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U.S. WOMEN'S OPEN CHAMPIONSHIPJuly 11, 1995Dottie MochrieCOLORADO SPRINGS, COLORADO CRAIG SMITH: Let us just start with the general. You have played the course a couple of times. What are your general impression? I think most people have the perception that it is the greens that will be the deciding factor. DOTTIE MOCHRIE: I think they are right. I went out yesterday and didn't even take any 9-iron. Never hit more than a bunker shot. Just spent the whole day chipping and putting and trying to find out where I was going before I ventured on to the golf course with everything today. And it helped. I hit it in places on the greens today where I could play from instead of places where I just dropped balls yesterday and, you know, it was just a long ordeal, so it is demanding off the tee and into the greens, but it is everything everyone said it was from the front fringe to the back. CRAIG SMITH: Is it the speed? Is it the slope? And one more, what would it be in terms of advice where people say it breaks toward the mountain; away from the mountain? DOTTIE MOCHRIE: Breakingwise, it definitely breaks away from the mountain. The hardest thing to remember is trying to keep your bearings of where you are in relation to the mountain and where you are playing into the valley as a whole dictates speed and line. I think that is the biggest thing to remember. You could conceivably have a bunch of putts that appear to be downhill and if they are putting into the mountains, they are extremely slow, even though in relative terms of the green itself, they are downhill. Over in the big pictures, they are into the mountains, so that makes it very slow and vice versa. It could appear to be uphill and be playing into the valley and be extremely quick. Q. Is that because of the gravitational flow? DOTTIE MOCHRIE: That is mother nature, you betcha. Q. You are aware of the Will Rogers Shrine up there and all that has been said about when you are putting, you definitely want to putt away from? DOTTIE MOCHRIE: Away from the Shrine. Q. But the key from the whole factor here might be the fact that you are playing at 6,500 feet. Now, what kind of effect did it have on you? DOTTIE MOCHRIE: The golf ball went mid-iron; it went about 15 yards further. Q. Club and a half, to give you a middle of the road? DOTTIE MOCHRIE: Yeah, about a club and a half. I mean, I think if you see the way the golf course is laid out, yardagewise, that tells you that that was factored in. You got a couple of par 4s that are over 440 yards and you normally don't see that. Q. When did you come in for this tournament? DOTTIE MOCHRIE: Sunday afternoon. Q. So you really haven't had a chance to get acclimated yet to this -- let us say, 48 hours, but it won't do it? DOTTIE MOCHRIE: I live at 3,300 feet, so that helps. It wasn't quite as different, you know, as living at sea level. Q. But it would affect someone who didn't? DOTTIE MOCHRIE: It might. I imagine it might. Q. And most assuredly, caddies? DOTTIE MOCHRIE: Well, I suppose. They have got a little bit more on their backs than we do. Q. How do you feel? What do you feel, in general, about your game coming in here? DOTTIE MOCHRIE: I feel like I haven't gotten a whole lot out of the last couple of tournaments I have played, but in general, I am playing real well; I have played a lot all season and, you know, I have gotten a lot out of, with particularly, the stretch from the beginning of April until the middle of May. So this is the beginning of a really large stretch for me, so I am kind of hoping to get it off to a good start. Q. Do you consider this the biggest tournament you play all year? DOTTIE MOCHRIE: I consider every tournament huge. Q. You don't put any special emphasis on this? DOTTIE MOCHRIE: No, not really. Q. At this altitude, are you hitting a lot of short irons to the holes? DOTTIE MOCHRIE: I hit a lot of mid-short irons in. Didn't hit any woods in the par 4s which is a little strange for an Open. Just hit a lot of 5, 6, 7, 8-irons. Q. Do you think in a way this altitude will negate some of the effects that maybe a Laura Davies will -- DOTTIE MOCHRIE: It might. Q. Some? DOTTIE MOCHRIE: And the fact that there are only two par 5s on the golf course may negate it. Q. But you do have four long par 4s? DOTTIE MOCHRIE: Yeah, and three of them are downhill, so that kind of negates part of that as well. Q. Dottie, what was the longest iron you hit into a par 4? DOTTIE MOCHRIE: I hit 4-iron in number one. Q. That is uphill? DOTTIE MOCHRIE: That is uphill; correct. Q. Do you get any effect, because you are playing in the shadows of the mountain there to a degree, do you get any effect of the wind changing, swirling winds? DOTTIE MOCHRIE: It didn't seem to be blowing primarily out of the southwest. Since I got here on Sunday afternoon and it hasn't really changed that much. Q. You are sharp on your game plan, you usually pick that out? DOTTIE MOCHRIE: Yeah. Q. As a key? DOTTIE MOCHRIE: Yeah, it hasn't changed. In those long par 4s that are downhill are pretty much downwind as well too. Q. Right. DOTTIE MOCHRIE: Yeah. Q. I have heard some say that it may be a record score shot this week? DOTTIE MOCHRIE: Record low? Q. Record low. DOTTIE MOCHRIE: Juli and I were talking about that when we played. We thought there is a possibility if the