you will be better tomorrow?

MICHELLE WIE: Well, I don't know. I will- -- I don't think I will hit a lot of balls on the range because I am pretty tired right now. I think I will just work on my putting a little bit, just do the same routine, I mean, I guess everything will work out tomorrow, hopefully.

Q. Are you having fun?

MICHELLE WIE: Yeah, I mean, it was-- had -- today was fun too. It's a different kind of fun. The day before I mean, yesterday, it was fun because I was making birdies and I didn't make any bogeys, but today it was kind of an adventurous fun, you are living life on the edge, it's like you -- what is it called? It's like saving yourself from like the mouth of an alligator every time and it's pretty fun. It's kind of -- I rather be away from the alligator, but saving myself is fun too.

Q. Have you had a lot of experience with alligators?

MICHELLE WIE: No, I was looking at the lake (outside the media center window), I mean, the river and I was thinking of an alligator.

DANA VONLOUDA: Let's go over your birdies and bogeys. No. 2.

MICHELLE WIE: No. 2, bogey, that one I had -- I don't know what happened. The wind was right-to-left and I put a little hook spin on it so that wind just took it way left. I hit a pretty good bunker shot. I had about six feet for par.

DANA VONLOUDA: What club did you hit?

MICHELLE WIE: 5-iron.

DANA VONLOUDA: Birdie on 3.

MICHELLE WIE: That one I hit a 4-iron my second shot, that one I putt a little hook spin on it too because of the lie; the wind just took it left into the rough. Fortunately had a good lie and then I came up and I made a 7-footer.

DANA VONLOUDA: Bogey on 4.

MICHELLE WIE: That one, I hit that shot really good. I was in the middle of the fairway and then, I don't know, I kind of hit it high and right and the wind was into us and then I was in the bunker, I had a long bunker shot. I haven't practiced that in such a long time, so I don't know, I hit good but -- I wasn't aggressive enough because I was just afraid that I just hit it thin and just fly it over, so I was a little bit tentative on that shot contain.

DANA VONLOUDA: What club were you hitting in?

MICHELLE WIE: 6-iron.

DANA VONLOUDA: Bogey on 10.

MICHELLE WIE: That one also I was in the middle -- no, I was in the bunker. I was in the left bunker, hit it perfectly. I thought that was going to be perfect but it didn't go as much as I wanted it to. So it landed in the bunker in front and then I missed like an 8-footer.

DANA VONLOUDA: Birdie on 15.

MICHELLE WIE: That one, I hit it kind of in the rough. I had a good lie though. I hit a 5-iron. I kind of pulled it to the left. Yeah, up and down. I had about a 9-footer for par. -- for birdie.

DANA VONLOUDA: Bogey on 16.

MICHELLE WIE: That one was -- that was the best tee shot that I have hit on that hole and then I don't know, I had an 8-iron in. Then I kind of chunked it to the right. I don't know, the chip shot that I had on No. 16, I mean, those kind of shots I am pretty good at it. But I -- I don't know the lie was a little bit strange so I got a little bit tentative with it.

Q. How hard is 10 playing today?

MICHELLE WIE: 10, I wouldn't say it's playing difficult. I will just say it's playing a little bit longer.

Q. How about 17?

MICHELLE WIE: 17 was pretty difficult. I mean, I don't know, it didn't look that hard, but somewhere in the back of your head it's telling you that it's hard, it's a hard hole. I mean, but I think I handled it pretty well last couple of days.

Q. Do you have any colors you wear on Sundays or any traditions yet that you have established for a final round?

MICHELLE WIE: Not really. I mean --

Q. Any good luck things.

MICHELLE WIE: No, not really.

Q. How about playing on Mother's Day? She's going to be here.

MICHELLE WIE: Yeah, I'd love to win the tournament for her.

Q. Something I have never heard a response to you from, you probably been asked this question before, people talk a lot about you and Tiger Woods, for example, but I have never heard you talk about like a female athlete, maybe even outside of golf that you have admired growing up or stuff like that? Is there somebody like that?

MICHELLE WIE: Well, I always talked about Annika, I mean, after playing with her at Nabisco, I mean, I liked her before. I really admired her game. But after playing Nabisco I saw how focused she was and I think she's -- I really look up to her. She's just awesome.

Q. Outside of Annika anybody that you can think of?

MICHELLE WIE: Not really.

Q. You handled so well the fact that there's a lot of people following you, you come talk to us everyday, what -- I mean, what makes that all -- what makes you able to deal with all that?

MICHELLE WIE: I don't know. It's like -- it's always been like when there's no cameras in my face when I am playing, I always seem to play worse than when there's like a camera following me around or when people are following me around. I guess I put more pressure on myself like, oh, I better show these people that I can play or whatever and then, I don't know, I think -- I don't know, it's -- I don't know. (Laughs) (Laughter) ...........

End of FastScripts.

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