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KRAFT NABISCO CHAMPIONSHIP

March 27, 2004

Michelle Wie West

RANCHO MIRAGE, CALIFORNIA

MODERATOR: Michelle, thanks for joining us. Another 69 out there today. Can you just tell us about your round and how you feel going into tomorrow.

MICHELLE WIE: Well, I think I'm doing pretty well right now. My goal was to shoot 70, 70, 70, so far and I shot 69, 70, 69. So I'm pretty good right now. And hopefully I can shoot lower than 70 tomorrow.

THE MODERATOR: Questions? Wait for the microphone. Right here.

Q. Can you just talk about your frame of mind this year as compared to last year at this point?

MICHELLE WIE: Well last year I didn't really have a specific goal because I didn't know how well I could shoot or how bad I could shoot. So I would just play the best as I can, it was a wide range. And this year I think I have a more specific goal. Like this time I am trying to win it or like be in the top 5, at least. And I just have a more specific goal of what I have to shoot this year.

Q. More than one story, Michelle, I've referred to you as the Tigress, with the obvious analogies. How do you feel about that reference?

MICHELLE WIE: Well, I think it's pretty cool. Because I look up to him. And being named that is pretty cool. I like Tiger too.

Q. Have you been referred to that before as the Tigress?

MICHELLE WIE: Well not as much as the Big Wiesy, but maybe more, I don't I'm not sure. There's too many.

Q. It seems to those of us who saw you this year and last year your short game is dramatically better. Is that the thing you worked on the most and is it dramatically better for you?

MICHELLE WIE: Well, I think everybody is really dramatically better than last year. I think today my driver was really good. Every hole was like 300 yards out and I was proud of myself there. But I think the one I was really proud of was number 17, that bunker shot. Usually I wouldn't be able to do that. But I worked hard on my short game and my putting and hopefully it will show this year.

Q. Your caddy was talking about how incredibly focused you've been this week and you usually are a little looser on the golf course. Is that just because this tournament means so much or what's given you that intensity out there?

MICHELLE WIE: I taught myself how to control my mentality and focus kind of thing. When you're like about to hit, you are like the most focused. You can't really focus for like the whole round. Because you'll get like so drained out. So I'm trying to like focus and then on walking I'm just trying to relax and focus again. It's been working quite well.

Q. (Inaudible.)

MICHELLE WIE: I guess a little bit more because it's a Major and last year I played so well. It is special. But I don't really regard tournaments like differently. A tournament is a tournament. And every tournament I'm trying to win against myself. So it's even at the Sony it was a little bit different but it was still a tournament. So it was the same.

Q. You had a lot of relatives following you today, did you see them, did they say anything to you, did you say anything to them?

MICHELLE WIE: Well, they came a little bit late. I didn't really talk to them much on the golf course. Hopefully we can spend some time today after.

Q. Do you think your game improved because you changed your caddy to a professional?

MICHELLE WIE: Not really. I don't really think that's the case. I think that I worked really hard in the during the off season, I guess. But I think that I just worked hard and I'm trying to improve my game every year. So that is my goal.

Q. Is there a routine you're doing this week? Certain foods, restaurants, movies you're watching, anything you're doing off the course just to take your mind off this?

MICHELLE WIE: I go right after the round I go straight to home watch some TV for like three hours and come back at five and practice until 6:30 and then go home and wake up and, yeah.

Q. (Inaudible.)

MICHELLE WIE: No, not really.

Q. You didn't putt your best last week but you are making everything this week. What specifically did you work on leading up to the tournament? Just to find your feel for the greens?

MICHELLE WIE: I don't feel like I'm putting that great this week, but I think that I don't know it's a little bit different last week. I think I was depending on my caddy too much. I think that I was like I don't know how to I'm a person that needs to be involved in what I have to do and I just can't really depend on anyone, I just have to do it myself and be the person that I ought to do it myself and I feel like. When I do it myself this week, my caddy doesn't read any of the greens, I just do it by myself. I feel like I have more feel for the game and last week I just didn't have that at all.

Q. It seemed like some of the holes we saw on TV you made some really great par saves. Can you think back to some of them today? What were the key, besides 17, what were the key par saves you made?

MICHELLE WIE: Well I think the key was No. 9. When I totally sculled that shot and luckily it hit the trash can. So it came back. I think that was almost the turning point because number 10 I made a birdie. I was really fortunate there. I was very lucky. But like the sound that the trash can made it sound like someone's bone was crushed, I thought I killed someone. So I was freaked out so it hit the trash can so I was relieved.

Q. (Inaudible.)

MICHELLE WIE: No, that was the third shot, it was my wedge. I it had like 90 yards in and then I have no idea what happened. I just like hit the top of the ball and it just went like a rocket.

Q. Where did it kick to when it went off the trash can?

MICHELLE WIE: It hit the can in the back of the green and it came back like in the rough like right off the green.

Q. Any other saves that you can think of besides the trash can?

MICHELLE WIE: I think number 18 I made a really good par putt so I ended on a good note.

Q. Thinking back to the last round last year, obviously that was a lot of pressure, you're in the final group with and any can Patricia, what do you remember, I know we talked yesterday about the short term memory thing, but what do you remember about that, the feeling of that day and can you take something away from that, will you be calmer, I know you're in the next to last group, but will you be different this Sunday of the Nabisco compared to last year?

MICHELLE WIE: My long term memory is not that bad, I can still remember that. I don't know, it felt a little bit strange. It was something that I had never done before and playing with Annika, my idol was like, wow, am I really doing this. And it was a little bit strange. And I was a little bit nervous, I was shaking a little bit. But this year I think that I have grown up a lot from it. I've grown up a lot. I think that this year I can handle myself.

Q. Was it interesting playing with Grace today?

MICHELLE WIE: She hits the ball super hard and it was just like the, I don't know how to explain it, but just to see how she played, it feels like I learned a lot from her. It was a little bit like that.

Q. You said you were shaking last year on Sunday. Did that ever go away? Did you settle down as you got into the round?

MICHELLE WIE: Yeah, it was just for my first shot I wasn't really nervous the first shot it was just after you hit the shot and you're walking a couple yards you're like, kind of like, you know, butterflies in your stomach. But after that it kind of cleared up.

Q. Have you had that feeling at all this week even like Thursday, your first shot?

MICHELLE WIE: Not really. I don't really get nervous, nervous. I just like even in the Sony Open I wasn't really shaking or really nervous or anything. I think this year I think I'm not as nervous as last year. I feel more experienced.

Q. (Inaudible.)

MICHELLE WIE: I don't know. It's a long ways away. Still in high school, you guys.

THE MODERATOR: Thanks, Michelle.

MICHELLE WIE: Thank you.

End of FastScripts.

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