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CN CANADIAN WOMEN'S OPEN CHAMPIONSHIP

August 8, 2006

Meena Lee

LONDON, ONTARIO

DANA GROSS RHODE: Everyone, thank you for coming in. We have Morgan Pressel. Morgan, you're having a pretty good rookie year so for. You've been out on the course. You've seen the course. Talk about your thoughts for the week coming into Canada.

MORGAN PRESSEL: Well, I've been playing pretty well lately. Last week I felt that I was really hitting the ball well. And there were a couple of days where I struggled with my putting and then some trouble with bunkers and lots of things. I mean, I was 16 over for six holes and 4 under for the other 66 65, I mean.

I've been playing pretty well, so hopefully this week I really hit the ball well today, so hopefully I can continue with the trend. I'll work on my putting and it will be good.

DANA GROSS RHODE: We'll take some questions.

Q. Morgan, did you play in the Evian Masters as well?

MORGAN PRESSEL: Yes.

Q. How are you managing with your jet lag? What was your travel like coming back on Monday?

MORGAN PRESSEL: Well, yesterday was a long day, but it wasn't too bad. I mean, coming back, as long as I stay up I went to bed at 9:00 and slept until about 6:00, so I was pretty settled. I'm okay.

Q. You're still very young on tour, but there seems to be so much expectations of you to do better than you're doing. Do you feel any added pressure because you came in as a very high rookie as far as what they expected of you?

MORGAN PRESSEL: Well, I think obviously there's pressure and I've put pressure on myself because you know, I can play better than I have and hopefully everything will fall into place. It's been here and there. One thing is wrong this week and the next week it's totally different and I just can't seem to put everything in place. Like I said, lately it's been my putting. So hopefully one of these weeks here, hopefully this week I can put it all together and it will work.

Q. Your choice was obviously you decided to come straight to the LPGA tour. I was wondering if you could comment one way or the other about if someone were to make that choice in the future, whether you would see it as sort of different strokes for different folks in terms of turning pro directly or maybe going the college route, in general?

MORGAN PRESSEL: It's a personal preference. If a player feels that this is what they want to do and they feel that they're ready and that college isn't going to help them, it will just be a delay in turning pro, then turn pro. I don't know. If somebody really feels that they want a couple of years of the college experience, or four years, or however long they want, it's all personal preference and it depends on the person.

Q. Just talk about your impressions of the course and this area. Have you ever been up here before in this area, in general?

MORGAN PRESSEL: A lot of my family is from Detroit, so especially in the winter. I've played AJJ events here before. I was here during the media day outing that we had in May, so I've played the course before. I love it here. It's a great area. And especially coming back from Europe, I feel like I'm at home, so it's nice.

Q. As a younger player out on tour, how have you been received by some of the older players out there? And is there anyone in particular that has served as a mentor and been particularly kind to you as you've gotten adjusted?

MORGAN PRESSEL: There have been a lot of players. I can't single anybody out. Everybody has been so nice to me, and really anything that I need, there is so many people that I could ask for help. I've had a great time and everybody has certainly made me feel welcome.

Q. Do you model yourself on any previous player in the LPGA? You're known for your fiery attitude. Maybe a Dottie Pepper, that kind of player?

MORGAN PRESSEL: I know people have compared me to Dottie Pepper. That's certainly not a bad thing. She had a great career. There are a lot of players where I try and look at and take the best part from everybody and try to be a complete player and a complete person, with the best attributes. I try, not that I have it, but I try.

Q. (No microphone.)

MORGAN PRESSEL: You just look at the better players, Annika or Tiger, and you just see how they act and how they practice and the swings and the way they handle the media and the fans. There are so many different people, and so many different ways they need to be; people who will walk right by a kid who is standing there for an autograph, or like an Arnold Palmer who will sit there and sign everybody's. So you see it all.

Q. Why do you think, in golf especially, people are supposed to improve reach their peak a little bit older. Why do you think you and maybe some of your peers are able to have so much success so early? Talent is one reason, but what other element allows you to break through?

MORGAN PRESSEL: I think there are a few elements. I think commitment at an earlier age is one thing. A lot of now, more than ever, kids are playing one sport at age 10 instead of playing football and soccer and basketball and seeing what they like the best. They are committed to a sport at a younger age, as well as the parents are committed to their children and improving and giving them the best, the best health and the best teaching. It all goes in together. It's a trend that everybody parents want their kids to be the best at the youngest age possible.

Q. (No microphone.)

MORGAN PRESSEL: I'm sure with all the young players out here, young girls you know, that's what I want to do. That's great. In all sports it's like that. You see the young tennis players out there. I'm sure lots of little girls who play tennis say, "I want to be like Maria Sharapova," like that.

Q. I heard you had a really good practice round today and if you would have kept your score it would have been really low. What do you think it will take to win come Sunday?

MORGAN PRESSEL: That's hard to predict on a new course. The way I played today, it looked like it would be a low score, but you don't know. You don't know how the rough is thick and the greens are large and undulating. It's tough. It's really hard to predict, I think.

Q. We were speaking about Dottie Pepper earlier. Back in 1993 when she played here, she said the Hunt Club is one, if not the best, course all year long on the LPGA tour. How would you compare the Hunt Club to what you've played this year?

MORGAN PRESSEL: I would agree. It's a tremendous golf course. Each hole is different and has its own unique characteristics. And it's set up tough. You've got to play the ball. You have to hit it straight. You can't blink, really, for a second, otherwise you'll find yourself in some tough spots.

Q. Over your years in junior golf, and now on the LPGA Tour, you have probably noticed Korean and Asian players having a lot of success. Have you ever been able to explain to yourself why so many players from one small one part of the world can come and do so well? You get to see them practice and play with them. What do you notice?

MORGAN PRESSEL: Truthfully, I don't know. They work really hard and they're very dedicated. They all have very similar swings. I know one thing that they're taught at really young ages is tempo and balance. That's such an important part. Maybe that's part of the reason. They're good, and you can't deny that. They're doing something right.

DANA GROSS RHODE: Thank you all. Thanks, Morgan.

End of FastScripts.

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