U.S. WOMEN'S OPEN CHAMPIONSHIP

July 22, 1994

Michelle Estill

MICHELLE ESTIL: The wind picked up a little bit as the storms came and went, and it kind of got a little difficult to judge the wind, I thought, as we got out, especially right before the rain delay. And then kind of we got out after the rain delay, it was real nice. We played a couple of holes; then the wind picked up again, the clouds were kind of circling. And one good thing about the rain delay, though, is that the greens were in excellent shape. They had been when we were out there at the first six, seven holes, they were just a little spiked up and a little bumpy. We got out there. It was like the rain smoothed them all out. That was the good thing about it.

LES UNGER: A couple of hours, how did you spend them?

MICHELLE ESTIL: Sitting in the locker room listening to Nancy Lopez's jokes. She has some great ones.

LES UNGER: Have you been close to a position like this in your career so far?

MICHELLE ESTIL: Never in a championship of this magnitude. This is only my third Open. I have always been a pro, never played as an amateur, so it was always a thrill for me. And I haven't -- last year wasn't a very good year, so I haven't been up near the top in the last year or so. This year, when I finished second and fifth, I posted good rounds early on the Sunday, so it is exciting for me.

Q. Michelle, where were you when the rain hit?

MICHELLE ESTIL: We were in the 7th fairway and I really wish that we could have hit because I was having, what I would consider, an iffy shot for me coming out, so I was really hoping we would wait. But they did it, perfect timing.

Q. Would you like to have your putt back on 18, it looked like it was a makeable putt for you?

MICHELLE ESTIL: Yeah, but, you know, I hit it where I wanted to and it didn't go in. If I had any putt back it would have been the birdie putt on 16. That was just a terrible putt. I hit it so close there. I would have loved to have had that putt back. But 18 was kind of on a -- funky little hole. I thought it was going to go left and it didn't.

LES UNGER: You had a chip in birdie?

MICHELLE ESTIL: Chip in birdie on 10.

Q. Tell us about that. When you were talking about it outside, it was your perfect shot of the day?

MICHELLE ESTIL: Yeah, it was a perfect shot. I hit it exactly where I wanted to and it went in. You know how you picture the shot that you want to hit? I hit the exact shot that I wanted to hit and it rolled the exact line and went in the hole.

LES UNGER: How long was that?

MICHELLE ESTIL: It wasn't very long. I had hit it over the green. That is a no-no; don't ever hit it over the green here. It was about a -- couldn't have been more than 25 feet, I would think, in total.

Q. That was the middle birdie on the 3?

MICHELLE ESTIL: Right.

Q. What were the putts on 9 10, and 11?

MICHELLE ESTIL: On the 9th hole I made about an 18 footer, chipped it on 10. On 11, I made about a six footer.

LES UNGER: This was bogey free, I think?

MICHELLE ESTIL: No. I bogeyed that 13. 13 got my number so far. We will get it here sooner or later.

LES UNGER: Any par saves; anything substantial?

MICHELLE ESTIL: 17 I seemed to have struggled with these two holes; hit it into the bank on the 17 on the bunker bank. I thought it was imbedded, but after a couple of rulings we had determined it wasn't. I hit a great shot for me. I thought I hit it pretty good. I made the putt. I was happy about that; especially after the putt on 16 which was the same type of putt.

Q. The fact that Helen played so well, did that in any way kind of give you the mental mindset that you had to go out and do that much better?

MICHELLE ESTIL: No, not personally. Helen, she is such a good player; I watched her yesterday on TV. That was really fun to watch to see that she is playing good. I just-- since I hadn't been in very many Opens I always come out with the mentality to just come out and shoot for par and do the best I can, and so far I have played pretty good in the Opens, so I just went out to try to play consistent and tried not to force it. That was my main -- don't force it; just let it happen. If it happens and it just kind of got rolling there for a little bit.

Q. That will be your philosophy for the rest of the week?

MICHELLE ESTIL: I hope so. I got a little nervous on the back actually which kind of surprised me. I guess since I haven't been there in a couple of years so, I just got a little nervous and I got kind of excited because I went three birdies in a row then we went to 12 which I could reach fairly easily, and I hit my drive just in the rough and didn't feel comfortable and I laid up and made a par on the one hole which I consider as like the only birdie hole on the golf course.

LES UNGER: Sounds like though you were peeking at the scoreboard as you went along?

MICHELLE ESTIL: A little bit. It is fun to watch; see what happens. I am not a very superstitious player at all, so I don't mind looking at the board or watching other things happen.

Q. You had a real slow start to the season. Last few weeks you had a couple of top fives, what happened? Did you change something or get a lesson?

MICHELLE ESTIL: Last year, as you probably may or don't know, I didn't have a very good year at all, as my career has been going on, and I worked real hard in the off season and I just tried to be patient at the beginning. I was hitting the ball good but I wasn't making a lot of putts and I'd have an inconsistent round and I just I played more consistent; made a lot of putts and I have had more rounds in the '60s this year, actually, than I have had. I never was a 65 shooter or 66. This year I have had several low rounds which is a little unusual for my game. I am usually known as a fairly consistent player. So they just -- it is just I am on a roll as they say.

Q. Does that roll give you confidence for tomorrow and Sunday?

MICHELLE ESTIL: I don't know. Never been here at the Open before. I mean, I feel good about my game. Like I was saying earlier, I enjoyed the greens more today. Yesterday I was a little leery on the greens; didn't really have a good touch and left my side with some testers, but today I felt much more comfortable on the greens which I am real happy about that.

LES UNGER: I don't know the tournament that you won, but I know you won one?

MICHELLE ESTIL: The Ping- Cellular One when I was a rookie two years -- three years ago in Portland.

Q. Come from behind? Were you ahead? How did that work?

MICHELLE ESTIL: No, I was -- I guess I was two shots behind going into the final round; never dreamed in a million years -- I shot 2 under, 2 under-- no-- yeah, 2 under, 3-under, 3-under, and next thing I knew I won. I couldn't believe it. It was just kind of an-- I actually, I guess it was a little ignorance; didn't know what I was doing and then the next thing I know we were up on the 18 and I was up by a shot. It was exciting. It was very unexpected at that stage of my career, I was just a rookie, and so. . .

Q. Is your brother still caddying for you?

MICHELLE ESTIL: Still caddying; still puts up with me.

LES UNGER: What is his name?

MICHELLE ESTIL: Jamie. He has been out with me all four years.

Q. Can you play tomorrow in the final group being 5 behind or is that you just play?

MICHELLE ESTIL: I hope you just play. I always think it is a little nerve wracking to tee off in the last few groups anyway, but I can't -- you can't do anything about Helen; you just have to go out and play the best you can, and hopefully she will put up a good number.

Q. What went wrong last year, injury or attitude; what was the problem?

MICHELLE ESTIL: As we look back on it, my swing got a little out of joint, I guess. We didn't catch it in time. That was kind of a new thing for me; never really had any trouble with swinging and so it really didn't work out until the off-season, until I sat and just beat a lot of balls. It was the worst thing I have lived through. Everybody kept saying-- Beth kept telling me and Betsy they said they had all lived through it and that I would live through it too. I said I hope you are right because it is about to kill me. It was, too.

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