U.S. WOMEN'S OPEN CHAMPIONSHIP

June 1, 1999

Karrie Webb

KARRIE WEBB: Well, I think my chances are just as good as they are any year. Obviously, I am having a good year this year; so I am feeling pretty confident, and my game is pretty good. Hopefully, be ready for Thursday.

KARRIE WEBB: After playing last year in Kohler, Blackwolf Run, I don't know if there are any holes like that. Last year, I think the whole 18 holes scared me; so this year, it is definitely not as tough as Blackwolf Run, but I do not think any of the players wanted to see it as tough as that. I won't say that there's holes out there that really scare me, but any of those holes can jump up and get you at any time.

KARRIE WEBB: Well, I think it is in great shape. Obviously, with the rain that they have had most afternoons and nights, the greens are pretty soft; so I am sure the USGA is going to -- it is going to harden up a little bit. Obviously, we can't really help the weather if the weather keeps the greens soft; that is just the way it is going to be. I am sure by Thursday the course -- Monday is always going to be the easiest day of the week to play the golf course. I think by Thursday, and then definitely through Sunday, it will just get firmer and quicker throughout the week.

KARRIE WEBB: When I played the practice round last year, I thought it was going to be tough golf course. But all the practice rounds I played there, the wind never got up so the tough holes weren't really that tough. I mean, they were tough, but you still could hit like a 4- or 5-iron into the green and feel relatively comfortable that you weren't going to hit it in any of the long stuff or make any real bad number. But then by Saturday and Sunday, I mean, the first two rounds was tough enough. Then Saturday and Sunday, the wind got up and I was hitting 3-wood into -- I can't remember. I think the 7th hole, I hit driver, 3-wood in there, and I mean it was just -- it was just really set up really tough to start with. Then any weather that we got, as far as wind, was going to just make it unbelievably tough. I think coming into a US Open, you expect that anyway. I think last year it was a little tough. I mean, I don't think anyone not even the USGA wants to see 6-over win a golf tournament.

KARRIE WEBB: Well, you know, I won't say I had fun. It is a tough week, the U.S. Open. I definitely lost my patience with nine holes to go. That was probably -- I still had a chance to have a decent tournament, and I just really lost my patience. The people that kept their patience were the ones that had a chance to win.

KARRIE WEBB: Yeah, well, I think I just -- this is only my fourth U.S. Open I have ever played; so each year I am learning how to play U.S. Open golf courses. You try to be patient and you're a little nervous going into the first round, and I just really -- I haven't played that well the first two rounds of the Open in the three years I have played. I am just trying to take a more relaxed approach this week. I played 18 holes yesterday, which I have never played a practice round on the Monday of the U.S. Open; so just trying to see the course maybe one more time than I normally do. Just be more relaxed going into Thursday, and hopefully, I will get off to a better start.

KARRIE WEBB: No, like I said, I answered these sort of questions at Dinah Shore this year. Coming into the Dinah Shore, I only played 12 majors. This is my 14th major that I have ever played in. I have a long career ahead of me. Like I was saying, if I play another 15 years, have 60 more chances at winning a major, I am not in a hurry to win a major. If I win one, that is going to be great. But I think it may just take a little bit of time to -- some people win them straight off the bat. I think it goes along with winning your first tournament ever. I think sometimes you don't really know what you are doing and everything falls into place and you win. The second time you win a major, you actually know what you are doing. That is probably the more special one winning. If it takes a little while, I will gain experience. Hopefully, one day I will win one.

KARRIE WEBB: I just think my overall game has been pretty consistent. Hit a lot of greens in regulation. Not only hit them in regulation; really given myself a lot of opportunities. But I think the putting has been really the thing that has overflowed into the rest of my game as far as, you know, when you make a 10-, 15-footer in the first couple of holes, it takes the pressure off trying to hit it close for the rest of the day, because you sort of have the feeling that you are going to make them anyway. You are not trying to hit it to three feet, because that is the only putt you are going to make sort of thing. I haven't really putt a lot of pressure on myself to hit the ball close, because my putting has been so good, and I have been making more of the 10- to 20-footers.

KARRIE WEBB: Well, I switched to cross-handed putting at the start of the year. Sort of just gone from there really.

KARRIE WEBB: Thanks.

End of FastScripts….