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U.S. WOMEN'S OPEN CHAMPIONSHIPMay 30, 1996Riko HigashioSOUTHERN PINES, NORTH CAROLINA RHONDA GLENN: Riko Higashio is with us. An amateur, shot a 70 today. Riko is from Japan and she attends the University of Florida. Riko, what a wonderful round. How do you feel about it. RIKO HIGASHIO: So great. I can't believe I'm sitting right here, like by this wall, holding a mic, everything. It's just a great experience. RHONDA GLENN: This is your first U.S. Women's Open? RIKO HIGASHIO: Yes. RHONDA GLENN: What did you think of being here and playing in this championship? RIKO HIGASHIO: I was trying to not think about, like, this is a huge, big tournament. I knew it's a big tournament, but I was just trying to play my golf. RHONDA GLENN: What were the conditions like for you out there? How did you feel about the golf course today? RIKO HIGASHIO: It was difficult. It was long. The green gets faster, so it wasn't that easy. It was very difficult for me. RHONDA GLENN: You mentioned the golf course is long. About how far do you hit your tee shots? RIKO HIGASHIO: I think 240, 30, 50, around in there. RHONDA GLENN: 230 to 250. Average of about 240 yards, do you think? RIKO HIGASHIO: I really don't know. RHONDA GLENN: Let's look at your score card, then. First hole you had a bogey? RIKO HIGASHIO: Yes. RHONDA GLENN: We'll just talk about birdies and bogeys. What happened on that? RIKO HIGASHIO: I had ten, a little bit more than ten yards. I don't know the foot or inches from the ball. And then I hit over and then I just made three putts. RHONDA GLENN: Three putts on the first hole? RIKO HIGASHIO: Yes. RHONDA GLENN: The third hole you had a birdie. What club did you use on the third hole, the par 3? RIKO HIGASHIO: I hit an 8-iron. RHONDA GLENN: How long was your putt? RIKO HIGASHIO: It was three or four yards. RHONDA GLENN: So about 16 -- 15, 16 feet? RIKO HIGASHIO: Yeah. RHONDA GLENN: Then No. 7 you had a bogey? RIKO HIGASHIO: I made a three-putt again. RHONDA GLENN: No. 8, though, you had a birdie. What did you use for your shot to the green. RIKO HIGASHIO: I hit 8-iron to the left and I made chip in. RHONDA GLENN: Chipped in on that? RIKO HIGASHIO: Yes. RHONDA GLENN: From the left side of the green? RIKO HIGASHIO: Yes. RHONDA GLENN: What did you use for the chip shot? RIKO HIGASHIO: 10-iron. RHONDA GLENN: Like a wedge? RIKO HIGASHIO: Yes, same as a wedge. RHONDA GLENN: 9 you had a bogey? RIKO HIGASHIO: I think I just couldn't get up-and-down. RHONDA GLENN: Missed the green? RIKO HIGASHIO: Yeah. RHONDA GLENN: What club did you use; do you recall? RIKO HIGASHIO: No. RHONDA GLENN: On No. 12 you had a birdie, the par 4? RIKO HIGASHIO: Yeah. It was 15 feet. RHONDA GLENN: What did you hit to the green? RIKO HIGASHIO: 9-iron, easy 9 to the green, lift the ball off the green and huge slice line. RHONDA GLENN: So you parred in. What did you think coming up that last hole? Here you are, even par, and the hugest championship in the world, what were you thinking about? RIKO HIGASHIO: I didn't know that I was at even par. I was trying to play a hole, not like score. So I didn't even realize that I was even par. RHONDA GLENN: But you knew you were playing well? RIKO HIGASHIO: I was playing good. Q. I think it would be nice in you'd explain to us how you got to the University of Florida, and then talk to us a little bit about the time you spent there; what you like or don't like, how you've adjusted to that. RIKO HIGASHIO: I was going to University of Arizona. And our coach is from Arizona, Kim Haddow, originally. And I followed her to Florida. It was one year-and-a-half ago, and I'm a freshman in Florida. Gainesville is a small city. I'm from Tokyo, so it's like a huge difference. But I like Florida, and I like Gainesville. RHONDA GLENN: Can you spell your coach's name for us, Kim, K-I-M -- RIKO HIGASHIO: H-A-D-D-O-W or D-O-W -- I don't know. RHONDA GLENN: Jerry asked what your life was like at the University of Florida. RIKO HIGASHIO: Studying was so hard because I don't speak enough English. But I have to take the classes, so I was just studying and practicing. Last fall I didn't even have to practice, I was just studying and making up tests and everything. I'm getting better in school. I got used to it this spring, and I think that's why I'm playing a little bit better the last year. Q. What are you studying? RIKO HIGASHIO: I haven't decided any major yet. Q. Have you become a Gator football fan? RIKO HIGASHIO: Yes. Q. Could you talk a little bit about that? I know that's very important