MCDONALD'S LPGA CHAMPIONSHIP PRESENTED BY AIG

June 5, 2002

Karrie Webb

Q.: I will give you an opportunity to talk. I know you came to Media Day, but can you just talk about being back here for tournament week?

KARRIE WEBB: Okay. It feels good to be back, and it's good to get back out on the course, it's definitely changed a little bit since last year as far as the setup. I think it's probably going to play as tough as I have ever seen it. The fairways are in great shape but the rough is probably twice as long as it has been in past years, and the greens are extremely firm and fast, so I haven't seen the greens putt this fast ever before, so there is not much point in having played here for six years because it really is playing a lot different.

Q.: You haven�¹t played much this year. Is that a strategy?

KARRIE WEBB: Well, I played a lot -- I played -- what was it -- six out of seven weeks at the beginning, and then played a couple -- I played a couple there in the middle and just played last week, but the majority of the tournaments are coming up now, I am playing 11 tournaments out of the next 13 weeks, so I didn't see much point in (inaudible) and then being tired for this next stretch.

Q.: Karrie, do you have to play your best this week to have a chance to win, or can you not be at the top of your game and still find a way to contend?

KARRIE WEBB: I think I can -- I think if I am at the top of my game, then I probably will contend, but if I am not, a lot of things -- you know, I think I can contend, but a lot of things have to go right. You know, really. I think if I am not at the top of my game, my short game really has to, you know, keep me in the tournament pretty much.

Q.: You almost make it sound like this is the start of the year, in a way.

KARRIE WEBB: Well, I guess it is a little bit. I just think that, you know, the bulk of the big tournaments are between now and the end of August, and if you play well in the next two or three months, it pretty much makes your year, it doesn't matter how well you have played earlier unless you have won four tournaments like Annika, but, you know, anyone else, you know, if you miss the boat in the next couple of months, it really will determine where you finish on the money list at the end of the year.

Q.: Did you find it hard during two or three months of those really, really strong seasons you have had to keep it going from January or February through November, to keep it at a high level through the duration?

KARRIE WEBB: Yeah, I think so. I think most are just from, you know, in those years it was, you know, I think -- well, last year was the first year, British Open was a major, so 2000, '99 and 2000, you know, once I played Du Maurier, that was when I found it hard to keep at a top level, I think. I think I pretty much had -- I kept it pretty well up until then, and then it was sort of a fight until the end of the year, you know, not that I played poorly, but just -- it wasn't as good as it had been early on in the year to the middle.

Q.: Karrie, you mentioned that this course seems different than any of the six years you have played here before because of the roughs and everything. Does that change your mind-set, your approach coming into this at all? Do you approach your shots differently now?

KARRIE WEBB: Oh, I think yeah, definitely. You know, the fronts of the greens are pretty much your yardages, hitting wedges at 12, 15 yards in some places, so, you know, really, you have to manage your game a little bit better. I think you can get away with not managing it as well in the last couple years but, you know, if the course stays the way it is now, keep the greens the same way, and keep the roughs the same length, the last three years it's been double digits, under par is 1, well into double digits, so I think anyone that reaches double digits this week has played extremely well. Unless we get absolutely no breeze, I really don't see that happening.

Q.: Do you see any parts of the course that can be particularly hazardous that you definitely want to stay away from?

KARRIE WEBB: Just the rough.

Q.: Is that the worst you have seen it?

KARRIE WEBB: It's actually -- I think it's -- I could almost say it's worse than US Open rough, I think. It's pretty thick.

Q.: Did you hit the fairways out there during your Pro-Am?

KARRIE WEBB: Well, in a Pro Am, hopefully, most people -- 1 out of 5 people hit the fairway.

Q.: Do you think that's a good thing in a major to have rough like this, or do you think it's too much?

KARRIE WEBB: No, I think -- it's not too much. I think this course, when we used to play it in the middle of May, for me, the first few years when we played it in the middle of May, it played pretty long just because it was so wet. The last couple years it's played pretty dry and, you know, it's played probably a little too short for a major, and it's still going to play that short, but if you miss the fairway, it doesn't matter if you have got a wedge in your hand or a 7-iron in your hand, you are pretty much only going to be able to move it so far anyway. And even, like I said, hitting a wedge into the green, I am getting 12 yards release, so I have talked about battling my patience here over the years. It will come down to the person who is the most patient and realizes that people are going to make more bogeys here this year than they have before, and realize that, you know, like myself, that I have to realize that I am going to make bogeys as well, and just try and just keep them to bogeys and -- because I think in the rough, the way the rough is, it really is a lottery, if you are going to get up and down -- I think if you are going to get up and down one out of every three times you are in there you will be happy.

Q.: Will you change your game at all with the rough?

