U.S. WOMEN'S OPEN CHAMPIONSHIP

July 1, 2004

Beth Daniel

RHONDA GLENN: Nice going.

CRAIG SMITH: Nice way to finish.

BETH DANIEL: Thank you. I played well today, so far. I still have a ways to go in the first round, so I'm not going to get too excited yet. But made four birdies and one bogey. And I finished on a birdie tonight, so that was a good way to finish.

CRAIG SMITH: Harder or easier when you went back out?

BETH DANIEL: Easier. I mean, when we started the wind was blowing. It was swirling around because the storms were all around us. The course was a lot wetter, much easier to stop the balls on the green. It was easier. The wind didn't blow as hard. We had one hole of rain, not a big deal. So I would say the conditions were definitely easier when we came back out.

RHONDA GLENN: Beth, what did you do in the rain delay to keep your mind on the game and to keep your game?

BETH DANIEL: Well, I went upstairs in the clubhouse and there was so many people up there that I went I actually went down to the fitness van and I just stretched and they have a weighted club in there, swung the weighted club. Rain delays are tough for me, because I get really stiff. I don't have the best back in the world and so it's real important for me to try to stay loose, and I was able to do that because Janice Moodie walked me down there in the rain with an umbrella and we both went down there and did a few exercises and stuff.

RHONDA GLENN: You were really rolling the putts well today, you putted well according to your stats, a bunch of 1 putts, that long putter is doing well for you.

BETH DANIEL: I feel well with that putter, four years now I've been using it. Took a while to learn how to use it. I feel pretty good over it. I've worked really hard for it. I did, I made some really, really good putts today. These are not easy greens to putt and I made some pretty good breaking putts today.

RHONDA GLENN: Age and treachery can defeat youth and skill this week, you think?

BETH DANIEL: You know, everyone talks about my age, but I don't see it as a factor, because honestly I think I'm in better shape now than I was even ten years ago. Maybe not ten years ago, but 15 to 20 years ago I definitely am in better shape now than I was then. So when people talk about my age and I shouldn't be able to do these things I just kind of I don't believe that. And I think that's half the battle. And, you know, all I'm trying to do is I'm trying to play smart, I'm trying to use I'm trying to use my experience and play smart.

CRAIG SMITH: Are you ready for a long day tomorrow?

BETH DANIEL: It will be a long day tomorrow.

End of FastScripts.