down there. Was that a social adjustment for you with all the significance of football and the other atmosphere of the college? RIKO HIGASHIO: I went to watch the football game my birthday last year. That was my first football game, and then I wasn't a big football fan, because there is no football -- college football in Japan. But like many people are just excited about it, and they're into the Fiesta Bowl, and I was like, oh, they're great, so I better play better. RHONDA GLENN: Do you understand football? RIKO HIGASHIO: Yeah. Q. How did you get interested in the game of golf, and where did you take up the game and at what age? RHONDA GLENN: How old were you when you began playing and how did you get interested? RIKO HIGASHIO: I think I started playing eight years old -- when I was eight years old. My mom plays golf, so she took me to the driving range, because if she left me, I'm going to be just bored. That's the reason I started golf. RHONDA GLENN: Your mother got you started, and she took you to the driving range because she was afraid if she left you you'd be bored? RIKO HIGASHIO: Yes, sort of. RHONDA GLENN: Did you love golf right away or just something else to play? RIKO HIGASHIO: Yeah. I used to play tennis when I was little, like 5, 6 years old, but I was too lazy to pick up balls. Like, if you practice tennis, you have to pick up balls. With practice balls you don't need to pick up balls. That's what my mom told me. Q. I'm from the local area, and I've played Pine Needles a number of times, and it looks like it's set up to be pretty hard up there; the balls rolling off the edges, whereas in the past it used to stay on the greens. For the country people who are here following you today and will be here the next four days, which I'm sure you'll make the cut, 70 is a good score out there, what would you define your round in your own language in three or four words for the headlines in Tokyo? Q. What do you think the newspapers would say about your game today? RIKO HIGASHIO: In Japanese or in English? In Japanese? RHONDA GLENN: What would you like the papers to say in Japanese about your round today? RIKO HIGASHIO: I would say -- LES UNGER: I think we'll have to pass on that question. Q. What's the most important event -- golfing event you've played in until today? RIKO HIGASHIO: Until today? I think every tournament is important for me, so I don't say that was the biggest one event. Do you think that's an answer? RHONDA GLENN: She plays every one the same, like Hollis and the rest of those big Open winners. Q. I'm a little confused, did you say you started out at the University of Arizona? RIKO HIGASHIO: No, I went to English school, Arizona. I was going to -- I got into University of Florida last year, last summer. Q. When did you move from Tokyo to Arizona? RIKO HIGASHIO: Tokyo to Arizona, less than two years ago. Q. Why did you move? RIKO HIGASHIO: I'm sorry? Q. Why did you move? RIKO HIGASHIO: Why? Q. From Tokyo to Arizona. RIKO HIGASHIO: I wanted to learn English. Even though I'm not speaking good, I just wanted to learn like American society or American culture. If you come to America, there is many different people over here, so you don't need to go like France, Arabia or anywhere, so I think this is a great country, so I wanted to learn everything about it. Q. Is it easier to play golf than to get -- and get good at golf being here than being in Japan? RIKO HIGASHIO: Yeah, it is easy to get to golf courses and hit balls, because in Japan the nearest golf course from my house is like one hour, at least. So it's hard to get there. And there is no grass driving range, it's all concrete mat. So practice facility is -- I can't compare. The college course is harder over here, because we have to take classes and makeup tests. Q. Did your parents come with you or did they send you? RIKO HIGASHIO: They send me. But my mom is here for watching tournament. Q. Was it Phoenix or Tucson, what city? RIKO HIGASHIO: Tucson. RHONDA GLENN: Your mother is here? RIKO HIGASHIO: Yeah. RHONDA GLENN: What is your mother's name. RIKO HIGASHIO: T-A-M-A-E -- RHONDA GLENN: T-A-M-A-E? RIKO HIGASHIO: Yeah. Q. How would you compare your round today to the way you played this season at the University of Florida; it was better or about the same? RIKO HIGASHIO: I think I play better. I putt way better today than I used to. I'm still not great, but I think that makes my score look better. RHONDA GLENN: Riko, thank you so much, congratulations. End of FastScripts.... |
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