U.S. WOMEN'S OPEN CHAMPIONSHIP

July 21, 1994

Helen Alfredsson

LES UNGER: After shooting the lowest round ever by a woman in a U.S. Open and also a course record here, we would like to ask Helen if she would please review this round. Do we need every shot?

Q. Every shot.

HELEN ALFREDSSON: Birdies. Birdies.

LES UNGER: You are outvoted.

Q. Birdies and saves.

HELEN ALFREDSSON: Much chance I have to outvote all these guys.

Q. You don't have many shots anyhow.

HELEN ALFREDSSON: Let us take the birdies, no?

LES UNGER: You broke a record. They need it because of the record.

HELEN ALFREDSSON: I don't remember. Do you need drives too?

Q. Yes.

HELEN ALFREDSSON: Never mind. Okay. Drive right-hand side on the first hole. Second shot -- is that how you want me to say it? I am not going to make my tee time tomorrow sitting here.

LES UNGER: They are not going to make their deadlines tonight.

HELEN ALFREDSSON: My drive on the first hole, little to the right of the rough, hit a 5-wood up by about 50 yards from the pin. I knocked it in about a foot, tapped it in for birdie. I hit a 3-wood on the second hole. I had a small 5-iron to about six feet; tapped it in for birdie. Putted it in for birdie. Third hole, I had a 7-iron on the left side and was a long putt. It was probably about 12 yards, which is about 24 feet, 2-putted.

Q. 36 feet, 12 yards?

HELEN ALFREDSSON: Whatever, you do the count.

Q. 12 yards, okay?

HELEN ALFREDSSON: Oh, yeah, 30, whatever. Sorry. Fourth hole I hit a drive; 7-iron to about 10 yards which is 30 feet, 2-putted. On 5 I hit a 5-iron on the left side to about 18 feet; made it for birdie. On 6 I hit my driver on the right-hand side. I hit a 6-iron short of the pin, chipped it in with a sand wedge to about four feet; knocked it in. On 7 I hit a drive -- 6 -- what is it, 6-iron -- 5-iron, I don't remember. That was a long putt. That was probably about 15 yards, about 45 feet. 8, I hit a drive out to the right in the thick stuff. 6-iron left, chipped it up to about four feet, made it for par. 9, I hit a 3-iron -- 8-iron to about 7 -- 21 feet, 2-putted. 10, I hit a drive, 9-iron to four feet for birdie. 11, drive, wedge, to about 30 feet. 12, that is the par 5. I hit a drive, 3-iron, I was short of the bunker, chipped it up to about five feet -- 5 yards, 13 feet -- 15 feet, sorry, for birdie. 13, I hit a 5-wood to the right, chipped it up to about a foot, made it for par. On 14 I hit a drive, 6-iron, to about 24 feet for birdie. 15, drive 5-wood, sand wedge to about 24 feet, 2-putted. 16, I had a drive, 7-iron -- 3-wood, 7-iron to about five feet for birdie. 17, I hit a 3-iron to about 18 feet for birdie. 18, 3-wood, 7-iron, 13 feet, 2-putted.

LES UNGER: Have you ever played a finer round of golf?

HELEN ALFREDSSON: Actually, I did shoot 8 under once in Japan but it is the best I have done out here.

LES UNGER: Was the tournament in Japan a major level tournament?

HELEN ALFREDSSON: No. I guess a regular tournament. Not like a U.S. Open, since it is the biggest in the world.

LES UNGER: How about your general comments, how the course was playing and how you were able to do so well?

HELEN ALFREDSSON: I don't know. I mean, the course is in excellent shape. You feel like you are almost walking on a carpet. It is very nice. The greens are a little tricky. You have to stay on the right side of the pin. I mean, it can create a lot of problems. You don't want to be past the pin on a lot of holes. But I think my -- what I tried to do today was to go in on every shot just to give it as fullest attention and try to do the best -- I mean, I wasn't really thinking about what I was -- or what I had to do. And every shot just needed a special attention, and it worked. Sometimes when you are thinking too much ahead and all that -- and I knew it was a lot of tough holes coming in, so, you know, I wasn't thinking about "God, I am so many under now, I have to keep this." I just tried to keep playing. And a lot of times when you do that, you actually keep making some birdies.

Q. Were you ever dangerously close to a bogey at all?

HELEN ALFREDSSON: No. Well, 4, 5 from the side here can be-- but that is probably the longest putt I had for a par, yeah, for a save.

Q. You had a terrific up-and-down on 8.

HELEN ALFREDSSON: It feels good because I was in the high grass on the right; then hit it on the left. It wasn't that easy a chip because it was like the swell right there and after the pin, and it feels -- especially on a course like this, you feel like you saved -- you really saved the shot there. You don't take it for granted to make some of those up and downs. And I mean, it is always a period you don't take anything for granted when you play the U.S. Open. I guess my strong point is not always my chipping, so when I did get up-and-down a few times today, it felt very good.

Q. When you are playing this well, how aware are you of it?

HELEN ALFREDSSON: Not really. I mean, like I said, it is one of those things when you go out and you sort of -- you know, I had a great group. I mean, they were very nice to play with and you sort of focus on each shot, and you know, that shot, when that is done you go on to the next. You don't really think about it. You make a putt well, that is fine, you go on. And a lot of times when you start playing like that and you start seeing it too much, then, you know, coming in on the last few holes, you have a tendency of thinking about how many under you are; now I birdied 17, which I think is a tough hole, and you know, I mean, it is great when you do that, you just go on and you focus. I wasn't thinking. I was 8 under but it is always like that when you are shooting a really good score. You don't even know what you are doing sometimes. Sometimes you are shooting 2 under, you know exactly what you are doing. All of a sudden you are shooting 8 under and so, I mean, it wasn't that hard, you know. That is how you feel when you are shooting 8 under. Why can't I do this everyday? Sometimes it seems like how could I have shot a score like that.