greens remain receptive. If they don't, it could be ugly because it is going to be really hard to chip and putt to a surface that is not going to receive, you know, a shot. It is going to be that hard to chip to as well. There is some goofy chip shots out here and if you hit it, it is going to be hard. Q. Have you got it in the rough out there? DOTTIE MOCHRIE: Oh, sure. Q. Do you worry about it? DOTTIE MOCHRIE: Well, I just go out there and try to pick a target and hit it there and you expect to hit it in there sooner or later, I suppose. Let us just hope it is not on a par 5. Q. How would you rate the undulations on any of the greens? DOTTIE MOCHRIE: Well, I think they are pretty fair. I think you really have to keep your wits about where you are in relation to the mountains and the valley itself and where the Shrine is, but I would say probably -- a little more traditional undulations than you see from the new stuff that is out. So it seems like it fits. Q. Let me ask you now: Since you have been around this golf course, are there a few spots out there where, come Sunday, if they can tuck those pins and cause all kinds of trouble -- DOTTIE MOCHRIE: Oh, yeah. They tried a few of them today and they are tough. There were a few out there today. Q. That is Craig's fault. DOTTIE MOCHRIE: But, you know, you anticipate that as well and you got a couple of practice rounds under you, and, you know, there is just a certain few pins in certain spots you will not -- you won't take a stab at. You will play 20, 30 feet below the hole; if you make it from there, great, but there is certain ones you just or you don't want to be either side of them. There is certain areas you just don't want to be chipping from. Q. Is two or three days enough time to get the hang of these greens? DOTTIE MOCHRIE: I'd like to think so. I have spent four hours doing nothing but chipping and putting on them. I got two practice rounds one today and one tomorrow, and. . . I don't know. You got to remember that it is a golf tournament it is one week. It is not everything. Q. Is it fair to say that this, tee to green, this course, might be easier than most Open courses? DOTTIE MOCHRIE: In spots. In others, it is not. - the thing that makes it hard from tee to green is that you have got to place the approach shot in a spot where it is not going to make putting an absolute nightmare. So I think that makes it tougher from tee to green. Q. Anything about this course and the style you'd like to play that gives you a great sense of confidence for this week? DOTTIE MOCHRIE: Well, I'd like to think I have a game that can go almost anywhere and just not have a whole lot of weaknesses, but typical of most Opens, you need to drive the ball well on the fairway to give yourself any chance to play offense and, you know, especially, here, you need to be on the proper side of the hole, so it is going to -- I think, demand good iron shots and hopefully that is what I can maintain through this week. Q. People who have said set this course up have look forward to this for a long, long time. Have they done a good job preparing for it? DOTTIE MOCHRIE: I think they did. I hit a lot of mid-irons, some long irons and short irons, and I think it's got a real good balance of par 4s and I think that is kind of what they are looking for in setting up the golf course is a good balance and they have done that. CRAIG SMITH: How many times have you played the Broadmoor before? DOTTIE MOCHRIE: This is it. Never played the Invitational. Never had any money to come out this far. I didn't have any money; if I couldn't drive, I couldn't play, so, this is it. CRAIG SMITH: Anymore? Q. What -- DOTTIE MOCHRIE: Firman (phonetic) is fine, thank you, Jerry. Q. Is the little fellow feeling better? DOTTIE MOCHRIE: Feeling better. My black chow chow got nailed by a copperhead a week ago in the mouth, so we have been playing mom for a while. Q. Who keeps the dog while you are here practicing? DOTTIE MOCHRIE: He baby-sits for himself. He has got his toys and sleeps a lot. Q. What I was wondering, if you would talk a little bit about yourself specifically and your hopes and desires about winning an Open; anything like that? DOTTIE MOCHRIE: Well, hopefully it will happen sooner or later. Sooner preferably than later. But I think it takes a little time to realize what it takes to win an Open and first and foremost, I think it is remaining right here and right now; not getting too far ahead of yourself and I am sometimes pretty guilty of that. Just -- I am just going to try to take -- to use the the old cliche, "take it one shot at a time" but it is awfully important over 72 holes with really the world watching the event, you know, to kind of set your own goals for the week; you know what your strengths and weaknesses are and play to them. But I wish I could tell you what it meant to win an Open. Hopefully, I can some day. Q. Well, if there are players in The Open who are veteran players who some have won lots of Opens as in three or four; there are veterans who have never won any or veterans who may have won one. I guess, in your situation, your career is just -- you are an experienced player but you are not a veteran... DOTTIE MOCHRIE: Not yet, thank you. Q. Maybe it is -- what I mean by that is you are just in the good years of your career right now. So would it be more likely for