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U.S. SENIOR WOMEN'S OPEN

May 15, 2019

Juli Inkster

Southern Pines, North Carolina

THE MODERATOR: Like to welcome Juli Inkster to the media center, runner-up last year at Chicago Golf Club and U.S. Women's Open champion.

Juli, your impressions of Pine Needles as you prepare for the second Senior Women's Open.

JULI INKSTER: Well, it's completely opposite last year's tournament. I mean, big difference. Very undulated greens. Even though they're big, you only have really a small areas to hit to.

I think this course is playing tough. I think it's going to be a good test for us.

THE MODERATOR: Players have said it's been possibly longer, too. Is that your impression?

JULI INKSTER: Well, the par-5s are longer definitely. You know, a couple of par-5s I got to at Chicago Golf Club; you know, maybe only one, maybe two I can get to on these, but I have to hit two really good shots.

You know, I just think it's a good test. You got to drive the ball well. Pretty generous off the tees, but you've got to hit some pretty good iron shots coming in.

THE MODERATOR: One last question: The state of your game?

JULI INKSTER: You know, last couple days it's been pretty good. Definitely putting a lot better than I did last year, so that's good. But, yeah, I feel pretty good.

THE MODERATOR: Questions.

Q. I saw you couple weeks ago at the Insperity.
JULI INKSTER: Yes.

Q. How was that?
JULI INKSTER: Yeah, it was fun. Disappointing we only could play nine holes, but I had a great group with Fuzzy and Bill Rogers and Ben Crenshaw. Really nice guys; very easy to play with. We had a lot of laughs, so it's great to be able to play with those guys.

We used to have the mixed team and play the JC Penney Classic and saw them all the time. Don't get to see them that much. A lot of them have a lot of different jobs or endeavors that they're doing right now. I don't think a lot of them golf is the high priority. But we had big crowds out there. They're very popular still.

Q. And you won.
JULI INKSTER: And we won, yeah. It was great.

Q. I wanted to point that out.
JULI INKSTER: Yeah.

Q. You did win.
JULI INKSTER: Yeah. So I've got one win in a row, yeah. (Laughter.)

Q. Playing week in and week out on the tour, I mean, you kind of have tempered your competitive expectations, at least your outcome expectations.
JULI INKSTER: Uh-huh.

Q. Do you feel any different coming into an event like this where you're one of the prohibitive favorites?
JULI INKSTER: Yeah, definitely feel different. You know, last time I played was in L.A. and then I played in the Houston thing.

I do, but, you know, on paper doesn't mean anything. Still got to go out there and hit the shots and make the putts. This is a demanding golf course. You got to really pay attention to your second shots and where to hit the ball, so you got to be on your toes.

Q. Juli, the word "prohibitive favorite" came out as, you know, one of the players. Does that make you focus more or are you just a competitor anyway and they're just words?
JULI INKSTER: Yeah, it's just words. You know, I feel like I have a good shot, but, again, you know, you got to fill all the boxes in. It's 72 holes out here. There is a lot of golf. You're going to miss some shots; going to leave yourself in some bad places. Just trying to limit your damage and move on.

The key to this golf course is hit as many greens as you can. The shorter the iron in, the better off you are. So get on the ball in the fairway and hit greens. The hard part is when you have a 9-iron or a wedge in your hand, my mentality is fire at the pins.

Here you just really can't, because even if you hit a great shot, unless it's a perfect yardage, it can roll off one way or roll off the other way. You've really got to play to different spots, and when you have a chance, take advantage of it. Otherwise you have to play kind of conservative.

Q. You're very busy now. Solheim Cup captaincy, doing television, you're playing. How are you balancing all that?
JULI INKSTER: I don't know. You know, I don't know. Maybe I'm just used to it, you know? I'm doing Judy Rankin's thing and Pat Hurst's is turning 50 so we're doing a little thing for her. But don't tell her. It's a surprise. Don't tell her that. Then I do the Open next week and then I come back and play the Seattle thing. So it's a busy summer.

My Solheim team, you know, it's a lot different this year, so I'm really trying to stay more on top of it. Last couple times it's been kind of -- I kind of knew who was going to make my team and kind of knew what I wanted to do. But this year it's just like I have no idea. There are four majors coming up; anything can happen.

I'm just trying to stay patient with that and get to know as many of the girls as I can.

Q. Was I not supposed to tweet about Pat's surprise thing?
JULI INKSTER: Don't tweet about Pat's surprise thing. Jeff will kill me. Last year this was in June or July. She was so looking forward to playing because she turns 50 next week. Then when they turned out the date she missed it by a week; she was so mad. So we'll make up for it next week.

Q. When you get to the first tee is it like 30 years ago? Do you still want it as much?
JULI INKSTER: Oh, yeah, yeah. If you don't have the jitters you need to retire. I just think no matter if it's your first tournament in two years or if you played last week, it's a USGA event. Everybody wants to win a USGA event, whether it be a junior, amateur, senior, regular.

So you get the jitters, and I think that's good. Maybe if you do that CBD oil you don't get as many jitters.

Q. A win here would put you in an elite group of having won three different USGA events. I think only five people have done that.
JULI INKSTER: I know, but...

Q. That on your radar?
JULI INKSTER: Yeah, that's far from what I'm thinking right now. I would really like to just play four really good rounds out here and don't F-up like I usually do. Yeah, I mean just like to play -- come in and say, Okay, I did a lot of good things. Some not so good, but I did a lot of good things.

THE MODERATOR: You mentioned putting. It's getting better.

JULI INKSTER: Yeah.

THE MODERATOR: If there is one factor on this golf course that's going to carry anybody to the championship, would putting be it?

JULI INKSTER: Yeah, putting carries everything. Putting makes up for a lot of different bad shots, bad drives, but you're going to have a lot of five- to six-footers for par. Going to have a lot of ten-footers maybe for birdie that break a foot.

They're bermuda greens so they're grainy, so you can't -- if you have a ten-footer that breaks this much and it's down grain, I mean, I hate to say it, but you got to be aware of what you're doing. If you miss it, you're going to have a six-footer coming back.

That's the hard mental part of it is, Shoot, I had a ten-footer for birdie and now I have a six-footer for par.

Putting is key. Getting on the green is the first part of your job.

Q. Can you talk a little bit about the look and feel of this course since the restoration, how it contrasts with when you competed in U.S. Women's Opens here?
JULI INKSTER: I wish I could tell you but I don't remember. You know, I remembered some of the holes, but I always remembered it was a very good ball striking golf course.

You look at the winners here: Annika, great ball striker; Webby, great ball-striker; Cristie Kerr, great ball striker and putter. So to me, that tells you you've got to hit the ball well to win here.

I don't see it being any different this year than it was in '06 or '05 or whenever it was.

THE MODERATOR: Any other questions?

JULI INKSTER: '07.

THE MODERATOR: Any other questions for Juli? Thanks for joining us for joining us.

JULI INKSTER: Thank you.

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