U.S. WOMEN'S OPEN CHAMPIONSHIP

July 2, 2003

Michelle Wie West

RHONDA GLENN: Ladies and gentlemen, a little over two weeks ago -- actually over a week ago Michelle Wie became the youngest champion in the history of USGA adult championships. So we're happy you're here, Michelle. Congratulations on that great victory. That was a pretty tough course, Palm Coast, Ocean Hammock, but this course looks tougher to me, how do you feel about it?

MICHELLE WIE: I guess it's a lot tougher in a way. If you hit it in the right places and if you put the ball in the right place on the green, it's not that hard of a course.

RHONDA GLENN: You've played in a lot of big tournaments, besides women's tournaments, you've played in the State Amateur, which included men contestants. What's the atmosphere at the U.S. women's Open like for you?

MICHELLE WIE: Everything is really well organized. There are a lot of volunteers, everything is really well structured, and I guess everything is running smoothly.

RHONDA GLENN: You also played in the Nabisco Championship. Does this seem the same as far as the excitement and the feeling you get walking in here?

MICHELLE WIE: Yeah, I guess. It's a little bit colder here.

Q. Well, did you come here to win or what's your goal?

MICHELLE WIE: I guess everyone comes here to win. I want to -- of course I want to win, but I just want to make every par on every hole, play consistently, try not to make too many mistakes, and hopefully I'll make the top 10 or win.

Q. Is this at all overwhelming to you or is this another tournament out here having fun?

MICHELLE WIE: Yeah, I guess. It's a little bit more than that, because it's the U.S. women's Open, I guess. But as a tournament you're still playing the golf course, you're still trying to play your own game.

Q. You had a pretty long day on Monday. Can you tell us what time you arrived and how that day went?

MICHELLE WIE: I woke up at around 3:00. We drove to the airport. We left around 6. We stopped over at St. Louis, and we came around here about 12 o'clock. And then we arrived on the golf course around 1:30, 1:40. Then we went off at 2:10, and then we came home, pretty tired.

Q. We were talking to Juli Inkster a little earlier today and she was talking about how she didn't even start playing golf until she was 15 years old. All the attention you've had, especially the last few weeks, with all of your success, are you even surprised by how well you've done this quickly?

MICHELLE WIE: I guess you just get so used to it, doing so well, that you want to do better. And even when you're playing so good, you still feel like you didn't play as well as you wanted to. So I guess when you play good, you expect higher. So you just keep on going up.

Q. Do you feel any pressure at all given your success recently, the USGA, how well you did, back in March, the Nabisco, do you feel more pressure that people expect you to do well when you come in?

MICHELLE WIE: I guess, a little. But everyone just can't do what people expect them to do. You just have to feel satisfied with yourself. And I guess that's what I'm going to do.

RHONDA GLENN: A little history on Michelle. When she started playing golf, she never shot a hundred. She never had to break a hundred. And another thing, she shot a 64 when she was 10 years old, and qualified for her first USGA championship, the U.S. Amateur Public Links at 10. And shot 74-76 at the qualifying, when I first met her.

Q. What do you contribute to the success so far?

MICHELLE WIE: I don't know, I guess I hit the ball far, so that's what I'm known for. I guess I think it's because I improved each year, and know what I need to improve on, so I work the hardest on that. I don't know, I just play good golf, I guess. I don't know.

Q. I was curious, are you enjoying all the trappings of instant fame with everyone looking at you and wanting to get an autograph, talk to you, or is there anything you don't like about it?

MICHELLE WIE: I guess it's pretty enjoyable, because coming in and doing this, like press conference is pretty fun. But I guess sometimes it gets a little tedious when you're tired and want to get off the golf course. But sometimes, like the media is too much, so you don't have really time for yourself. But I'm enjoying it still.

RHONDA GLENN: He also asked about autographs, do you enjoy giving autographs?

MICHELLE WIE: Yeah, I'm pretty used to it. It's okay.

Q. Every story that's written about you says you want to play in The Masters, and maybe on the PGA TOUR. Maybe you said that a few years ago, I don't know. Is that still your dream? Can you talk about why The Masters is your goal. And do you eventually want to play on the PGA TOUR with the men?

MICHELLE WIE: I wanted to play at the Masters and the PGA TOUR, because I think that's going to take me to the highest level and see how I play. And if I improve every year that I'm going to want to go up one more step, and I think The Masters is going to be the highest step for me, or probably when I get to play in The Masters, and I want to win The Masters.

Q. Last week at the Senior Open Jack Nicklaus talked about you for about 20 minutes. He was simply in awe. He says he wants to see you play. How does it make you feel that that legend of a golfer is paying attention to you?

MICHELLE WIE: I guess it surprises me more than anything. I guess people talking about me ,like really famous people talking about me is surprising me, because I'm surprised that they even know me (laughter.) I feel like I'm nobody yet. It's pretty cool, because like Jack Nicklaus is one of the greatest players, and my dad really liked him. And I guess he's cool, even everybody who said that to me, I feel so happy.

Q. I heard people say that maybe you're too young for this, that it's too much for a 13 year old, too much pressure. What do you think?

