U.S. WOMEN'S AMATEUR CHAMPIONSHIP

August 15, 2002

Becky Lucidi

RHONDA GLENN: This is the highest level you've reached in golf. You've been to the quarterfinals of the 2000 WAPL, but this is an entirely different Championship.

BECKY LUCIDI: Yes.

RHONDA GLENN: Stephanie Parel says you are a lifer in the WAPL.

BECKY LUCIDI: Yeah.

RHONDA GLENN: You have reached the quarterfinals there in 2000. What is the difference playing and competing in this compared to playing competing in that?

BECKY LUCIDI: Well, you like to have the same mind frame because you want to go in each tournament expecting to win but as far as this tournament being different, the competition is as good as it gets. These are the best ams in the world. You saw how many countries are represented here. But it's just -- it's the best of the best here so it makes it that much more difficult.

RHONDA GLENN: At what point today did you feel as if I am going to win? I know you were 5 up at first; obviously you must have felt that. That's a dangerous thought, isn't it?

BECKY LUCIDI: Yeah, it is. I started off well. I won the first four holes and then I was 5 up going into 9 and then she hit it in there tight, and I just and I came just over it and I was left on 9. I don't know if you  -- I had no shot, and so I gave her the hole, but -- I am sorry, what was the question?

RHONDA GLENN: Just tell us how it went after at that point  --

BECKY LUCIDI: I started off well. Actually both my matches today started off really well in the beginning. Then right around the middle of the turn both of my opponents started playing well. Like I think Emily had four birdies in a row. In the morning Liz had like three birdies in a row or something, so I kind of capitalized on the front part or the first part of the match. They kind of came through in the middle. But I was fortunate enough so that I had a strong enough lead in both matches in the morning, to kind of finish it out and win.

Q. Was there a point where you are saying in the second match here we go again; it was almost deja vu for you?

BECKY LUCIDI: Yeah, it was, on 14. I am not a big fan of that hole. That's where  -- I knew  -- I knew I had a good shot at 15 to reach it in 2 and I didn't think that that was a possibility for Emily, especially after seeing her tee shot, she didn't quite catch it all. I felt better after that.

RHONDA GLENN: Why don't you like 14?

BECKY LUCIDI: I don't know. It's a great driver hole. I just don't like the approach shot that much. I will love it tomorrow though. That will be my favorite hole out there. (Laughter).

Q. Talk about this morning's match 30 on the front nine?

BECKY LUCIDI: Yeah   -.

Q. Is that some of the best nine --

BECKY LUCIDI: I think that was my best nine ever.

Q. 3 of the first 4 birdied?

BECKY LUCIDI: Yeah, 1, 2 and 4.

Q. What was --

BECKY LUCIDI: I had to putt everything in two. No putts were given. I was hitting it close the first part then I felt really strong about my putting, and confident that I knew where it was lined up it was going there.

RHONDA GLENN: First time this week you felt that way?

BECKY LUCIDI: Kind of. I felt well strong about my putting all week, but I felt really good about it today.

Q. Kind of know in that first match -- well probably even this afternoon too that look, even though you got this lead I am sure you have heard of each of your two opponents you knew that there was no way they were going away?

BECKY LUCIDI: Yeah, they don't give up. Any girl in this tournament just because you are 4-down after 4, the tournament is not over by any means or the match isn't over.

RHONDA GLENN: Do you know Lindsay?

BECKY LUCIDI: We're good friends.

RHONDA GLENN: Joking around friends?

BECKY LUCIDI: Yeah, exactly.

RHONDA GLENN: Looking forward to playing against her?

BECKY LUCIDI: I am. She's going to want to beat me just as much as I want to beat her. It will be nothing but good sportsmanship and fun out there tomorrow and good golf because I know she's really playing well. She almost had a hole-in-one on 7 today.

Q. How do you put the friendship aside?

BECKY LUCIDI: You know, you just -- obviously when you are hitting your golf shot you are not thinking about your friendship so it's kind of , I don't know, automatic.

Q. Did you get hit by a car or something?

BECKY LUCIDI: Yeah.

Q. Last year?

BECKY LUCIDI: Yeah.

Q. Tell me that story.

BECKY LUCIDI: In November, November 30th actually Friday November 30th I was riding my bike to school because the school we go to everybody lives in about a two-block radius. It's not a very safe neighborhood. And I was riding my bike to school in a bike lane and a car hit me from the back left and I landed on my right side and it broke my arm head of my radius bone.

Q. How long did you have to take off?

BECKY LUCIDI: Six weeks.

Q. Someone told me - I didn't see it - on 9 you stopped your swing. Does your shoulder still --

BECKY LUCIDI: Yeah, pops out sometimes and on 9 on the tee it popped out right there so I just -- I can't swing down because it's popped, so, it's easy to stop.

Q. No big deal you just pop it back in and  --

BECKY LUCIDI: Well, here it's goes, but like you see you see this, like how you can do that. When you take it back you can just feel it. You can't swing. It's my right shoulder, I am just double-jointed on that side.

RHONDA GLENN: What do you do?

BECKY LUCIDI: I get up to the top of my swing and you can just feel this move here, so I just stopped   --

RHONDA GLENN: It's okay once you stop?

BECKY LUCIDI: Yeah, it rarely happens.

Q. Still get sore? After 36 and you have taken 140 swings today...

BECKY LUCIDI: I don't mean to sound like an old man or a golden retriever but sometimes my elbow hurts when it rains, seriously, you know. But it does. The weather bothers it sometimes. But nothing extreme by any means, just a little sore.

Q. It was just six months off so basically during Christmas and --

BECKY LUCIDI: Yeah, I was -- perfect timing just finished our last tournament, I couldn't have gotten hit by a car at any other time. Perfect timing.

RHONDA GLENN: Six months off?

BECKY LUCIDI: Six weeks.

Q. What did you hit into 17 this afternoon?

BECKY LUCIDI: 9-iron.

RHONDA GLENN: That's pretty good. Average length of your tee shot?

BECKY LUCIDI: Maybe 235, 240. Well, I don't know.

Q. I am not buying it.

BECKY LUCIDI: There was a lot of wind this afternoon too which helped and a lot of these fairways roll so if you hit it in the correct spot of the fairway you are going to gain yardage. I don't know it's probably further than that.

Q. You and Liz this morning, who was further?

BECKY LUCIDI: We were pretty much neck and neck, I think for the most part. She got me on a few holes. I got her on a couple.

Q. How much does Ed Connors the caddie helped you?

BECKY LUCIDI: Extremely, he's helped me so much. He's been caddying here since 1963, so he knows pretty much every inch of this golf course.

Q. He read putts for you as well?

BECKY LUCIDI: Yeah, he tells me what he thinks and I just take at that and do with it as I want. Sometimes I listen. Sometimes I don't when I should, but you got to go with your gut most of the time.

Q. You carried your own bag for the qualifying but you picked him up for the match play?

BECKY LUCIDI: Right.

Q. What driver are you hitting?

BECKY LUCIDI: A VFT Callaway.

End of FastScripts....