U.S. WOMEN'S AMATEUR CHAMPIONSHIP

August 17, 2002

Brandi Jackson

Q. Brandi, first of all, on the chip on 16, bad lie? I saw as soon as you hit it, you didn't like it?

BRANDI JACKSON: No, I didn't. I have been hitting right on that hole all week for some reason. It just seems to line me up right and I did it again. The lie wasn't that bad. I just kind of flipped under it. Hitting it too hard and rolling past the hole. I just flipped right under it just didn't get it far down as I wanted to. I knew she made two putts coming in. I knew I probably needed to make that putt, just hit it a little too hard too.

Q. Obviously after -- can you describe your mindset after the first 18?

BRANDI JACKSON: After the first 18 I was -- I wanted to go crawl in a hole after some of the shots I hit, but I mean, I really was just mentally tired, and just was ready, I don't know, I mean, I knew that there was a good possibility that -- I mean, she beat me 6 holes, I mean 6-up so I knew maybe I could turn around and do it. By the time I got back out there I got it together. And was like, let's fire at it and see what happens. After the first 18 I was just not very happy.

Q. Any idea what you shot in the morning?

BRANDI JACKSON: I don't want to know what I shot in the morning. It was not good. I don't know, I just couldn't get it going. It was just one of those days where timing was off. So I just couldn't get it together. I am not sure what I shot though.

Q. Can you go back to any rounds recently where you struggled that much over 18 holes?

BRANDI JACKSON: Not over 18. The first part of the day yesterday I struggled a little bit, but I mean I guess it wasn't -- I didn't hit it like that bad. It's just a couple really ugly shots that just kind of stand out. The first few holes against Maru the first day I guess it was about in the middle of the round, around like 10, 11, 12, 13, I did it yesterday, and I just have trouble with those few holes over there. Once I get around to 14 it kind of comes back to me, I guess. Those are the -- I have been hitting the ball really good, hitting fairways and greens and making putts. Then I just kind of the greens, we kind of had trouble reading the greens last couple of days for some reason. Gotten pretty good knowing what it was going to do then kind of just lost the feel.

Q. Is it because the rain slowed them down a little bit?

BRANDI JACKSON: May have been. Like I said first two days of stroke play and even match play I had really good, like, fell for long putts and could get it around the hole, and especially like chip shots and stuff last and last couple of days I just lost the feel of it. I think it kind of started affecting my longer game too because I knew that I needed to get it close if I was going to really have a chance. I don't know if it had anything to do with the rains slowing it down. It may have coming back out because I did have trouble getting some in the holes. I think I kind of lost my touch.

Q. I guess there's no way to phrase this question but in the morning round I think it was 10 and 16 missed what looked to be three or four-footers.

BRANDI JACKSON: Yeah, they were pretty close. I just -- I don't know, what I did, but yeah, they were both probably about two, three feet, I guess, and they just didn't go in. I don't know if I was just -- I guess I was putting so much pressure on having to make both of those that I just missed them.

Q. Was it just not being comfortable over the putt?

BRANDI JACKSON: Sometimes it was because there was a couple of times where we weren't really sure -- I mean the shorter putts a lot of times it was just kind of keep it inside the hole and just stroke it. Then sometimes you just don't know if it's going to go a little more right than it does left or which way and couple of them, I wasn't comfortable over it, but I was just like go with what you feel and it just wasn't right.

Q. At what point today in the afternoon once you started building some momentum you get two down then you birdie three or four holes. Are you thinking wow, this is -- I am back in this, I did this yesterday, I can do it again?

BRANDI JACKSON: I definitely-- around about the time we made the turn I guess and I birdied 10, then it hit me. Me and my dad out there, 6 down okay, 18 holes, if I get about two back every 6 holes, I am doing okay. I had gotten about -- I gotten 4 back through like 10 or 11 and I was like if I keep this up, there's a good possibility. I knew it was going to be tough, and she really wasn't faultering very much at all so I knew I had to make birdies. But then coming in around 13 and 14, I made one birdie and then she just started making putts, it kind of lost my drive, I guess after a while when she made them on 14, 15 and 16 really wasn't much I could do at that point.

Q. How frustrating is it though knowing that you are down and you see her make those putts?

BRANDI JACKSON: It's really frustrating because you are just hoping that -- I knew I needed to make the birdies and I didn't, so then I am just hoping maybe she will miss this one and it will keep going, and she just made the one on 14 which way I was hoping -- I birdied that hole almost every time I came through on there on 14. We were like, okay, this will give me one back hopefully. I missed that. Then she made that par putt. Then she did it on 15 and 16. It was really frustrating because -- I mean as much as I was trying to do like my part in coming back I was also hoping that she'd let up a little bit, but she never did.