MICHELLE WIE: I would think, how do they know? (Laughter.) I mean, they're not 13. They're probably 30 years old, watching TV watching me play. I mean I'm still young and fresh, and I can handle it (laughter.)

Q. What's your earliest memory of watching a U.S. women's Open, and also Sydney Burlison who was also 13, she said sometimes her friends don't understand her commitment to golf. Do you sometimes run into that with your friends, too?

MICHELLE WIE: Every day. They don't understand why golf is even a sport. They just think it's really funny, because you have really bad tans, like white feet and then you have pants tans. And then they don't understand why people watch golf, because all you do is hit the ball and people clap. So they don't understand at all. And why you have to practice every day. But I think that you have to commit to something and if you want to do good, you have to.

RHONDA GLENN: When was the first time you saw the Women's Open? Have you ever seen the Women's Open? (Laughter.) Next question.

Q. I was wondering how absolutely committed you are to staying amateur all the way through a college career. If you can imagine, say winning a LPGA event while still in high school, do you think you'd still pursue college before you turned professional?

MICHELLE WIE: Yeah, I guess. Even if I do win, I think I would take the next step and -- that doesn't mean if you win one tournament that you have to turn pro. Like Bobby Jones, he didn't turn pro. And I really want to go to college, and I think it's going to be a really good experience for me and it's going to be fun, so, yeah.

RHONDA GLENN: You're in almost all honors courses, aren't you?

MICHELLE WIE: Yeah, I'm in all honors.

Q. We were following you a little earlier today, your father handed you the 3-wood and you told him you wanted to hit driver. Who's in charge out there most of the time?

MICHELLE WIE: I guess my dad would kind of be mad at me if I said it was me. But it is kind of me, I guess. I guess I just pick the club and I hit it and I feel more comfortable with my club selection than his. So I kind of make the sad puppy face, and then -- and sometimes -- then I make the mad face and then he listens.

Q. When you're not playing golf, what kinds of things are you interested in, what do you do -- you handle yourself so well it's easy to forget that you're 13 years old, but what kinds of things are you interested in when you're not playing golf?

MICHELLE WIE: I love to shop and I like to watch movies. I like to watch TV. And I just like to do regular things, I guess.

Q. What's been the response from other Tour players, what's been your reaction and interaction with them and how have they treated you, have they welcomed you with open arms, and what's been your reaction with them in these type of events?

MICHELLE WIE: The players have been really nice to me. Everyone has been treating me really well, so it's been great. And everyone's been nice to me, no one wasn't really mean to me, I guess.

Q. Are you planning to hire any caddies or are you going to stick with your father?

MICHELLE WIE: I'm going to stick to my dad until I'm old enough and he doesn't want to caddy for me anymore. I guess then I'm left with no choice.

Q. Is there a particular year that you plan to enter the Men's Amateur and the Men's Public Links in?

MICHELLE WIE: As soon as possible.

Q. Next year, possibly?

MICHELLE WIE: Yeah.

RHONDA GLENN: You have heard secondhand that they would accept you if you won that championship, didn't you?

MICHELLE WIE: Yes, in an article Hootie Johnson said that he would welcome me.

Q. You're not the only teenager in the field this week. Have you had a chance to meet any of the others and play with them and compare your games with them, how are they playing?

MICHELLE WIE: No, I haven't really met them. I met Morgan Pressel and Virada, I played against her and we've been really close. But I haven't met the other 13 year old, and not a lot of teenagers out there.

Q. Do you have a favorite golfer or anybody that you pattern your game after?

MICHELLE WIE: I tried to make any swing like Ernie Els, because that's the swing that's going to last a lifetime. And I don't think I'll get my club speed as high as Tiger Woods. I'm trying to make my swing like Ernie Els. But whenever I go back in the trees, I always think of Tiger Woods and I always want to hit his shot, just for the fun of it.

Q. Do you have any plan to visit Korea?

MICHELLE WIE: Yeah, I'm planning to in October this year.

Q. 13 years old have a lot more energy than folks who are a lot older, like we are here. Does the concept of burnout mean anything to you, do you understand that idea and is it at all a fear of yours?

MICHELLE WIE: I guess I don't really fear it. I guess if I do get burned out, I'll go to college, and at least I have a chance to do something else. I'm not really afraid of it because I don't think -- I don't want golf to be my whole life for like the rest of my life. I just want to do something else, just like play another sport, because golf is just another game. If I want to take it to the highest level, I have to be committed. I don't want to get burned out, but even if I do I'll have something else to do.

RHONDA GLENN: In the Women's Amateur Public Links you played 9 rounds of golf, I believe, in six days. 36 holes, each of the last three days; then you played in the LPGA Championship immediately after that, the LPGA tournament; and now you're here. How tired are you?

MICHELLE WIE: I'm really looking forward after this tournament, because I have two weeks of rest. But I guess I was pretty tired on Monday and got a little better yesterday and now I'm fine today. So I'm good. I'm 13, I'm young. (Laughter.)

RHONDA GLENN: Thank you for being so gracious to join us, and good luck.

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