KARRIE WEBB: Off the tees, you mean?

Q.: Yeah.

KARRIE WEBB: In some places. Because you obviously -- I mean, I don't think the course plays that short where you don't ever have a full shot in, but, you know, like off the first tee I have hit driver most years, I am just going to hit 3-wood this year because back with my 3-wood, it's nearly doubled the width of the fairway or at least an extra 10 yards of landing area, and because I am only playing front yardages because of how much release I am getting, I am still only going to hit a 9-iron onto the front. That's just -- you just got to think a little bit differently.

Q.: Did you play in the rough yesterday?

KARRIE WEBB: Yeah, a couple times.

Q.: Is it wedge-out rough?

KARRIE WEBB: Well, it's a bit of a lottery. You can pull a good lie and perhaps -- the course is fairly firm all the way through, so the one thing here at DuPont Country Club is that most of the fronts of the green are open, so you can still run it up, but you could get parts where it's wedge-out.

Q.: Karrie, what's the state of your game? Are you seeing improvement?

KARRIE WEBB: I think I am. Last week I had a fairly decent week, I just didn't finish it off very well on Sunday, but I am finding the first six years of my career I was a terrible practice round player, and virtually didn't feel too good going into any tournament and then played well in tournaments, obviously, and this year I have been an excellent practice round player, and just haven't quite taken it on to the tournament round. So that's why I say I feel pretty good about my game, because it is there, I just have to -- yeah, maybe just feel a little bit more, you know, early on in the tournaments, just try and feel like I do in practice rounds and try and make the same swings.

Q.: Other than yourself, who do you like to win this week?

KARRIE WEBB: Well, I mean, I never really pick anybody. I think everyone has a chance to win, and, you know, with the way the course is set up, it could be a short or a long hitter who wins this week, just whoever hits the fairways and the greens. And putting is not going to be any bargain out there, either. Sometimes you think it's a relief to get on the green, but we have never seen the greens here that fast, so you are going to see a lot of people 3-putt out here, and hopefully you won't see too many more than 3-putt, but you might see it occasionally. You know, obviously you can't overlook Annika, I mean, I think she is playing the best golf of her career, and she is head and shoulders above everyone out here at the moment.

Q.: Do you ever think about the Grand Slam in one year after Nabisco?

KARRIE WEBB: I don't know. Such a long way to go. I mean, obviously people talked to me about it when I won in 2000, but it's such a -- I mean, by no means is it lucky to win the Grand Slam one year, but you have to get your game to peak at all four weeks, and you have to like all four golf courses. Now, Nabisco, and here are the same courses, but the US Open changes every year and so does the British Open, and Du Maurier, too, so you have to -- your game has to fit those two courses as well, so, I mean, it would be an unbelievable feat if someone ever could do it.

Q.: Since Annika is playing head and shoulders above everyone, do you give her a pretty good chance?

KARRIE WEBB: Well, Annika could win any golf tournament she plays in, so I guess that's a pretty good chance.

Q.: Talking about unbelievable feats, or feats that haven't yet been achieved, but one that you have achieved, what about the US Open, how are you starting to approach that?

KARRIE WEBB: Well, at this stage of the game I am hoping that -- you know, I feel good about my game this week, I think my game is good enough to win, or at least contend here this week, but the progress that I am seeing in my game, I am hoping that it's going to peak the week of the US Open. And obviously, just to win, you know, a couple years ago, hadn't even won one US Open, so to talk about winning three in a row is something that I would love to do, but I actually have to win the one in July in Hutchinson before it is three in a row, but, you know, I am trying not to think about that tournament right now as far as getting myself ready for this one because this one is not going to be any bargain this week.

Q.: How difficult is this week for you compared to how everything was last year?

KARRIE WEBB: I think, fortunately, it's two weeks earlier than last year, so I haven't had to deal with the actual anniversary of anything, so --

Q.: Do you have any family this week here?

KARRIE WEBB: No, I don't.

Q.: As a youngster, was Nancy Lopez somebody you admired or followed?

KARRIE WEBB: I think Nancy -- you know, I have talked about this, you know, and it might be just because I came from such a small town in Australia, but I didn't know a lot about women's golf, but I knew, you know, a few names, and obviously Nancy Lopez was obviously one of those names, and I can't say that I was someone who grew up watching her play because we never got women's events televised in Australia until the last few years, but just to know what she has accomplished, and I have learned more about what she has done probably in the last seven years since I have been out here, but just to know what she has accomplished on and off the golf course, it's great to have gotten to know her and play with her and sit in the locker room and chat with her and stuff like that over the last few years.

Q.: The way Annika has been playing, has she, sort of, upped the ante, and do you think it's up to everyone else to try to raise her level and challenge her rather than that she cools off?

