MCDONALD'S LPGA CHAMPIONSHIP PRESENTED BY AIG

June 23, 2001

Maria Hjorth

MARIA HJORTH: I played really good golf today overall. The front nine, I played very good. I didn't really make any putts, and, you know, almost every shot, like 10 or 12 feet and didn't make anything. Then, the back nine I got a few good putts going in, so it was very good golf today.

MARIA HJORTH: Birdied the first. I hit a gap wedge to -- no. I hit a lob-wedge. I hit a lob-wedge to 12 feet and made the putt. On 3, hit a pretty good second shot, but just came up short. The ball didn't really fly as we thought it would. 3-putted from there just short of the green. 9, I hit a good tee shot. I was going to go for it in two, but I hit a really bad 3-wood from the fairway, and then I hit a lob-wedge for my third shot to eight feet. No. 10, I hit a driver off the tee and I hit a wedge for my second shot to maybe 18 feet. No. 12, hit a 3-wood off the tee. 9-iron for my second shot to about eight feet. Then 16, I hit a good drive and a 3-wood for my second shot and 2-putted from about 35 feet. 17, I hit 8-iron to eight feet.

MARIA HJORTH: I think the biggest key is that my swing is working really good right now. I've been working very hard on my swing and did some changes in the beginning of the year. Finally started to come together. My putting has become a lot better, too, so I don't feel as much pressure to hit the ball as close to the pin as I needed before. So, I still have a chance to make a few longer birdie putts. But overall, it's just a lot to do with confidence, as well. You have a few good tournaments, a few good rounds and you feel that you can go out there and do it all the time. My driving has been very, very good these five, six weeks. When you feel confident with your driving, I'm going to have a lot of shorter irons into the greens, maybe compared to most of the other girls.

MARIA HJORTH: I think both yesterday and today, it's been really windy. With this course, the trees that you have around it, the wind is going to come from anywhere, and you just feel very strange having to pick clubs. It's very hard. But, I mean, I had a lot of good numbers today with my irons and I could hit perfect clubs into the greens, and that helps a lot, especially when it is windy. So, I think that really was the key point. I was hitting the ball very, very close to the pin, and finally, I got some putts going in on the back nine.

MARIA HJORTH: I don't think I can, actually. I don't think I've really ever played as well as I have now for these five weeks. I won two tournaments in '99, but it was not -- I did not play as good as I'm doing right now. So I think this is something that will happen now, and I feel I can do it and you have confidence doing it.

MARIA HJORTH: Yeah, I thought today she was probably going to shoot 3- or 4-under again, and it's very hard to catch her. I guess with the wind a little bit around the course, as well, it makes it better for us, having a chance, at least, to catch her. Maybe tomorrow, I don't know what the weather is going to be like, but at least there's still a chance. I think there's three behind, or I don't know what she did on the 18th. But at least there's still a chance. Coming up today, I didn't think there was a chance of catching her, but at least now you can see.

MARIA HJORTH: There's probably less pressure going into today. Because, I think if you can shoot 4-under, then at least I might have a chance on Sunday if she shoots even par or 1-over or something. I think tomorrow she might even feel some more pressure as well from us coming behind. Laura didn't have a very good day today, but she will probably come out tomorrow and have a good score. She might not feel as save with it as she did yesterday.

MARIA HJORTH: We just -- Laura didn't come off to a very good start, but she made four great birdies coming down the last five holes. I don't know. It always helped. If the other one plays well, it always helps to see a lot of good shots in the fairway, and hitting it into the green, close to the pins. It always helps when the other one plays well in the group.

MARIA HJORTH: Yeah you feel like, "Okay, I'm going to try to be even better." You see she's a shot close to the hole you are going to try to hit it even closer than she has. It's very good if you both play well, and it's probably easier for both of you.

MARIA HJORTH: I don't feel it's that frustrating, because I have -- last year, was a really bad year for me and just coming through and having a chance to be up here and in contention all the time is just a great feeling. I think if it's your week, it's your week, and whether it happens, it's going to break your way. I think you just have to be patient and try to play as good as you can. If someone plays better than you, there's not much you can do about it. I think you just have to try to go out there and if you shoot 10- or 12-under in every tournament, one week is going to be your week.