|
|||
|
|||
|
 |
|
|
U.S. WOMEN'S OPEN CHAMPIONSHIPJuly 3, 1998Jenny ChuasiripornKOHLER, WISCONSIN RHONDA GLENN: Jenny, what a wonderful round today at 71 and she is plus one for the championship. She is one of the finest young amateurs in the world and is on the American Curtis Cup Team this year for the first time. Jenny, if you just tell us a little bit about how your round went and how you felt about playing today and maybe what it's like to be an amateur playing the U.S. Open. JENNY CHUASIRIPORN: I felt pretty good playing in the morning. You know, it's nice to get off early. I almost felt I was the only group out there, but I think that was a key factor today because I was really relaxed and it really felt like no one was out there so it didn't quite feel like an Open, but there was still a good crowd out there. But playing as an amateur, I don't know, you know, I just try to go out there and just try to hit a lot of fairways and greens, like, play my own game, play the game I'm accustomed to. But I don't know. I think I feel kind of comfortable out there now just from last year's experience and I think just from playing at lot of big tournaments. RHONDA GLENN: This is only your second Women's Open. I am curious a little bit about your background. You are an American citizen. Were you born here in this country? JENNY CHUASIRIPORN: Yes, in Baltimore. RHONDA GLENN: You live in Timonium, Maryland. JENNY CHUASIRIPORN: Right, north of Baltimore City. RHONDA GLENN: And your parents are in Thailand? JENNY CHUASIRIPORN: Yes. RHONDA GLENN: When did they come to this country? JENNY CHUASIRIPORN: They came separately actually. They didn't meet until they were both in Baltimore, but they came in around 1971, 72. My mom was a nurse and my dad came. They both weren't planning on staying, they just kind of came for like the time being and then took it from there. RHONDA GLENN: Now your family has a restaurant in Timonium? JENNY CHUASIRIPORN: In Baltimore. RHONDA GLENN: What kind of restaurant? JENNY CHUASIRIPORN: It's a Thai restaurant. RHONDA GLENN: What else? ( Laughter.) You lived over the restaurant? JENNY CHUASIRIPORN: We did that for like the first year just to save money to buy a house and then it was fun, I mean, it's kind of a building that is like a house so that's just the top floor. RHONDA GLENN: So you have since bought a house, your family has? JENNY CHUASIRIPORN: Yes. RHONDA GLENN: And you are on scholarship to Duke University? JENNY CHUASIRIPORN: Yes. RHONDA GLENN: What is your major? JENNY CHUASIRIPORN: Psychology. RHONDA GLENN: Now I am not going to have you go through the card unless some of the press people would like that. Q. How many birdies and bogies? JENNY CHUASIRIPORN: 3 birdies and 3 bogies. RHONDA GLENN: She birdied the 5th hole, the 15th hole and the 2nd hole. JENNY CHUASIRIPORN: 5, I was kind of lucky. Q. Tell us about 5. That has been a hard hole. JENNY CHUASIRIPORN: Average drive. I probably had about 170 something into the green, so played about 155, 156 downhill. I really didn't aim for the pin. I aimed to the center of the green and I put a little cut on it and it ended up about two feet, so that was the highlight. RHONDA GLENN: What club did you hit? JENNY CHUASIRIPORN: I hit a 6-iron. RHONDA GLENN: Questions. Q. Say, I wondered if I might ask, what is the mindset of you right now after 36 holes, U.S. Open, tough golfers; you are plus one, you are going to be walking out there with a lot of pros, plus 6, plus 7, even higher. What is your mindset? Is there a little good feeling? JENNY CHUASIRIPORN: Yes, it is definitely a good feeling. I don't know. I am really in it for the experience. It is wonderful. It's so fun to be out here. I love the golf course and I am hitting it well, so my confidence is pretty high,. But I guess basically I have nothing to lose, so I don't get nervous out there because, you know, as long as I know I tried my hardest, I really don't fear the worst