U.S. WOMEN'S OPEN

December 10, 2020

Cristie Kerr

Champions Golf Club

Quick Quotes

Q. Cristie, even par, 71. Talk you us through your round a little bit.

CRISTIE KERR: I chunked it on the 1st hole. (Laughter.) With a sand wedge.

Felt my chest on the downswing. I kind of balked at it and I was like, Come on, really. It's a sand wedge.

Like it actually hurt more hitting short irons than driver because you have to hit down on them.

But I rebounded with a great birdie on the 3rd hole and just had so many chances. I danced all around the hole today with my putting and had like four lip-outs for birdie.

I played great and just managed and stayed balanced and positive, took my pain meds during the round when I had the opportunity to, and I made it.

Q. Two things. Are you surprised that you played today and where does it hurt the most?

CRISTIE KERR: I'm not surprised that I played today because yesterday -- like if you would've told me on Monday that I would be playing today I would have said you were crazy.

But I've been doing kryotherapy one to two times a day and getting therapy from the LPGA therapists. I've been working my butt off. I've getting up in the morning and been icing for two hours, and in the evening too. I've done everything I can do to play.

I wasn't really hopefully on Tuesday. I walked and chipped and putted around Jackrabbit, and then my caddie is like, Let's hit a 60-yard shot here and see what you got. I skulled two of them over the green because it hurt so bad.

I was like down in the dumps and dejected, and he's like, Stay positive. These are weird injuries. So that afternoon after some food I took some medicine and I was able to get up to like three quarter 7-irons on the range.

Like Wednesday, yesterday morning, like I really didn't want to get out of bed because I was like, This is going to hurt so bad to hit drivers and play nine holes.

It did, but I was able to do it. I got a little compensation injury. Like I dislocated a few ribs. I was on like a Medrol like for the last week, and on other antiinflammatories and pain medications.

So like I'm pretty tough, but, yeah, it's the chest and the ribs. It moves around depending on where -- like the first four or five days like I had such a sharp pain in my left chest and in the back I couldn't even like hardly get out of bed.

Then it started moving to the center and then like as I was starting to swing it moved around, so it's like everywhere and I just don't where it'll pop up next, but as long as I keep moving in the rounds like and don't get cold, it seems to be manageable.

I mean, on a scale of one to ten it's a six, which on Monday was like a ten on a pain scale. A six I can deal with as long as I can keep my mobility. Like the therapists and kryo has really, really been working.

So I was not surprised to play today. I started out a little cautious with ball striking and then I got a little more confidence and re-upped on my pain medications in the middle of the round, all doctor approved, of course, and was able to start hitting it a lot better in the second nine.

Got a lot of chances and I didn't make anything. I rolled it great; just didn't make anything. I'm glad to have Jackrabbit done and to be able to move on to Cypress. So I have three days of consistent course coming up.

Q. The chest, was that the steering wheel?

CRISTIE KERR: I can't remember whether I hit the steering wheel or not. Like I swear to God we were being careful. It was pitch black. No lights. There was a cart that was rounding the corner from the range and I could see that, because that cart had headlights and our cart did not.

I was using the flashlight to lead the way. We were going three quarters of the speed. We were like both out making sure we were on the path, and had to move over just a touch left to miss the other cart coming our direction. We just hit this thing smack on.

We were both thrown from the cart, and I just I can't remember. I remember landing, I remember the impact, and -- I'm sorry.

Q. It's okay.

CRISTIE KERR: Maybe I shouldn't talk about it. I remember landing on my chest and it was awful. But I'm here and I played and I was tough today and I feel like I'm going to keep getting better every day.

God darn it, I'm going to do this. Sorry.

Q. Why is it so important for you to tough this out?

CRISTIE KERR: This is my favorite tournament. It's our national championship. I feel like we're so lucky to play it with COVID that I just love it. I just, I mean, I've been up at 4:00 in the morning icing. If there is any way possible, I'm not going to miss this tournament.

And I was hoping my docs would tell me I can take a second Medrol pack in a row to get through, but I couldn't. I couldn't because that will affect your adrenaline glands. So I just am back on like the diclofinac and playing on pain medications. I played pretty good today. Of so maybe, I don't know.

CRISTIE KERR: See what happens.

But I'm not out of this.

Q. How is your caddie? I know he stayed back home.

CRISTIE KERR: Yeah, he was released from the hospital pretty soon thereafter. Just got a bump on the head and got only whiplash in his neck. We were just trying it out for a week to see for next year because I don't have a caddie for next year yet.

At least I got one round in with him. So he was texting me this morning, I don't know if you're playing, but good luck and best wishes.

I wish him the best. It literally could have been so bad for both of us. Of course it happens to me and it's embarrassing to get in a golf cart accident, right?

I hate to like cut it short, but I have a therapy appointment to get to. So...

Q. I think we're done here.