Q. You just tried not to get carried away then?

HELEN ALFREDSSON: Yes, exactly.

Q. Do you have any sense of history after a round? Do you follow the history of golf to know that your 63 was the lowest round ever shot in a major by a man or a woman; do you have any sense of that?

HELEN ALFREDSSON: No, I really don't. I guess when you've never really been there, you know, it is hard to do it. It doesn't really when that happens. I mean, I know that Johnny Miller shot, you know, 63 at Oakmont which I think is unbelievable when he did it. But I didn't think about it as the course record or as U.S. Open record, no, I didn't.

Q. How confident are you in your own game that you will come out tomorrow and do something?

HELEN ALFREDSSON: I don't know. I mean, I don't even know how I am going to feel tomorrow. That is my moodiness coming in and out. So, I mean, I take today, I am happy for today and I deal with tomorrow.

Q. Two days ago you were saying that you were playing reasonably well, but you hadn't had a breakthrough here. Obviously, this is a breakthrough, any comments on that?

HELEN ALFREDSSON: No, it has just been one of those years where you feel like you have been striking the ball fairly well; hitting it fairly well, but nothing has really been coming out of it. But I mean, that is how it is sometimes. I was in Germany a few weeks ago. I struggled all day and I was -- for me that was just a typical example how golf is. I was struggling and I wasn't making any birdies at all. I am coming down the last hole; you are thinking, okay, I am taking par for today. Then I hit a 3-iron on a par 5 for double eagle; all of a sudden I am shooting 69. That is golf. You never know. You just got to keep going until you are on the 18th hole and I guess that was some kind of a little reminder how golf functions sometimes, you know.

Q. What was that tournament?

HELEN ALFREDSSON: Hennessey Cup in Germany.

Q. How close did that shot at 18 come, went past the hole and how long was the putt coming back?

HELEN ALFREDSSON: I don't know. It wasn't really enough -- well it was enough club. I didn't hit it really solid. It was maybe like three more yards maybe it would have -- but it is a little wet, so. .

Q. How well did you hit that second shot to 16?

HELEN ALFREDSSON: I hit it quite well. It was a good shot.

Q. Does this in any way make up for the final round of last year's Open?

HELEN ALFREDSSON: No, not really. I mean, we are not even close, I mean, to what I did last year, you know, now at that time talking about winning the U.S. Open or not winning; that is a long ways. One round is not going to make up for something like that, ever. I mean it is fun, shot 63, I can't deny that.

Q. Did that round bother you?

HELEN ALFREDSSON: Well, I have been trying to deal with it. I know that I gave my 100 percent what I could that day and with the way I was feeling and all of other things that came into play, so you know, I feel honest with myself that I could have done much better than the way I had to deal with it.

LES UNGER: Would you expect to find a different course tomorrow because of the success people have had on it today?

HELEN ALFREDSSON: Well, I don't know. I think it is a good golf course, you know, you still have to hit it pretty, you know, you never know, I mean, you can put the pins in some wicked places if you wanted to out here. I think that is going to be the big change that I think that they can do. I don't know how much they can do with the tees or whatever like that, but I think the pin positions, you know, because some of the holes still demand quite long irons in and it is a matter of getting close and making some putts.

Q. You teed off on number one and the skies opened. What are you thinking at that point; are you thinking oh, boy --

HELEN ALFREDSSON: Oh, the same story of the whole year, my luck today. Then actually it cleared up, but that is what I thought, I said okay, because I have had -- we had so many rainy days this year and I always seemed to be in the time slot when it has been raining. I am thinking nice timing. But actually it turned out to be pretty good.

Q. You really show your emotions on the court; particularly after a bad shot. Does it ever have any negative affect on your game?

HELEN ALFREDSSON: Well, maybe sometimes, but you know, it is something that I have been dealing with a little bit and sometimes when you get in -- that if you keep on doing it not so much; maybe the first bad shot, but if I hit a few, for me, it is to wake up myself "what are you doing? Get with it today." - something like that. I don't believe on keep on doing it because I think that could be something that could be detrimental to you. Every now and then you need to wake yourself up and wondering what you are thinking - if you are thinking at all.

Q. Helen, at any point in the round were you aware at all that this would be a record-setting performance?

HELEN ALFREDSSON: I had no idea. I didn't even know what the record was or anything. Sometimes it is better not too. I enjoyed my day. I enjoyed playing with Donna and Donna played well and Dottie is very nice, and we just went along and, you know, it took five hours today so it was kind of a long day, but you just need to pace yourself and take your time.

Q. The pace of play really bothered some of the players. How did you keep it from bothering you?

HELEN ALFREDSSON: I guess I -- I guess I was just in that type of mood today; that we were just sort of accepting it and came down and we were talking on the holes, I think the par threes were the most of the holes where we kind of backed up a little bit because they are tough out here. But you know, we were talking and we were laughing and before you knew it was time to hit, and but-- I mean, I think it is easier when you have a group that is playing fairly well. A lot of times when you are not playing so well, you want to just get on with it. But when you are playing well, your patience seems to be a little bit higher.

Q. You said you were in a mood today?

HELEN ALFREDSSON: What you don't think, I am in a good mood today?

Q. I didn't know from -- you were happy all the way around?

HELEN ALFREDSSON: I feel pretty good today. I don't know how that is going to be tomorrow. I might be back to my wicked self, Gerry.

Q. Is it Lou Cuellar here?

HELEN ALFREDSSON: He came this week. I haven't seen him in two and a half months.

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