or anything. Q. As an amateur the goal first is to make the cut and see what you can do on the weekend? JENNY CHUASIRIPORN: Definitely. First goal was to make the cut and so that is finished with, I guess. Q. Was the golf course tougher today and yesterday in terms of pins and what did you feel about that? JENNY CHUASIRIPORN: It was probable a little harder. Some of holes were flip-flop, but the pins weren't in their hardest positions. You know, the course still plays just as hard, though, because it's really tough to keep the ball on the green. Q. Jenny, you made the cut last year also, right? Did you remember how you played on the weekend last year and the goal this year may be to play better on the weekend? JENNY CHUASIRIPORN: After I made the cut last year, yes, I don't know if I got exhausted or tired or lost of focus or something. I can't really pinpoint it, but, yes, I played very well on the weekend. Yes, my goal is to play just as well on the weekend and just, you know, keep plugging away at it. Anywhere I finish, I will be pretty happy. Q. Another ACC golfer made quite a splash at the Masters and at the U.S. Open in San Francisco, and I just wonder if maybe you were thinking in your mind, now, let's see what the women's side of ACC golfers can do? JENNY CHUASIRIPORN: Yes, it's always nice to see another amateur do well. He is actually a good friend of mine and, you know, I don't know, it's always -- I don't know about the ACC. I guess, you know, we have some good players in there, but I don't know, it's always exciting to see someone else do as well. It is nice to see what he does from here. RHONDA GLENN: So Matt Kuchar is a good friend of yours? JENNY CHUASIRIPORN: We just met each other in junior golf, we played together. RHONDA GLENN: Have you been in touch with him? JENNY CHUASIRIPORN: Not really, since college. I see him every once in a while, just in passing. RHONDA GLENN: And your brother caddies for you. What is your brother's name? JENNY CHUASIRIPORN: Joey. RHONDA GLENN: How old is Joey? JENNY CHUASIRIPORN: He is 21. RHONDA GLENN: Are your parents here this week with you? JENNY CHUASIRIPORN: Yes. Q. Did they close the restaurant? JENNY CHUASIRIPORN: Yes, this is the first time they closed it over the week. I finally persuaded them to close the restaurant. They might do it again for the Curtis Cup. RHONDA GLENN: How many years did they have this restaurant? JENNY CHUASIRIPORN: Probably, wow, since maybe third grade, so. RHONDA GLENN: It's the first time -- JENNY CHUASIRIPORN: Maybe twelve years, thirteen years. Q. What is the name of the restaurant? JENNY CHUASIRIPORN: The Bangkok Palace. Q. Are the greens hard, the surface? JENNY CHUASIRIPORN: They are getting hard. When the pin is in front, it is pretty hard to get it close. Yeah, that happened to me on 17, that pin is just -- tough to -- really close to the hazard line and I hit it just past the pin and it was on the -- it was on the back of the green, so I guess for the weekend you are going to have to see some high shots coming into the green. RHONDA GLENN: Is it firm in front of the greens also, firm enough so you can bounce it on? JENNY CHUASIRIPORN: Some of the holes, yeah. You can bounce it on. Q. What is your schedule like after this as it revolves around the Curtis Cup? JENNY CHUASIRIPORN: I am playing in the Transnational next week. It starts the 13th. Then the Curtis Cup and the Amateur, that will be it. RHONDA GLENN: Okay. Thank you so much. Great play. JENNY CHUASIRIPORN: You are welcome. RHONDA GLENN: Keep up the good work. JENNY CHUASIRIPORN: Thank you. End of FastScripts.... |
|
||||||||||||||||||||
|
||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
About ASAP Sports •
FastScripts Archive •
Recent Interviews •
Captioning •
Upcoming Events •
Contact Us
FastScripts | Events Covered | Our Clients | Other Services | ASAP in the News | Site Map | Job Opportunities | Links |
|
ASAP Sports, Inc. | T: 1.212 385 0297
|