U.S. WOMEN'S OPEN CHAMPIONSHIP

July 1, 1998

Pat Bradley

PAT BRADLEY: Yes, it was interesting because I accepted the Gold Tee Award in New York about three weeks ago and they had a video of that. They had a video of that final shot that I hit into this par 5. I hit a sand wedge and I can honestly, honest to God's truth, I don't remember hitting the shot, I remember standing over it and I remember, you know, lining it up and looking, but the next moment that set into me was the ball was in flight. Now I know that is incredible, but that is the honest to God truth, I do not remember hitting the shot. I mean, you talk about letting the subconscious take over in a moment, it absolutely happened to me at that time. I hit the sand wedge about three and a half feet and I remember Beth Daniel had almost -- she was pin-high left of the green with her second shot and she --

PAT BRADLEY: Par 5. -- she hit her wedge shot. I swear, I don't know how it didn't go in. I mean, it stopped absolutely a fraction from being an eagle and then I remember saying to myself: Now, you know, don't make a mountain out of a mole hill for this putt, stand over it and stroke it. Don't sit there and think about it. And sure enough, I made the putt and the 1981 U.S. Women's Open was mine which I reminisce quite a bit about. As you all know, when we are at 11, 12 years old, this is the tournament that you dream about, that you think about, that you play games with, like this putt is for the U.S. Open or this not is for the U.S. Open. To win your National Championship is the ultimate test and one of the crown jewels of all of golf.

PAT BRADLEY: Very vivid, yes, as if it was yesterday, not 20-something years ago.

PAT BRADLEY: Well, I am very pleased and very grateful to the Women's Committee granting me a special exemption. I am working in and hoping to take full advantage of this great opportunity that the USGA has given me. But I am very grateful. I just spent two weeks in Ireland with my family so it made it tough for me to kind of work my way in here with the year that I am having, so I am grateful and hope to take full advantage of this opportunity.

PAT BRADLEY: Stranger things have happened in this game.

PAT BRADLEY: I am very impressed with this golf course. I think it is going to play very difficult. I kind of have nicknamed it the new retrogolf course, or Open series. It is not your typical traditional course with small greens, or tree-lined fairways, or even short walks between tee-to-green. But it takes all kinds to make a champion and to make the U.S. Open Champion. So this golf course will test every one of us, both physically, mentally and emotionally out there and that is what a US Open entails. It takes every aspect of one's ability and if you can master it for four straight days, then you deserve to be champion and you will be champion. So I am very impressed. I mean, I am more of a traditional-type look, but as I say, it takes all courses to make a champion and this is just one of the rotations that we will take care of. The greens, I think, are really going to probably tell the story when this week comes down to Sunday. A lot of these holes, some of these greens and some of the pin placements that the USGA can take, or can put aren't going to be receptive to 3-woods or 5 woods or 3-irons. They are very slopey. They are very undulated and if you get on the wrong side of one of those slopes or one of those humps, you got your work cut out for you. So just reaching the green in 2 is, you know, the game is not over after that; where most times, that is all you look for when you are trying to win an Open is just fairways and greens. But this golf course is going to take position on those greens and that will be a tremendous test for four straight days.

PAT BRADLEY: I was extremely impressed. For Tuesday and Wednesday to have the number of people and the enthusiasm that we felt for practice days was just unbelievable. I know that Martha was -- she has a great following out there this week and she worked very, very hard to qualify for this tournament. I think it was her single most important goal of the year was to qualify for this tournament that is in her backyard. So that -- the hard part is over now. She can go and have fun. But it was really -- you can tell that the folks up here are very enthusiastic golf spectators and they love to see the game in person and we are happy to be here to show that to them.

PAT BRADLEY: She did ask me and I was happy to answer or to give her a little bit. I just -- I just told her to take these two days and enjoy it because when tomorrow comes and that first tee goes, everybody will understand that you now have to change your mode and be very focused and now it is your turn. The practice rounds were to say hello to your folks or your family and to friends and to sign for everybody who wanted to, but and I think everybody will realize that once the bell rings, it is more that you have to stay focused in your own thoughts and keep yourself in tune to what is ahead of you; not what is on the sidelines.

PAT BRADLEY: We would have to find a different bell because the bell that my mom rang 31 times is now in the World Golf Hall of Fame on display with a couple of other of my mementos. We could easily find -- call down, I guarantee you, they would open it up and ring it for us. But that has been a wonderful tradition that my family has started and a lot of people have gotten a lot of fun out of it. But it is right now down at the World Golf Hall of Fame on display for all to see because I mean, there hasn't been an article written that hasn't mentioned it. So, I know people will get a kick out of seeing it down there. It is a pretty big bell, that has been rung, but I am sure if Sunday was -- if it was meant to be, and it was my day, and my number came up, I am sure they would open the doors and ring it for us.

PAT BRADLEY: I feel like I still have a few things to offer out here and I still, deep down inside, honestly believe that there is a tournament with Pat Bradley's name on it. I have to probably and obviously be a little bit more patient than maybe in previous years like in 1991 where I won five times or in 1986 where I won five times. But I do, deep down inside, believe there is a tournament with my name. I just have to make sure I don't take that week off. Right now I am concentrating on the LPGA and the Lily Legend series that we have going on the LPGA so I have not ventured into that Medalist Group at all. I still want to compete out here and keep myself in shape for playing in that Lily Legends that we have on Tour.

PAT BRADLEY: I think No. 5 is, without a doubt, extremely challenging in that there is no room for error on that hole. You have to drive it well on that hole just to give yourself an opportunity to make a good shot into that green. It is surrounded both sides with water. So, as I say, your second shot, there is no room for error, so I think that one is really quite challenging. I would say 9 is no slouch. Again, there is no room for error. You have got to drive the ball in the fairway. And then again, your second shot, you have got to be right on the money. If they tuck it back in that right area -- that left area around that big tree, it will be tough to get at. There are some holes that, you know, there is no room for error.

PAT BRADLEY: Well, I think there is not a big difference between myself or, you know, these young players at -- when I was at their age. They are as hungry as I was hungry to win and to play well. I think equipment has made a difference a little bit here on our Tour. When I played against the greats, the Kathy Whitworths and the JoAnne Carners, we went 2-iron against 2-iron; 3-iron against 3-iron. Now it might be my 3-iron against Annika's 7-wood and, boy, she is dancing rings around that pin. Where I am just looking for a space on the green. So the younger players aren't dealing with those tough long irons that we dealt with and had to master, you know, as we grew up playing on Tour. I think that does make it a little bit easier in hitting, you know, in hitting long shots is to have that 7-, or 9-wood. The other difference I see is that the shorter irons, it is much more of a numbers game. Again, we used to either choke down on the wedge or we let it out. Now it is: I want 60 yards. I don't want 55 yards. I don't want 65 yards. I want 50 yards. Because that is the club that they have in their bag and so they are very -- it is very much a numbers game out here; where before, it was a lot more of, you know, feel and finesse and again working those long irons which have always proven, whether you are female or male, has always proven to be a very, very tough part of the game. Again, whether, you know, whether you are an amateur, I mean, they are much -- they work it in your game because it does make the game a little bit easier. But I am at -- after 25 years on Tour, I am now starting to learn that part of the game - putting in the 7 wood and trying to work it.

PAT BRADLEY: Appreciate it, Rhonda.