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WENDY'S CHAMPIONSHIP FOR CHILDREN

August 24, 2006

Kristal Parker Manzo

DUBLIN, OHIO

PAUL ROVNAK: Kristal, good round today. Birdies on eight and nine to grab a share of the lead. Give us your thoughts on the day and then we'll take some questions.

KRISTAL PARKER MANZO: Thank you. I went out there today with a lot of patience and a really good attitude. I don't know if you know, but this is supposed to be my last week. I'm retiring. It happened to me two years ago, too. I just wanted to go out and have some fun.

Recently, I've worked with an Australian coach, Ian Triggs, a fair bit. And it just started coming together today. I hit a lot of good golf shots and made a few putts, and left a few out there.

Q. Are you curious about this being your last week?

KRISTAL PARKER MANZO: Yes. I retired two years ago because I had a bad elbow. When I announced my retirement, I went out and finished fourth that week. I had some time off and decided to have surgery and get my elbow fixed and then I got the fever to play again. I played a couple at the end of last season and thought, I feel good, I think I'll give it another go. I've only played maybe events this year, out of I don't know how many, seven, eight, nine events. Unfortunately, I've missed most cuts by one shot.

I haven't played bad, but I just haven't been cashing in. I think it's time to go home and be a mom. I have a 3 year old and a 7 year old. My priorities have changed a lot. But the hard part is I've really enjoyed playing this year, a lot, as much as ever.

So will this really be it? Who knows? But the game plan was this was going to be it.

Q. You've kind of come full circle, this being your last tournament in Toledo, Ohio?

KRISTAL PARKER MANZO: I mapped it out that way. I took the last month off and mentally prepared to let go really. It's hard to walk away. I've played golf for 36 years. And I've competed for 29 years. So it's not easy to walk away from it. I've been trying to mentally prepare that it's okay, it's another chapter in my life. I've had a good life out here.

Q. Having said all that, let's talk about today and what fundamentally you did well today, what part of your game?

KRISTAL PARKER MANZO: I think I probably struck the ball better. I've been working on trying to soften my arms and shorten my backswing, to give myself some time with my transition. I tend to be tight and quick. And I started achieving that today. I had a good session two days ago, a good session yesterday with Ian. And this morning I had a decent warm up. I really went out with no expectations, just to have a good time. I was pretty relaxed out there.

Q. How important is it that you're in the lead at Tartan Fields and it's in Columbus, Ohio?

KRISTAL PARKER MANZO: This is really special. It's fun for me. In all the years I've played in front of my hometown, you tend to put more pressure on yourself. And again, I just wanted to go out there with the attitude of enjoyment and pleasure because this might be it.

I had a lot of support out there and a lot of good positive energy, and that's always fun.

Q. Who was out there for you?

KRISTAL PARKER MANZO: I had my folks. My husband came in as emergency caddie today. I had a friend, Steve Led (ph), who usually caddies for me here, but Maria Hjorth's caddie has a bad back right now. And Ian Triggs called me last night, who also coaches Maria Hjorth and Karrie Webb, and he said, "Do you know of anyone?"

I said Steve, who holds the course record here, who usually caddies for me, he could take Maria's bag and Ken could caddie for me, and it will be our last hurrah together. So Ken was out there. I had a lot of friends from Champagne County who came out to watch.

Q. I still remember this. The first round of

KRISTAL PARKER MANZO: Albany?

Q. Yes.

KRISTAL PARKER MANZO: That was kind of nice.

Q. You still remember that?

KRISTAL PARKER MANZO: Absolutely.

PAUL ROVNAK: Kristal, take us over your score cord. If you want to start on 10, because that's where you began, is fine with us.

KRISTAL PARKER MANZO: 10, drove it in the bunker, kind of had a risky bunker shot out and made a 24 footer for birdie.

PAUL ROVNAK: What did you hit out of the bunker?

KRISTAL PARKER MANZO: 8 iron.

PAUL ROVNAK: 14, the par 5?

KRISTAL PARKER MANZO: 14, I hit a little sand wedge to about six feet, made that putt.

15, I hit a six iron to about four feet, made that putt.

18, I hit a little 11 wood to probably 10 feet, made that one.

PAUL ROVNAK: Bogey on 1.

KRISTAL PARKER MANZO: Bogey on 1. I mis hit a 9 iron off to the right and did not get up and down.

PAUL ROVNAK: Birdie on 5.

KRISTAL PARKER MANZO: They lengthened that hole this year. It's a lot longer. It's like 25 yards longer. I hit a little 11 wood, it hit pin high and went to the back of the green, and I holed probably a 30 footer from the fringe for birdie.

8, I hit 8 iron and made about a 10 footer for birdie.

9, I hit my drive a little right so I laid up, hit a little wedge in probably to about 12, 15 feet, and holed that putt.

Q. (No microphone.)

KRISTAL PARKER MANZO: We spent June and July in Cable. We're kind of based out of there while I played. But school starts the middle of August, so my son is back in second grade in Phoenix right now. And I have my daughter with me.

Q. What would cause you to unretire again? What would you have to do?

KRISTAL PARKER MANZO: I don't know. One of the reasons I've stayed out here, I've never won on tour. From the time I was 12 years old and started competing, I had a goal of winning an LPGA event. Second is my best. And I think that's what's kept me coming out here, is really wanting to achieve that goal.

Having said that, even if I won this week, I think I probably still would be done, it would just taste a lot sweeter walking away. Of course I would play in the special events at the end of the year. But for the most part, I think this is it.

Q. When does school start in Phoenix?

KRISTAL PARKER MANZO: It's already started. My son Nick is back in Phoenix. The kids are in school and they need me there. My priorities have just really changed.

Q. When did they change?

KRISTAL PARKER MANZO: When did they change? Nick is now seven and a half. Seven and a half years ago.

End of FastScripts.

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