Q. What club did you hit on 16?

BRANDI JACKSON: I hit 7. Probably should have hit 8. I hit it kind of a little more solid than I needed to I guess. Probably -- I was afraid that's one reason why I hit it out of the right was if it was too much then I'd go over, and I just wanted to go ahead hit it, make sure I'd get it back to the pin. I probably just should have hit 8 and swung at it. But-- wanted to get close, so went with 7.

Q. Your chip, what did you use there, sand wedge?

BRANDI JACKSON: Yeah, I just flipped under it. I knew it wasn't as slick going back as it looks because of the river or whatever, but I was just afraid if I got it going too fast down through there and I was under it and didn't get it there.

Q. As long as we're doing clubs, 9th hole in the morning second shot, yardage on that?

BRANDI JACKSON: I was only hitting like 7-iron.

Q. What was the yardage?

BRANDI JACKSON: Like 145, 150 or something, 140. I just -- like I do that a lot of times trying to fade the ball over or cut it I totally double-crossed it and I had two people do that already that I played with and end up down there, and I was like, you know, this wouldn't be so bad --I get down there I am two tee boxes down, that just wasn't very good. But almost made par, almost made bogey out of it and halved the hole. I just didn't. Didn't get it.

Q. What club did you use?

BRANDI JACKSON: I hit 7-iron. That was about a 200 yard 7-iron once it finished rolling down the hill.

Q. Second shot in the morning on 14?

BRANDI JACKSON: I hit 9-iron into there. Yeah 9 first time around then I hit 8 second time. It may have been, I believe. About the only real good close shot I hit all morning I believe.

Q. On the days, the two days that we had the double rounds you hit a few balls in between matches. Today at lunch you didn't hit any.

BRANDI JACKSON: No, I didn't really think that much to start with because first we thought it started at 1:30 because -- my mom -- somebody told me 1:30, I was like really I don't have much time. I knew I have been putting pretty bad too so I was like I will just roll a few putts. But the main reason during the two rounds before I kind of wanted to loosen up a little bit. I don't know, I really didn't think about it. I just didn't go back down there and hit any balls today. I just putted a few and just took off.

Q. Were you thinking anything in particular -- I mean I know people were coming up to you and asking you a few questions and signing things, but I mean were you just trying to think something or not think something?

BRANDI JACKSON: At that time I was trying not to think too much because when I got in, like I said, was pretty frustrated about how the morning match had gone, I was trying to like my whole -- my sticker says on my bag, just try to forget about it and just start over again and I knew I was 6 down and like at that time I guess it kind of helped me keep my mind off of it so when I first got out there after talking to everybody I guess it kind of through my mind a little bit. Then I was just -- I was just ready to go by that time see what I could do. See if I could come back.

Q. How important was it for you to get that birdie on the first hole?

BRANDI JACKSON: That definitely started me going because I don't think I -- I guess I birdied the Playoff hole yesterday so that was kind of a nice little back-to-back doing it on that hole. But it definitely got the momentum going. I mean just finally hitting two, three good shots in a row; then making the putt was just kind of -- was like, hey, maybe I could actually do this if I can hit it on target, make some putts, then maybe I can pull it out.

Q. (Inaudible)

BRANDI JACKSON: After a while definitely, I am like, okay, let's just halve a whole so that maybe I can just keep it in a decent area. I am like I can't do this, like it was -- I mean it was really frustrating. Some like -- just like I said, a couple of the shots I hit were just ugly and I am like this is just not how I want it to be. I mean it was great to get here and I am like it was good to get here and be playing, but I am like -- it was really frustrating to know that I was down that much. So I have to redeem myself somehow, do something just to show that I do know how to play golf and that I did get here for a reason. It was tough knowing I was 6 down after 18 and just thinking if she goes out here making some birdies and I don't, this is going to be over with in a couple of holes and I just -- I didn't want that. I wanted to make a match out of it.

Q. That said, is it safe to stay that the afternoon was sort of a moral victory?

BRANDI JACKSON: Yeah, it definitely was. Had it gone the way did it the first 18, it would have -- I mean it would have been worth it getting there, but I mean just going out like that just that would not have been fun, but it definitely was -- I mean it just shows that I still had some left in me. I had not given up; not worn out too much, and just, you know, make it an interesting match, just definitely was worth it. At least give her a little competition coming over those last few holes, maybe made her a little nervous hopefully a little bit.

