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U.S. SENIOR WOMEN'S OPEN

May 17, 2019

Laura Davies

Southern Pines, North Carolina

Q. Do you learn something from yesterday today, or just hitting it better? What was the difference?
LAURA DAVIES: Well, I think the USGA were really kind to us. They softened the course up a bit, they shortened a few holes. They gave us a chance, and you can see the best players have kind of filtered up through the ranks, and you know, you felt like you were a bit more in control today. Yesterday I never felt I had any control over the golf course at all. I take my hat off to the USGA. They gave us a chance.

Q. What are you looking for for the weekend?
LAURA DAVIES: Well, my whole week I've been trying to get back to level par. In my mind, I'm thinking level par is good. Now, if they keep the course as it is today, then maybe a couple under you'd like to get to, so my whole focus is get back to level and see what happens after that. The trouble is out here, it's such a hard golf course, even though they've made it a bit shorter today, you've still got to hit the shots and there's danger -- I hit it out of bounds on 15 today, made a double. You can't relax, and I think that's the testament to this golf course, the design of this golf course. It doesn't give you a minute's peace. I hit a lot of good shots today.

Q. Last year you put the hammer down with a 66 on Saturday. Is that kind of round out there?
LAURA DAVIES: No, I don't think -- I think anyone who shoots 66 -- although Inkster is I think 3-under today, which is a very good effort. You never say never, but if I could shoot 2-under, 1-under and finish level par, whether that was good enough or not, I'd be happy with my week. Obviously you want to win, but you don't always get what you want. But I know that this course is really -- mentally it's doing me in a little bit, so I've just got to keep positive, get that target and try and hit it, and like I said, if it's good enough, then fine.

Q. Where did you sense you were moving up the leaderboard today?
LAURA DAVIES: Well, they've got a few out there. I knew -- you just know if you shoot around level par you're going to move up, whether someone else goes mad and gets it really low -- I think Trish was back to 2 at one point, maybe back to 3 now. You knew if you shoot a couple, 1-under, definitely good things -- it's only a good thing that's going to happen. Even though it's easier today, it's still tough.

Q. Are we to read anything into the number of European players at the top of the leaderboard today?
LAURA DAVIES: Well, I think the thing is, a lot of the players that you see on the leaderboard still play quite a lot of golf, and that's, I think, the advantage we have over the rest of the field, because there's still some great players that don't play full-time golf. Alfie, I know she said she doesn't play anymore, but she practices a lot. She plays more golf than I do probably. Trish Johnson is obviously still on Tour. I don't think Danielle Ammaccapane plays quite so much, certainly not Crafty, but there's some players up there you know that they know they've still got their scoring boots on, which I think you really need that in championship golf.

Q. Do you think there will be a benefit to this championship in the long haul of having a broader Legends Tour schedule for the professionals?
LAURA DAVIES: Obviously, yeah, because you go from more fun events on The Legends Tour, they're two-rounders in carts, and then you come to the U.S. Open -- let's make no mistake, this is a U.S. Open. We haven't got the high rough, but that's not what this golf course is all about. It's not about high rough. It's about keeping it in the fairway and positioning it. Yeah, it's tough to come from Legends events to the U.S. Open, so it would be great if we had more Legends events, maybe 54-hole events and build the Tour that way. These ladies have got so much to offer.

Q. What do you think would be kind of a good minimum number, six, seven events?
LAURA DAVIES: Well, if you got to 10, any time you get to 10, it's a Tour, isn't it. It's a really good, solid platform. So yeah, it would be great, it really would. The USGA is doing everything they can do and maybe one day the R&A will stick in a Women's Senior British Open. That would be nice.

Q. Do you do anything differently to prepare tonight knowing the conditions, the weather might be in the 90s tomorrow?
LAURA DAVIES: No, I just won't sleep very well. I didn't sleep very well last night knowing that I wasn't -- it's not that I'm not looking forward to playing this course because I love the golf course, but I'm not looking forward to the challenge because it's -- you're terrified of making big mistakes, and at 15 I made a big mistake. Luckily I came back with a birdie on 18 which kind of softened the blow of that. I can't say you're enjoying it this week. It's a real grind out there.

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