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WENDY'S CHAMPIONSHIP FOR CHILDREN

August 24, 2006

Natalie Gulbis

DUBLIN, OHIO

PAUL ROVNAK: Natalie, great round today, 5 under 67. One shot off the lead. Talk about your day and we'll take some questions.

NATALIE GULBIS: It was kind of one of those clean rounds of golf. I hit a lot of fairways. I had a lot of opportunities at birdie, ended up making a few of them. I hit a lot of fairways, a lot of greens, had a lot of chances.

Q. Was the course wet? What are the conditions out there?

NATALIE GULBIS: The conditions are good. There are a couple of fairways that are a little wet, but 90 percent of the golf course is in really good shape. The greens are rolling really well. They're holding well. I played in the morning, so I'm sure the course is going to change quite a bit in a day and a half, especially if they don't get any rain. They'll probably play a little faster and harder tomorrow.

Q. Can you throw a long iron at them and they'll stick or is there bounce and roll?

NATALIE GULBIS: You don't have a lot of long irons on this course, so probably mid irons. I remember coming here four or five years ago and the greens released a lot when they were new greens. And every year the greens get better and better.

Q. Brittany Lincicome was in here earlier and said she thinks it might take 20 to 25 under. Cristie won last year at 18 under. Do you like having to shoot that low to try to win? Would you prefer something a little less, maybe demanding a little bit more shot making?

NATALIE GULBIS: I think you really have to like both of them. Majors are fun. I love majors, where even par is a good score. And on a course like this, you really have to take advantage of the holes. You can fire at pins. You can be more aggressive, take advantage of the par 5s. And I agree, I think 20 under could be a number if the weather stays good and the course stays the way it is.

Q. What's the lowest you've gone for four rounds?

NATALIE GULBIS: 17 or 18 under in Toledo, and probably somewhere there, maybe a little bit less at Corning, a couple of the courses where you can make a lot of birdies.

Q. 20 to 25 under doesn't necessarily intimidate you?

NATALIE GULBIS: I don't know about 25. That seems like a lot. I don't know if we've ever had a 25 win. I think 18 to 20, you should have a good chance. But who knows. You never know. The greens could get the wind could pick up. We could get weather. Who knows. They could tuck pins. They can do whatever they want. You never know.

Q. You played very well at Toledo. That course was wet for different reasons. Anyway, do you feel as though you're playing awfully well coming in here?

NATALIE GULBIS: I feel I'm hitting the ball well. I hit the ball actually okay last week and didn't get much out of it, so I'm just trying to carry that over to this week. I really like this golf course. It's fun. I love the good weather. Luckily, for the last month or so on tour we've had really good weather, which has been nice.

Q. Why do you like the golf course?

NATALIE GULBIS: Why do I like the golf course? The condition of it is in such good shape. There are a lot of fun holes out there. A lot of holes have contour. There are some holes where you can be aggressive on. And then there is a hole like 18, when they tuck the pin back right, it's just part of the good score. There is a good combination of birdie holes and a couple of holes you know that par is just a good score.

Q. As you travel around, do you notice a difference in how galleries react to you? I wonder if people treat you differently here than they do any place else?

NATALIE GULBIS: Overseas.

Q. Why overseas?

NATALIE GULBIS: When you travel to Korea and Japan, it's quite a bit different. In Mexico it's a little bit different too. They yell a little bit harder and stuff like that. The fans are usually good here. We've been here for four or five years. And Wendy's does a great job promoting this event so we get good galleries. I think what we notice the most is when there is a big gallery. We love having people out here cheering for us week in and week out. It's a lot more fun when you hit a good shot and the crowd goes crazy than if you hit a good shot and you get one or two claps.

PAUL ROVNAK: Natalie, take us over your scorecard. We'll start on 10 since you started on the back nine.

NATALIE GULBIS: First hole, hit 8 iron to 5 feet and made birdie.

12, pitch sand wedge to two feet.

14, the par 5, L wedge to about 20 feet, made it.

16, about 25 feet with a 4 iron.

Bogey on 18, I hit a pretty good 4 iron but caught the left side of the hill, hit the chip, didn't get up the ridge and 2 putted.

PAUL ROVNAK: 2 putt from how far?

NATALIE GULBIS: Probably 45 feet, 50 feet.

PAUL ROVNAK: Birdie on 1.

NATALIE GULBIS: About a 25 footer with a 9 iron in my hand.

PAUL ROVNAK: 3.

NATALIE GULBIS: 9 iron again to about a foot.

Q. The odd holes for the first 12 holes, an odd hole every time.

NATALIE GULBIS: I'll do the even ones tomorrow.

Q. You mentioned the same thing Karrie mentioned. You would be surprised if there are a lot of good scores this afternoon just because of the conditions; the greens are getting spiked up and stuff. I noticed you weren't the only one who had trouble keeping up the birdie pace later in your round. Were they getting a little spiked up later in your round to keep you from making putts or not?

NATALIE GULBIS: No, I had a lot of chances. Sometimes they fall early and sometimes the greens were fine. They released a little bit more, so I may have had a little bit longer shots than I anticipated on a couple of irons coming in. So I will have to make an adjustment for those tomorrow, because I think they will release more as the greens firm up throughout the day.

End of FastScripts.

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