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FIELDS OPEN IN HAWAII

February 24, 2006

Natalie Gulbis

KAPOLEI, HAWAII

PAUL ROVNAK: Thank you for coming in and we appreciate your time. 11 under, 54 hole tournament this week, so 18 holes to go, you're going to be in a great spot, just talk about that.

NATALIE GULBIS: You know with a three day event that you have to get off to a good start the first day. Yesterday I had a good round and today I followed it up after yesterday, so that's good.

Q. With winning hanging over your head for the last few years, do you think you can get past that tomorrow and get free of that?

NATALIE GULBIS: I think it hangs over your head every week from when I was 10 or 11 years old and trying to win tournaments. Every single week I try and go out and win tournaments. You just have to keep putting yourself in position. I did that quite a bit last year. I kept putting myself in position and I think I've done that this week, so I look forward to tomorrow.

Q. How close did you come to being in this position last week?

NATALIE GULBIS: Last week, I think down the stretch I was pretty close. I felt like I hit the ball well enough to really put myself in position to be in that playoff, but there was a few putts that I could have been a little more aggressive with to get myself into that playoff. So, pretty close.

Q. Where did you get that putting stance?

NATALIE GULBIS: I started doing that about a year and a half ago, and it's an open stance with a split grip. I started doing it before last season.

I was a pretty handy putter with the traditional style putting stroke that I had used for most of my career, and it's a change and it really opened my stance and allowed me to see the line a little better.

Q. I think you tied for fifth last week and you're off to a good start again, do you feel comfortable playing did you do something in the off season that prepared you for this season?

NATALIE GULBIS: I worked on pretty much the same stuff that I did to prepare for last year, just tightening up my swing and trying to be a more consistent player to put myself in contention every week that I have a chance to play.

Q. Did you play with Michelle in that first tournament she qualified?

NATALIE GULBIS: Yes, the very first time I met Michelle Wie was actually my very first LPGA event. She had qualified and she had actually broke my record before, so we hit it off right away then. We've been friends for a couple years now.

Q. What's the biggest difference for you from that point and what's the biggest difference for her?

NATALIE GULBIS: The biggest difference in me from that point is probably just continuing to tighten up my swing.

As far as she goes, she was a great player then and I think probably about the same, she's a more consistent player. We actually played a practice round together a couple of days ago. Hopefully we're a little more mature.

Q. What is it about these Hawaii courses that you play so well, is it the weather that you enjoy, the greens?

NATALIE GULBIS: I think it's basically just how you hit the ball. It doesn't matter where you're at, I don't know, maybe seeing the sunsets every night, I don't know. It's kind of a relaxed atmosphere here. I think it's basically just taking good shots when you need to hit them.

Q. Your putting stroke stance is so unique, what do you feel prompted your need to make this change?

NATALIE GULBIS: The company, his name is Tommy (ph) and it came to me out of a company in Chicago. They approached me in the off season just to try and it be opened minded, and of course I was not, I was close minded and didn't want to like most stubborn athletes. I just tried it and putted extremely well, and I took it to my instructor Butch Harmon, in Las Vegas, and he was actually out with Freddie Couples said what do you think. They said, you putted really well with it, and I started the season with it and I've been using it ever since.

Q. How long is your grip?

NATALIE GULBIS: I think it's probably 36, 37, so I get a few more gimmees.

Q. How long is the putter?

NATALIE GULBIS: About 36, 37 inches.

Q. And the leather is how long?

NATALIE GULBIS: Oh, I don't know, good question. Two of my feet, so two size eights, whatever that is.

PAUL ROVNAK: Do you want to take us over your score card?

NATALIE GULBIS: The third hole, about five feet with an 8 iron.

The par 5, a 9 iron to about five feet.

6, the par 5, I hit L wedge. The next hole I hit 9 iron to five feet but they were both inside five feet.

No. 9 was a 7 iron from about 25 feet.

PAUL ROVNAK: What the bogey on 7?

NATALIE GULBIS: I missed the green right with 8 iron and didn't get up and down.

10 was a pitching wedge to about 12 feet, ten, 12 feet.

14, L wedge to about two feet.

15, pitching wedge to about five feet.

PAUL ROVNAK: Thank you, Natalie.

End of FastScripts.

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