U.S. WOMEN'S OPEN CHAMPIONSHIP

July 10, 1997

Kelly Robbins

KELLY ROBBINS: Well, I obviously played pretty solid today. The golf course, I feel is in great shape and the greens are rolling well. And when you're playing well and know that you might have a chance to take advantage of some opportunities, you try to do it. And fortunately that's what I did today.

KELLY ROBBINS: It could have been a really big factor. Fortunately it was off and on, and it only rained pretty steady for about a hole and a half, I guess. It really wasn't too bad. The wind got a little tricky, but like I said fortunately it wasn't so miserable for hours upon hours out there, so it was good to see it rain a little bit, softened it up a little bit, also.

KELLY ROBBINS: Second hole I hit a 6-iron, probably made about a 30 foot putt for birdie. Didn't have another birdie until 13. I hit a driver, sand wedge to 3 feet and made the putt. 14, I hit driver, 8-iron, and made probably about a 15-foot putt there for birdie. Bogey on 15. I hit 5-iron and 3-putted from 50 feet. The birdie on 18. I hit driver, 7-iron, sand wedge and made probably a 15-foot putt there for birdie.

KELLY ROBBINS: I was up on the slope. I hit it up on the first cut and the ball was a little farther above my feet than I hoped, so I decided to go ahead and lay up on that hole.

KELLY ROBBINS: 7-iron. I only had to hit it about 150, 55 yards.

KELLY ROBBINS: Well, it didn't really phase me. I didn't even think about it. I didn't think, "Oh, my gosh. I may made a bogey, and here we go." You know that's going to happen out here every once in a while. I've been playing so well and just hitting the ball close and giving myself a lot of opportunities that you make a bogey, that's okay.

KELLY ROBBINS: I've been putting cross-hand for probably about 8 years now. So my entire career out on Tour I have been.

KELLY ROBBINS: More fun?

KELLY ROBBINS: Anything that goes in is fun.

KELLY ROBBINS: Well, when I have fun, I go fishing, I think. That's usually when I find fun. This is our career out here; this is our job. And it's a very rewarding thing. It can be a very humbling experience, also. But I think you can enjoy yourself, and you need to enjoy your walk out there and enjoy where you are and what you're doing. It's a great experience. But my definition of fun would be going to an amusement park or something like that.

KELLY ROBBINS: Well, fortunately after I what I did last week you come in with a lot of confidence. You're anxious to see how your game is going to react coming off a good win. And I was very pleased today. Like I said, I hit 14 greens. And anytime you can do that on a U.S. Open course, and if you can keep the ball around the hole, fortunately too many mistakes aren't going to be happening. But I'm just kind of riding this train out. I'm playing some really good golf right now. I'm really enjoying that opportunity. And I would love to see it continue for a few more days.

KELLY ROBBINS: Oh, yeah. Especially like I said, I hit 14 greens, and I was around the hole all day. I hit a lot of 15- to 25-footers. And that's real key. I got to see a lot of good putts. And I'm stroking the ball pretty well. But fortunately I'm playing -- my game is to a point if I do lose one, anything can happen. And most of the time when I am playing, I am the kind of player that all of a sudden can struggle for a little bit and put together 3 to 5 birdies in a row. Fortunately my game right now is to that point where if I do lose one, you know it's going to happen, you expect it, you can't do anything about it and move on. There's a lot of holes to be played yet.

KELLY ROBBINS: There's some good holes out there.

KELLY ROBBINS: The pin on 12 is pretty good, the par-3. Anything over that water, back left there. The pin on 16 is a great pin, back right. That's a pretty long hole. I hit an all right drive and had to grip a 4-iron in there. And that's a pretty good pin right there.

KELLY ROBBINS: Sure. It's one of the best holes out here.

KELLY ROBBINS: Annika is a great player, period. That's just it. And golf can be very humbling and not a lot of fun sometimes, shall we say. That happens. And unfortunately, evidently she struggled a little bit today. I won't be surprised to see her do something amazing the next three days. And I'm sure she thinks that herself, also. I really haven't thought much about it, but Annika is just a great player, and unfortunately that does happen in this game. Call it bad timing, I guess.

KELLY ROBBINS: I thought the pace of play was fine today; no problems at all. In fact we found ourselves catching up a little bit every once in a while. So it was great to see the pace the way it was. It was a definite improvement from years past, so far. I don't know what the afternoon groups have themselves into, but the morning was fine.

KELLY ROBBINS: Sure. Susie is a great gal. We talk a little bit and anytime you can see someone that has gone through what she's gone through and having so many priorities in her life right now, I think that's wonderful. I don't even know how she does it. I don't even know. I wouldn't know where to begin.

KELLY ROBBINS: It doesn't matter to me, fortunately, if it's morning or afternoon. I seem to fair pretty well.

KELLY ROBBINS: Anytime I've been out here it seems to be quite popular. Anytime you have a U.S. Open, you're going to see a lot of people. We play here in the fall, also. I love it out here, I think it's great and the support has been wonderful. It's always a good time to come out here and see the people that are interested.