LPGA CORNING CLASSIC

May 24, 2002

Beth Bauer

DANA von LOUDA: Welcome back. Thanks for coming in. You can just talk into that microphone, and if you can start out talking about how you feel about the round; and then we'll go to your score card, and you guys pass the microphone around please.

BETH BAUER: It was a solid round for me. I think the key so far for me has been a consistency. I've driven the ball fairway in two days and I only missed one green today. So just really playing solid. And both days on the front nine, I really kind of got hot, and sort of, you know, got off to a good start, especially today, shooting 31 on that front nine. So it was just a solid round.

Q. You had a lot of success on the Futures Tour last year, and playing this course relatively short, does this remind you of the course you played on then, and does it help with the comfort level this week?

BETH BAUER: Yeah, it does. Starting in this week, it kind of reminded me of the courses we played in Ohio. It was very similar. It does. It reminds me of a couple of courses we played out there, which was definitely a confidence booster. And it's definitely a course I feel I can go low on, which is a good thing. You know, usually you have like the tougher courses, just because I feel like it separates the field a little more, just because I'm pretty -- you know, pretty a strong ball-hitter, as far as being accurate, and pretty smart on the course. But, you know, this week, it's just been solid around my greens. My putters have been really good the past couple of weeks.

Q. So you would say this course does suit your game fairly well?

BETH BAUER: Yeah, definitely. I mean like I said, I've played really good on the fairways and played really smart under the holes, which I've done.

Q. You look like you're on your way to a bogey-free round, and then you did get the one. How did you overcome that? How did you deal with that psychologically?

BETH BAUER: Yeah, that was kind of a little bit of a brain part. I only had about 105 yards into the green, and it was up the hill, into the wind. The wind was coming up. I just felt I couldn't get a full pitching wedge all the way there. I thought it would spin back off. So I tried to choke up on a nine into the green, and kind of left it out to the right, and it kind of hit the bank and went right in the rough, and just hit a poor chip and didn't get up and down. So, you know, it's just one bad swing that I made today, and I just -- you know, I was okay with that.

Q. Rosie Jones, who had a pretty strong round today, she says she believes it's going to take about a 15-under to win this tournament. Do you concur?

BETH BAUER: I think at least, yeah. I definitely think, at this pace, even more, at 15, 18-under I think is going to be a good score on Sunday, to win.

Q. Psychologically, how do you prepare yourself for tomorrow, knowing now that you're in a position -- regardless of what happens with the other players, you're still going to be up there pretty close to the top of the leaderboard?

BETH BAUER: Right.

Q. Does that change the way you approach the weekend, knowing that you're at the top, looking back, as opposed to the other side of the field?

BETH BAUER: No, I don't think so. I mean I'm really excited to be in this. I've worked really hard the past couple of weeks, and started to see my game come around. Like I said, I was excited to this golf course because I thought it helped my game, and I just felt like I could go low out here, and I'm going to try to keep that mindset into tomorrow, and try not to think about the leaderboard too much. Just be confident with my game.

Q. How would you rate your rookie season so far?

BETH BAUER: How would I rate it?

Q. Yeah.

BETH BAUER: It's been great. I mean I'd give it a A plus all the way. Just the experience that I've had so far and the people I've met, it's just been a welcoming, you know, couple of weeks, and I've had a blast. I really have.

Q. How would you rate your game during your rookie season?

BETH BAUER: Yeah, that's been up and down. I had a couple weeks there where I struggled a little bit, just working on my swing. You know, everything is new for me out here, even having a caddie, everything is just really new, and all of the courses are new, and I just feel I've adjusted pretty well. All of the rookies are going through the same thing.

Q. Any embarrassing moments, as a rookie, so far? Have you done a rookie thing yet?

BETH BAUER: I don't think so. Pretty much stayed out of everybody's way. So not yet.

Q. I understand you're working with Tommy Hilfiger. Have you ever met him? He's from the area.

BETH BAUER: Yeah, he's from the area. I have not met him yet, officially. I've seen him. I played in a ProAm, where he was playing about a year ago, but I have not met him. No, I have not talked to him.

Q. You had a pretty good run last week. I think that was practically your best shot.

BETH BAUER: Yeah.

Q. What's been the key to you kind of picking it up and then playing here as well? Is there something you're doing better that you weren't doing earlier in the year?

BETH BAUER: A combination of things, really. I've been working on my swing a little bit. I have a tendency to get the club shut and a little lifty at the top; but I've been getting the club a little more open and around my body a little more, which has really helped as far as consistency into the greens. My putting has been really solid. I had a tendency earlier in the year to miss some really key putts to keep my key rounds going, and I've really, you know, been solid inside 10 feet.

Q. (Inaudible) have you hit in and how close.

BETH BAUER: Number 2, I hit a 5-iron in, just short of the green. I probably had about 40 feet or so. Cut it in off the front about four feet, and made that. Number 4, I hit 3-wood off the tee and pitching wedge into the green to about eight feet. Number five, I hit a driver 7-wood just left of the green, and took it to about 15 feet and made that. Six, I had --

Q. Did you have a nine?

BETH BAUER: Six, I hit six right off the tee, 8-iron into the green, about 12 feet, and made that. Nine, I hit seven off the tee, 7-iron into the green, to about 20 feet, and made that. And then the bogey on the back, with a 3-wood off the tee, and then a little 9-iron, just short right of the green, and didn't convert.

Q. Thank you.

DANA von LOUDA: Good job. You can leave.

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