Q. Knowing how close you came, in retrospect, do you just forget about this or do you take pride in being the runnerup?

BRANDI JACKSON: I definitely have to be proud of coming back and not just giving up. And I mean it's a big thing to say to be the runnerup, and now I can look back on the match just think I had just done this or done that maybe I would have had a little better chance, but I guess that's just kind of how things were supposed to go. I just tried to come back and just couldn't. Couldn't get there, but being runnerup was just -- I mean, that's still, you know, great accomplishment, and I have to be proud of that.

Q. How many women's amateurs have you played?

BRANDI JACKSON: Played in one other women's amateur played two years ago when it was in Oregon.

Q. Just your impressions of this venue. Do you think this particular club is worthy of having another amateur, any USGA event?

BRANDI JACKSON: I definitely think it is. I have heard all different opinions like through practice rounds of how crazed some of the holes are, but I definitely think it is. To start with you kind of get frustrated because you are not used to some of the bounces you get on some of the greens. After a while you realize it definitely tests every part of your game, I mean, you got long par 4s, short ones you have got par 5s you can reach. I think it -- especially match play coming in those last few holes it -- some holes where you can get back in it and you never know what is going to happen on those few last holes. I think it's definitely worth having amateur tournaments, anything here.

Q. It probably is a better match play course than stroke play course because of what you said?

BRANDI JACKSON: Yeah, I think it does, stroke play is -- like with match play it's easy because you may have one really bad hole where you get a bad break that really wasn't your fault and it may make you make a bogey or double. And in match play you can putt that behind you and say it is just one hole. I guess either one, match play it definitely is a good course, I think, for it.

Q. What do you think the distance was of your chip on 16 last hole?

BRANDI JACKSON: Probably a good 50, 60 feet. It was pretty long. Because the pin was about maybe middle of the green I guess, I was all the way up the back right, but I am not sure about it. It was probably a good 10, 15 feet left, I think. I am not the best in distances.

Q. As soon as you --

BRANDI JACKSON: I was in between, trying to get around.

Q. Did you kind of yell something as soon as you hit it?

BRANDI JACKSON: On the putt.

Q. The chip?

BRANDI JACKSON: Yeah, I knew I had to get it down there close. I knew she was probably going to make par. As soon as I did, I knew that flipped under it. The way it was sitting in the rough I didn't think it was going to do that. I thought it was going to pop out. As soon as I did it, I knew that it flipped under it and didn't even have to look up I knew it wasn't going to go very far.

Q. (Inaudible)?

BRANDI JACKSON: Yeah, I wish I could have gone back and hit my shot on 16 again more than anything because I just felt like had I gone and hit a different club maybe or just made sure that I got it around the hole things might have gone different. But that's how it goes.

Q. You are going to be a senior this year?

BRANDI JACKSON: Yeah.

Q. How much confidence does this give you?

BRANDI JACKSON: It definitely is. I mean, just to have this experience this week just is, you know, playing against some of the people I played against or people I played against in college tournaments, and just to know that I came this far gives me a lot of confidence going into the year just knowing that I can play with someone like the top girls that are in the country.

Q. (Inaudible)?

BRANDI JACKSON: It has -- my coach was talking about that the other day. He said that I got my hat and my bag in on TV. He was proud of that. So however I have answered quite a few questions where Ferman (Phonetic) is AT and where Belton (phonetic) is at so I don't know, I guess some people know where it's at now. That's good.

Q. Is Belton close to Greenville?

BRANDI JACKSON: Yeah, like 35 minutes. Actually Belton where my address is -- that's really not like my hometown, I guess, I was actually really more in Lake Williamson area, Anderson, that's all really in the middle of nowhere actually. But it's all like 30, 35 minutes from Greenville.

Q. When do you go back to school?

BRANDI JACKSON: We start class on the 10th. The 10th but we go back on like the 7th only let us come a few days ahead. So couple more weeks.

Q. Are you planning on turning pro after you graduate?

BRANDI JACKSON: I don't know what I am going to do. This just kind of definitely puts a big helps in my decision but I am not really sure. Depends a lot on how my senior year goes and how I play. If I am playing good I hope to. But if not, I don't know what I am going to do. I will decide probably through my senior year as to how I am playing and what I will do.

Q. Major?

BRANDI JACKSON: Health and exercise science.

Q. What would you do if you didn't play golf?

BRANDI JACKSON: I don't know. Something probably golf wise, I mean, just or sports-wise, I am not sure. I can go anywhere from sports med, physical therapy, anything like athletic-wise I would probably do. Got to stay active.

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