U.S. WOMEN'S OPEN CHAMPIONSHIP

July 6, 2003

Angela Stanford

ANGELA STANFORD: I had 45 yards to the front and 60 to the pin. It's a 50 yard shot. It's a shot I hit a million times in my life. Now I have to do it to get close to tie for the U.S. Open. I tried to hit a 50 yard shot on the right side of the green and funnel it left.

Q. Did you push it at all?

ANGELA STANFORD: I maybe pushed it a little bit. But that was the place to miss. I didn't want to -- I wasn't even aimed at the flag. So anywhere on the right side.

Q. One point did it sink in that I've got a chance to pull into a tie here and force a playoff? Was it the final hole, last two or three or what?

ANGELA STANFORD: Actually when I found out that Annika wasn't going to make birdie. I knew Hilary could still make birdie. But she was in the bunker. I saw where her shot ended up and I thought, okay, she's going to have to make a great putt, which she's capable of, but I can still tie. And I just -- all the way up 18, actually after I hit the second shot, I looked at Jeremy, and said, "Okay, birdie to tie." And --.

Q. Did you feel any physical change? Hilary was talking about the sweaty palms and the heart pounding, when you realized, hey, I've got a chance?

ANGELA STANFORD: I got the chills going up to the green and kind of got a little shaky walking up, just because it was so emotional. But I think I pulled it together. I was nervous. I mean my hands were shaking over that putt. But fortunately it was downhill, so all I had to do was tap it and get it going.

Q. What was it like standing on the 18th fairway, watching the best player in the world come undone, and you waiting for your chance?

ANGELA STANFORD: Well, you know, I can't even explain it. I mean this time is when the nerves hit, and she is the best player in the world, and I don't even know if she was nervous. But the chance that you have the -- the fact that you have a chance to win the U.S. Open coming up the 18th, if you're not nervous you're not breathing.

Q. How did you sit there waiting for everything?

ANGELA STANFORD: I was nervous, but I tried to stay occupied. We had waited there earlier in the week. I kind of -- I knew what to expect, so I just kind of walked around, started swinging a 6-iron a little bit, and just staying loose.

Q. When you look back and say, if I could have just had this one, did you have a couple of those from today, where you left a stroke out there that could have won this for you right now?

ANGELA STANFORD: You know, I'm going to say no, because I struggled big time today. I hit it in places that you cannot be on this golf course. So to be standing here in front of you to have a chance to play tomorrow, I'm happy with that. I don't feel like the way I played today was good enough to win. So I'm lucky that I have another chance tomorrow.

Q. Talk about, if you could, a little bit, the rivalry, is there any building now between you and Kelly, just because you have to go tomorrow?

ANGELA STANFORD: I don't think so. You know, I was pulling for her. I thought, well, if I'm not going to win, I'd like her to win. I'm so excited that there's three Americans going tomorrow. I think that's a win/win situation. I like to see Americans win our national championship. So I wouldn't say there's a rivalry. I was pulling for her. Since I was playing so bad, it's just neat. It's neat in this game to watch people achieve their goals and dreams. It would have been cool to watch, but I'm happy that we get to play again tomorrow.

Q. Is it cool to be here together with her?

ANGELA STANFORD: Right. I said yesterday she's a great girl, has a great family, and people like that, we go to fellowship together, so people like that you want good things for. And it was just neat to be out there with her.

Q. What song were you singing to yourself today?

ANGELA STANFORD: I've got to figure out -- I think it's called No. 2. It's off the Dixie Chicks new CD. It's No. 4, but I can't think of the title. It's like Truth No. 2 or No. 2 something. If you get the CD, look. But they are playing in Dallas tonight, and I did have tickets. But I caught them in Chicago earlier this year.

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