KARRIE WEBB: I think that's what we would like to do. You know, I haven't -- I wouldn't say I have increased my work load, but, you know, I felt like I have always worked hard and, you know, it's just, I think, for me it's just a matter of, you know, just trying to get on a roll like that. You know, she is obviously playing with a lot of confidence, and I think one thing that, you know, a few years ago might have been letting her down a little bit was her putter, and I think she is feeling very confident with that right now. I mean, anyone that shoots 21 under for three rounds is putting pretty well.

Q.: They say it's going to rain pretty good tonight. Will that affect you on Thursday?

KARRIE WEBB: As far as how I am going to play the course or how the course will play?

Q.: Well, let's say it's going to rain pretty good, a lot of rain is going to happen right into Thursday morning.

KARRIE WEBB: Okay.

Q.: So I don't know how that affects your game.

KARRIE WEBB: My game mentally or -- I think you just play the course for what it is. You know, obviously if we get as much rain as predicted, obviously the greens won't play as hard, or probably won't putt as fast, either, so it will be an adjustment, I think, for everyone, not just myself.

Q.: What's the most confident you have ever felt?

KARRIE WEBB: Over a period or at a tournament?

Q.: At a tournament.

KARRIE WEBB: I don't know. Maybe at the US Open last year.

Q.: Is that once you knew that you were in before it rained?

KARRIE WEBB: No, it actually was -- it was the whole week and the lead-up. I just remember Thursday morning before I tee'd off I was -- well, I felt -- I think I was really nervous, I am always really nervous before a tee-off at the US Open, but I was really anxious because I knew how good I was playing and I was just anxious to get started and anxious and hoping that, you know, as good as I felt about my game, that it was going to be that way on the golf course.

Q.: That's funny because most people say that winning is what brings confidence, and that was your first win, wasn't it?

KARRIE WEBB: Yeah, for the LPGA win.

Q.: Any explanation for that?

KARRIE WEBB: No.

Q.: You are a big help.

KARRIE WEBB: No, I just think -- I don't know, I think you can feel when your game is peaking and I think I felt like it came into shape right at the right time.

Q.: I guess it pretty much peaked that week?

KARRIE WEBB: It was by far the best I played all year.

Q.: How -- do you mind if I ask another one? How do you think majors are perceived on this tour?

KARRIE WEBB: By who?

Q.: Both players and public. I mean, everyone knows on the men's side 18 is the number of the day. Do you think Kathy's number of 88 or -- I can't even tell you, Vicki....

KARRIE WEBB: Patty Berg?

Q.: Patty Berg? What's a better year, more majors or more victories? Whoever has got the most wins or whoever has got the most majors?

KARRIE WEBB: I don't know. It just depends. If Annika only wins one major and wins ten tournaments to compare to someone's one major or two majors, I think ten tournaments and a major is pretty impressive. So I don't know, you can't really judge -- you can't make a judgment on every year, just -- you know, it doesn't go for every single year, I think, it just depends on how people play.

Q.: Is there anything -- ten wins and no majors or two majos and no wins which would you rather win?

KARRIE WEBB: Two majors.

Q.: Is this year or last year maybe the first time that you have started to gather your schedule around the majors?

KARRIE WEBB: I think I have always tried to do it but I think probably more in the last three years that I have really -- you know, I think I have tried not to be too tired before I have gotten to June, I think, is, you know, what I have tried to do, tried to be fresh for these tournaments.

Q.: With the notable exception of last year's British Open?

KARRIE WEBB: Well, yeah. You know, the decision I made to play Bighorn was -- well, when it was brought to my attention that it could be a possibility, Annika had already said that she was interested, and I said, well, that's easy for her to say, she has already one won major this year, and that was Nabisco, and we hadn't played any and then I won the US Open and obviously then, just after that was when I had to make the decision, and I said I won one too, so -- and I didn't want to miss out on it, either. I probably would have still said yes even if I hadn't won one, but it was a lot easier to make that decision.

Q.: Karrie, when you are not competing here in Wilmington, Delaware, what would you like to do to relax?

KARRIE WEBB: I like to go fishing a little bit if the weather is good; I am a bit of a fair weather fisherman, I think.

Q.: Have you gotten a tour of Greg's new boat yet?

KARRIE WEBB: No, I haven't. I don't get to the West Coast of Australia very often, but no, I have read a lot about it, heard a lot about it.

Q.: He wouldn't be able to park it outside his front door, say, in Florida?

KARRIE WEBB: I think it will probably be too big. I think -- unless he drags it 10 feet all the way from there out to the ocean, at least 10 feet. Yeah, I don't think he will be parking it at his house.

Q.: Have you put in a request to go fishing on it?

KARRIE WEBB: I have not, no.

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