you to be prepared to win an Open now as opposed to maybe ten years from now or five years -- DOTTIE MOCHRIE: Maybe you are right. I think I am actually a better player than I was even three years ago when I was Player of the Year. But the standard is just that much tougher to win out here and it takes that much more of a commitment to win and, you know, hopefully it won't take another ten years to win an Open; by the same token, I don't know, I am trying to win every week and, you know, to get in the LPGA Hall of Fame, it doesn't say you have to win an Open either, so put it in perspective that way. CRAIG SMITH: Dottie, you have had a couple of thirds; couple of fifths. Has there been disappointment that has associated The Open for you? DOTTIE MOCHRIE: Well, I guess my disappointment at The Open would be not to have -- I guess, to look back, you know, scores, Thursday, Friday, Saturday, Sunday -- was not to have played well on Saturdays when I have gotten into contention and then just came back and put a real low number on the board on Sunday. Just hadn't stuck around for all 4 rounds, but came charging back on Sunday, so, I guess that would be the disapointment if there was any. Q. In terms of degree of difficulty, is this the toughest test to date this year? DOTTIE MOCHRIE: Rochester was pretty darn hard. You know, Dinah Shore always plays hard, and you know, I think those two golf courses maybe on par with this one. Rochester played the hardest. I have seen it play since I have been on Tour and Dinah Shore just, like I said, always plays hard. It is hard. Q. One of the golfers said "patience" might be the key. Well, that is a word we hear every week down the line, "patience," but then on the other side of the ledger, how do you look at this -- is this one you could tee it up on Thursday and charge at? DOTTIE MOCHRIE: I don't think so. I think you have to kind of plot your way around this golf course. I don't think you have to go out there and play defense, but you need to know when to play to the pin and when to play out to the right and let the green bring it back in, or you know, when to take a rip at that par five and went when to lay back, and it is just going to -- I think it is going to be a smart player that wins here. Q. Can you reach both par 5s? DOTTIE MOCHRIE: Yes. Q. You made those two putts on the par 3 today, the curlers where the gallery was really applauding. DOTTIE MOCHRIE: On 4. Q. Was that about as hard a putt-- DOTTIE MOCHRIE: That was pretty tough. Well, actually I think Patty's putt may have been harder. The putts, it seems on this golf course, when you are a pin high putting across the face of the break, the slope, seem to be the hardest because you have to hit them hard enough to the pinnacle of where it is going to break and have the speed just right so they will break right into the hole without cruising right on by. Just the front edge of that hole is really where you are looking to die the ball into. It is very hard once you get above that hole. Q. I was thinking maybe your first putt would go past the hole and all that and it went right in the hole; then you hit another one; I said, maybe that is not a hard putt after all, but it sure broke a lot. DOTTIE MOCHRIE: Thank you. That green, I think, is probably one of the hardest on the whole golf course. Thank goodness they are only hitting 7 or 8-iron in there because if there had been a 3, 4, 5-iron into that green, gosh, that would be a long day. Q. Do you think maybe this altitude might take a cut; that the possibilities of about half the field down; in other words, triple your field up because of being acclimated to the 6,500 foot altitude? DOTTIE MOCHRIE: Oh, I don't know. I mean, 48 hours, I think was mentioned and talking to -- Q. Don't you -- DOTTIE MOCHRIE: You think it is a little bit more than that? Q. A little bit more. DOTTIE MOCHRIE: I am not quite sure. I know a lot has been made of it, and I mean, obviously I took it a little bit to heart. I did some pretty hard cardiovascular training last week up at 3,300 feet just in anticipation of being ready to come out here, but you know, I don't know if half is maybe a little generous. Q. You mentioned all those irons you would be hitting to par 4s and I guess some of the par 5s. Is there a possibility of a club or two you will never pull from the bag this week? DOTTIE MOCHRIE: It is going to depend a lot if that wind changes. If the wind happens to blow out of the north for some reason with the front coming through or something, that will definitely change. Number 3 will become a real tough test and the par 5s won't necessarily be reachable for the majority of the field, so if the wind changes, maybe the 2-iron won't come out of the bag, but if it does change, I think it could play totally different than it did today. Q. Combining Al's question on altitude with your answer on reaching the 5s, do you expect the eagle to have a role-- a factor in this tournament? DOTTIE MOCHRIE: I think 17 being positioned where it is in the golf course and being accessible, I sure do. That could be a big change coming around the stretch. Q. Starting as early as Thursday? DOTTIE MOCHRIE: I think you will see some eagles posted, sure. CRAIG SMITH: Any other questions? Thank you, and good luck. End of FastScripts.... |
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