U.S. WOMEN'S OPEN CHAMPIONSHIP

July 11, 1997

Kelly Robbins

KELLY ROBBINS: Well, I've been really trying to enjoy my walk out there and have been able to do that by playing so well. Again, I just played real solid today. I didn't make many mistakes, just hitting a lot of greens and keeping the ball around the hole, not being very hard on myself at all. So I hope I have a couple more days left in me and will be fighting until the end. I've been feeling pretty good about things so far, obviously.

KELLY ROBBINS: Maybe a little bit. Waking up every day you just never know how you're going to react to things. I was really looking forward to today. You never know. Again, you play well the first day of the Open and you've been playing well, you just kind of go with it. And I really enjoyed myself today. Fun, no, not yet. But just where I am and the people and the gallery and try to just stay in the ballgame.

KELLY ROBBINS: Sure. My first birdie came on No. 4. I hit driver, 8-iron, sand wedge and made a ten foot putt there for the birdie. I birdied 8, I hit driver, 8-iron to about three feet and made the putt. The birdie on 9, I hit driver, 9-iron and probably made another 15-foot putt there. Bogey on 11. I hit driver, 3-wood into a little bit of trouble on the right and had to punch out. Hit a pretty good shot to about ten feet, I'd say, and just left the putt short. And that was it. That was all my excitement.

KELLY ROBBINS: No, not really.

KELLY ROBBINS: Yeah. I hit a lot of good putts coming in and was very pleased. The putt -- well, I guess, like you said, 14, 15, 16 and -- was that right?

KELLY ROBBINS: Yeah. I guess just 15, 16, 17 and 18, I -- I was fortunate to get par on 18. But all the other putts coming in were really close.

KELLY ROBBINS: I think it's great; what an opportunity. Nancy and I are good friends, and Nancy has her Navy and you just kind of expect that when you play with her. It's just kind of the way things are. And I'm looking forward to it. I have no problem playing with it. And who knows, maybe I'll win a few over by the end of the day.

KELLY ROBBINS: I don't think so, no. I think the wind was pretty much out of the same direction that I've experienced today. I really just noticed it for a few holes coming in. That was about it. With all the trees and stuff, you never really get the full-blown effect of it, and there's a lot of swirling being done. But you have to keep on your toes and keep thinking out there, always.

KELLY ROBBINS: You're right. I think it will dry it out. Each day it's played really different. It's in such good shape, and the greens are holding, which is really nice. But they are getting firmer. They are not holding as well as they have, but that's expected during the week, and especially when you have good weather. I like good weather. Good weather is fine. But I think the course will change, but maybe not -- hopefully not a whole lot. It's hard enough out there as it is.

KELLY ROBBINS: Nowadays nothing seems to surprise me as far as how good the talent is out here on Tour. But it's a great golf course. It's a typical open golf course. And I think it's great to see a lot of red numbers. But the weekend, who knows what it's going to hold. It's a different story. I'm not real surprised at the scores, but in a way a little bit, just because the conditions -- just because it's an open. But not real surprised. And whether or not that record is in jeopardy, I have no idea. I'm not going to venture to guess. Who knows?

KELLY ROBBINS: 8. I'm sure she was disappointed with her finish. Anybody would be. But I'm sure if you would have told her on Tuesday that she would be five under par come Saturday she wouldn't probably even tee it up. She couldn't sign the score card fast enough. But it's great to see Lotta play so well right now. I know she's been in a real slump, and this would be a great week to see her play well. But when I saw that 8, I thought, man, she's going to be a pain in the butt this weekend. But it's really good to see her playing well.

KELLY ROBBINS: Not even thinking about it, no.

KELLY ROBBINS: Hopefully not a whole lot. I've been working pretty hard on the game, and I want to continue to do that. Every day you come to work and you tee it up and try not to -- just have good thoughts and try and do the right thing. So mentally I'm not going to change any of my thoughts or that type of thing. I really don't think much about that.

KELLY ROBBINS: Not really. I just made a couple more putts on the front side than on the back. I had a few opportunities on the back that I didn't take advantage of, and on the back I had a few go in. But fortunately, I played both sides really solid. So probably like any other week, the putting usually determines the score.

KELLY ROBBINS: I hope not. I'm not planning on it (laughter). No, I'm very pleased. I'm learning the course daily, and I'm learning where I'd like to be, where I don't want to be. So I'll just take what I've pulled in the last four days and take it into this weekend.

KELLY ROBBINS: Well, the weather fortunately hasn't been that bad, and we have played in a lot of rain this year out on Tour. But the wind hasn't been that bad. It has swirled, but it's not something that's just totally ridiculous. And fortunately we didn't get a lot of rain. But again when my iron game is on, I usually play pretty consistent, good golf, even if I make just a few putts a round. So that's where I try to focus on is having a good strong iron game and keeping the ball in play and rolling the ball well. And like any key to winning an open is not making too many mistakes. And if you have to take a couple of lumps, you do and hopefully you can get them back.

KELLY ROBBINS: Well, again like I've been saying, I'm not really going to change my game. I'm not going to make any -- I think an open week is full of conservative shots. That's just what you expect when you come to an open. There's not too many pins that you can fire at. There are a few, but the ones that you can't you just don't even think of it and you try to get the ball on the green and go from there. So I would not like to think that I'm going to try to change any kind of game plan for the next couple of days.