U.S. WOMEN'S OPEN CHAMPIONSHIP

July 3, 2004

Kelly Robbins

CRAIG SMITH: Kelly Robbins with a 67 today, minus 4 for the championship.

RHONDA GLENN: Kelly, looks like you did just about everything right today, you must have had a good feeling out there.

KELLY ROBBINS: Yeah, I did a lot of really good things today, just a couple of stray tee shots. I hit actually two wrong clubs on 11 there that caused a bogey. Besides that just stayed patient today. I didn't take advantage of 13, the par-5 out there. Besides that, I cannot complain one bit. Just hung tough, kind of felt my swing going a bit, but got it back again.

RHONDA GLENN: Did your experience last year help you keep your composure today?

KELLY ROBBINS: Last year and the last couple of years on Tour helped me keep my composure today. It's a long road when things aren't going too well. I've been striking the ball extremely well for months now and haven't been able to score, like I said yesterday. It's good to see that I'm scoring and still making some birdies.

Hopefully, I can carry over for one more week and beyond -- one more day and beyond -- week, too. Weeks are good, now.

Q. Talk a little bit about the ball-striking coming along, when is the last time you hit this well?

KELLY ROBBINS: I actually -- for years when I first got on Tour I always struck the ball very well, I always hit a lot of greens. Maybe not as many fairways, but I was able to play out of the rough without any problem.

My irons was a strong point, what I depend on. I kind of didn't have anything -- haven't had anything for a couple of years, just spurts of either good putting or good driving or good irons, but not too many things combined.

It's been coming, though. Tee-to-green I've been much better the last few weeks. Now I can -- if I can get my putter going a little bit, get a few breaks, and get the momentum going.

Q. Talk about the putts you made.

KELLY ROBBINS: On 5, that was probably about 25 feet, there. And probably another 25 on 16, I'd say.

Q. Since last year's playoff you must have been looking forward to being in contention again, getting another chance, how do you feel about back in contention again?

KELLY ROBBINS: Well, it feels great. And since last year I've been waiting any time to get in contention, not just at a U.S. Open. But for whatever reason I'm able to put myself in good contention the last couple of years.

Like I said earlier and like we mentioned, just being able to feed off that might -- it can't hurt me having the experience. I don't know, sometimes knowing too much isn't a great thing. But I'll take experience over not any time.

Q. Was 12 the one where you had the par save being in the high grass?

KELLY ROBBINS: Uh-huh.

Q. You bogeyed two holes, how great was that to get out of that?

KELLY ROBBINS: I put a swing on it, you never know in the high hay. I thought I could move it. I actually hit a really good shot, almost a great shot, just to get up-and-down down there, like you said, just to keep momentum going.

It's one of those weeks when you make a good bogey or even a good par or good bogey, you just don't want to make too many mistakes. There's not a lot of birdie holes. I saw where the pins are going to be tomorrow, there's not going to be a lot of birdie holes out there tomorrow.

RHONDA GLENN: The hole location on 18 was tough there.

KELLY ROBBINS: On 18? 18, you just want to hit the green, really. I think a lot of us share that opinion. You at least feel like you have a chance. To get it on the back tier is a bonus. If you're putting up from it, it is a bonus.

18, you're trying to hit it on the right, and get it on the flat, top right.

Q. Annika is high on the leaderboard, is everyone looking at her as the one to beat?

KELLY ROBBINS: I think that's a pretty obvious statement, considering the past record that she has. She's always going to be up there. I think there's a lot of girls playing really well now, these days, and this week, and she is, too, and hopefully someone can put some pressure on her. We all have to play and stick to our game and what we can do.

I can't do anything about what Annika does tomorrow, and she can't do anything about what the rest of us do. You have to give yourself the opportunities and do what you can do.

RHONDA GLENN: What would be the ideal pairing? Would you like to be paired with the person who might be leading?

KELLY ROBBINS: You know, that's really -- I've never really thought about that a whole lot. I think I just like being in that position, whether it's the last group or close to the last group. I pay attention out there and I seem to kind of know what's going on and what I need to do. But as far as an ideal pairing, I'm glad I'm one at the top of the board there.

Q. (Inaudible).

KELLY ROBBINS: Oh, Meg and I -- Meg, I think, can find anybody when she wants to, I'm not too sure. But I've got a lot of really good friends out here. And Meg was having a good day. When you see someone, they know what's going on, and she obviously saw and heard the putt, at least heard the putt, and just wanted to let me know she heard it. It's just a lot of good respect.

Q. She was saying how interesting it is when you've got a 14 year old and you've got veterans, can you talk about the mix out here?

KELLY ROBBINS: Like I said yesterday, there are kids out here that are fearless, they come out and they play and they're good and they hit it long and they putt it well. You talk about experience, but sometimes lack of experience and being green is not all that bad. They don't know all the scenarios that can happen yet.

And it's exciting to see it all. And even playing with Paula today, gosh, she hung in there today great. And besides even the bogey on the last, I'm sure she's not too happy about that, but overall she just hung in there today.

Q. (Inaudible).

KELLY ROBBINS: I hadn't, no.

Q. (Inaudible).

KELLY ROBBINS: Absolutely. They hit it far, they hit it pretty straight. And again, there's just -- they just do what they need to do. And it's exciting to watch. I'm glad I'm kind of phasing out of things in the next four or five years, I think. I won't be able to keep up with anybody.

End of FastScripts.