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BMO FINANCIAL GROUP CANADIAN WOMEN'S OPEN

July 9, 2004

Aree Song

NIAGARA FALLS, ONTARIO

PAUL ROVNAK: Aree, thanks for coming in and joining us.

AREE SONG: Thanks for having me.

PAUL ROVNAK: It was a great round out there, nine birdies. You jumped up the leaderboard and right now your clubhouse lead is 7 under. There are still several people on the course one stroke better, who knows what will happen. Give us your thoughts on the day and we'll take questions from there.

AREE SONG: I played pretty solid all the way around. I didn't get off to a quick start. I hung in there and had some good swings and took advantage of it with the putts, so I'm pretty pleased.

Q. Is this one of your better rounds of the season? And how have you felt about your play overall? You're 20th on the money list, do you feel you're having as good a year as you had hoped?

AREE SONG: Well, I think so. I've had some good finishes and some poor ones, but I think they balance out. I've been pretty consistent for most of the time. I feel like I'm improving, really.

Q. What went right today?

AREE SONG: I hit my driver well both rounds and today I hit some good irons after the drives, so that set me up for some pretty good birdies.

Q. Run through a few of your birdies.

PAUL ROVNAK: We'll go over the entire score card at the end.

Q. This is only your second pro tournament with your sister. What is that like? Is it a fun week for you with her being here?

AREE SONG: Definitely. It's always fun when she is around. I think I'm more relaxed when she is around, really. Off the course we watch movies and eat lots of food and talk about other things, so it's been great.

Q. How much have you seen her actually, been with her in the last couple of months? Not much?

AREE SONG: Not very much. She is on the Futures Tour and they have a different schedule, probably the average of twice a month.

Q. Do you talk to her every day?

AREE SONG: Every day.

Q. Do you call each other at a specific time after your rounds?

AREE SONG: Whoever is finished first and they just call the other person. The phone company loves us, I'm sure.

Q. This was your fourth round this week here, with your practice round and the Pro Am?

AREE SONG: Yes.

Q. Do you feel your more comfortable out there with every round, getting used to the course?

AREE SONG: Definitely. I think I'm getting to know the course a little better each day and I know where the ball is going to bounce to, definitely.

Q. A lot of people have talked about how difficult the greens are, and yesterday with the pin placements. Is that something, again, that just takes time to get used to or have you not found that it's that much of a problem with you?

AREE SONG: There are two types of putts on this course really. One type of putt is the one that's straightforward and you don't have to worry too much about it, just look at it and hit it. The other type is more of I call it a temptation putt. You know what it's going to do, but the speed is kind of tricky so you have to watch yourself, and those putts you just try to die it in.

Q. Any sense of excitement? 7 is a pretty good number, to put yourself in contention. I know it's on day two.

AREE SONG: You can't tell I'm excited? Actually, I'm just hungry. Any time I play well and get on the board it's exciting for me. My main thing is to play well this year and keep learning, it doesn't matter where I finish. A win would be nice, but that's still a long ways away.

Q. Where does your mindset go now? You've got Gloria Park and Meg Mallon who might be ahead of you and perhaps somebody else. What is it going to take to win this tournament, do you think?

AREE SONG: I think solid play, really. Obviously you have to putt well. The main thing is to give yourself chances to look at birdie. If you put it on the green and give yourself an uphill putt, it's pretty fair.

Q. I know you've had a second place finish already this season. Did you learn anything that week perhaps that you can take, you know, being in contention, that you can take into this weekend as you try to win your first event on the Tour?

AREE SONG: I guess what I learned from the tournament is you never know until it's over. You have to play your game and hope for the best. That's the main thing I've learned.

Q. Before this year, how much time would you and Naree spend together? You were in school together, you competed at most of the amateur events together, you often got exemptions together, what would be the longest you guys would have spent

AREE SONG: She actually went to college, the University of Florida, for 6 months, and that was probably the most difficult time. That was the first time. I know it was tough for her, at least I had my parents at home still. We're getting more used to it, but it's nice to be together.

Q. Do you feel that the fact you've been in the spotlight, you and your sister, since you were like 12 or 13, has that helped you in your game today?

AREE SONG: Definitely. I mean, I think the more I play in tournaments and under these conditions, the more I'll get more comfortable and used to it. I remember the first time I played in the Nabisco I was 13, and there was a big crowd and playing with Dottie Pepper and Karrie Webb, I felt like somebody was choking me on every shot. I'm definitely getting more comfortable. It's just a matter of time and learning.

Q. Was there a point when this season started where you were pretty sure you belonged out here? You knew you could play out here, right, when the season started, or did you have any doubts, well, maybe I will make it and maybe I won't?

AREE SONG: I started the season with low expectations, but I was confident in my game. I don't really want to set any goals that were too high, but at the same time I still want to be competitive with all these great players out here. Rookie of the Year would be a great thing for me.

Q. When Naree decided to leave college, was a part of you maybe relieved or happy I mean, if she had stayed at Florida for 4 years, that would be 4 years away from you. That would be hard. Was part of you feeling, well, this is good, I know that I'll be with her not be apart from her for 4 years?

AREE SONG: I think it's great if she's playing on the Futures Tour and developing her game that way, and hopefully get her card for next season and hopefully tour the Tour together, that would be fun.

Q. Are you staying in a hotel or in a condo or a house here?

AREE SONG: We're staying in a hotel this week.

Q. Is she staying the whole week?

AREE SONG: Yes, she's here the whole week.

Q. Does Michelle Wie make you feel like you're an old veteran?

AREE SONG: Sometimes. We like the same actors and the same type of food, so we get along.

Q. Does she ever come to you and ask you for advice?

AREE SONG: She works with David Leadbetter, and I work a little bit with David, too. She is a great girl, she is a lot of fun. She has a great future.

Q. What do you like best being on Tour now? What is the best part of life on Tour as a full time player?

AREE SONG: The best part about life on Tour is making money, and being able to spend it is even more fun.

Q. What's the nicest gift you've bought yourself?

AREE SONG: I bought a car at the beginning of the season.

Q. What kind?

AREE SONG: Lexus 470. I think the main thing is satisfaction from playing well. That's what I live for.

Q. Any disappointment that it looks like Naree is putting up, I think she's at 8 over? She's not going to be able to continue this tournament. Your feelings on that?

AREE SONG: I'm a little bit disappointed for her, really. She is a good player. She needs to get comfortable. I think it takes time to get comfortable out here, playing with the other great players out here, week in and week out. It's something that I had to keep learning and she has to learn.

Q. If you end up being the leader at the end of the day, obviously going into the weekend there is a lot more pressure. Do you almost prefer maybe to not necessarily see your name at the top of that list, or are you hoping for an outright lead and go into the weekend with the lead? Where do you like to fit in there?

AREE SONG: Either way. My goal tomorrow would be to play well, and it doesn't matter if that puts me as the leader or up at the top or not. Just play well, that's the main thing, and if I can do that, I'll be fine.

PAUL ROVNAK: Let's go over the score card, just birdies and bogeys. The bogey on 2, I think that's where the computer was wrong. What did you have on 2?

AREE SONG: I just don't remember.

PAUL ROVNAK: Birdie on 4. Do you remember how far the putt was?

AREE SONG: I don't remember anything, I really don't. That's one of the things that's the key.

PAUL ROVNAK: Not to remember?

THE WITNESS: I have a really bad memory.

PAUL ROVNAK: Can you and I go over it afterwards?

AREE SONG: Sure.

Q. Any real long putts?

AREE SONG: Real long putts? The one on 16, the par 3, wasn't too short, probably a 20 footer downhill.

Q. What did you make on 15?

AREE SONG: I parred 15.

Q. It was a good shot, you hit into that green?

AREE SONG: Yes.

Q. With the wind blowing?

AREE SONG: Yes, I had a pretty good chance, but I misread the putt. I thought it would do less but it did more.

Q. 9 seems to be a lot of birdies, and it was only 18 holes.

AREE SONG: I guess so. It sounds like a lot, but with this course, if you're playing well, you have a lot of chances.

Q. You don't walk off the course saying I made nine birdies, man, I'm on fire?

AREE SONG: It didn't feel like I made nine birdies, really, because I didn't make them consecutively. But the par 5s are generous, if you get it in the right spot. I didn't look at the scoreboard or score card all day, I just kept playing.

Q. What's your career low? What's the most you ever made?

AREE SONG: 64 was the lowest. I think 64.

Q. (Inaudible)?

AREE SONG: I've made eight birdies. I don't think I've made nine birdies before.

End of FastScripts.

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