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U.S. SENIOR WOMEN'S AMATEUR CHAMPIONSHIP

October 12, 2006

Diane Lang

ST. SIMONS ISLAND, GEORGIA

BETH MURRISON: Congratulations. Back to back U.S. Senior Women's Amateur champion. Can you talk about how you feel right now?

DIANE LANG: I'm very, very excited to have won for the second time. He called me and told me I was going to do that, so it's very interesting I get to meet him today. I said, "Well, we'll try." But I certainly wasn't holding out with any hope.

But it turned out to be a very good week. I played some matches very well. Today was not shining, but I managed to pull it out, that's all I can say. Anna played great.

BETH MURRISON: Let's start at the beginning. You were 3 down after eight.

DIANE LANG: And things were not looking good. And I made up my mind on the 9th tee, I said to Barry Smith, "We have to win this hole." And luckily, I hit a good drive and a good second shot, and she left her shot to the right with a long putt, so I knew I had a chance. And for the first time in the day I made a putt. That just turned the momentum on.

BETH MURRISON: About six feet, was that your birdie putt?

DIANE LANG: Probably about eight.

BETH MURRISON: She missed the short putt on the 10th hole. And the next thing you know you're one down.

DIANE LANG: Exactly. I thought, Okay, this is starting to turn my way. Where did we get back to even? On the next hole?

BETH MURRISON: The birdie on 11, behind the tree.

DIANE LANG: Yes, that tree and I have a lot of history this week. I have played several competitive rounds, two practice rounds, and I have never been anywhere but by that tree. No matter where I stood on the tee today I said, Well, I always start on the left side, I'm going to stand on the right side. No difference. So I knew that shot, but it just didn't meet the green.

And then on the chip, I pictured it in my mind, I thought I could make it, and it just came off the club face perfect. And when I looked up, in the hole. So that was my divine intervention shot, for sure.

BETH MURRISON: How many yards from the hole were you?

DIANE LANG: I was probably about 30.

BETH MURRISON: And then on the 12th, you missed a pretty short putt to give it right back.

DIANE LANG: Right in the heart. It was probably 18 inches, if that. And that was my old nemesis putt to come back and haunt me. I thought, why didn't she give me that. I can make that. Wrong. That's why she didn't give it to me, Diane. Nice push.

BETH MURRISON: Did you still have a little adrenaline going from the chip in on 11?

DIANE LANG: No. I needed to be firm to the hole, and I just tried to weave it in there and it broke.

BETH MURRISON: And then you traded places on 13. And on 14, she had a short par putt. So the next thing you're all square again.

DIANE LANG: Yes, and I love that. I thought, Okay, the finishing holes are tough holes, which plays into my strength. I hit the ball a little bit longer than she did. That worked out well for me.

I was very worried on 15 that I gave the match away. I thought I could lose it.

BETH MURRISON: You had quite a few shots in bunkers. You played some beautiful bunker shots. Was there a thought that even if I do wind up in a bunker, I might be okay?

DIANE LANG: Exactly. I practiced this morning at 6:45 from the bunker, and all of my bunker shots were good. I was pretty confident. I thought what is the worst that can happen if it goes in the bunker.

BETH MURRISON: So at that point you took the lead for the first time in the day. And that was the first time she had been down for the entire championship.

DIANE LANG: Exactly, the entire match. And then came 16, which is a very tough hole. She hit a great shot in there. I mean, they had that pin tucked so far in the right. I hit a short club, because I only hit a 9 iron into the green, and I decided to go at the pin, but I probably should have gone left of the pin instead of right to the pin, because I hit a great shot, but it was too much club and too far right. I thought it was going to get it up and down, but I missed the putt.

BETH MURRISON: It was just short?

DIANE LANG: Just short right in the heart.

17, she could have come back. It would have been a very different match. That putt she missed was crucial. I was just stealing myself. I thought she's going to knock it in and then you'll have to play 18.

BETH MURRISON: Five feet maybe?

DIANE LANG: It was about six feet, but it was a sliding putt. It was not a straight putt, it had some break.

On 18, I felt I had the advantage again with my length, but we both hit good drives. She wasn't very far behind me. And it took a while for me to pick a club, because my caddie gave me a 7, and I just wasn't sure that that was going able to reach. And I didn't want it to hit and come back down that hill. I thought, well, there is 25 yards behind the pin, better just go with one more, 6, you don't have to strain and it should be somewhere on the green. That worked out well. I needed to hit the 6.

BETH MURRISON: So a year ago, you said you couldn't believe you had won the first one and now you've won two.

DIANE LANG: I just don't even really know what to say. I can hardly wait to get home. I spoke to my daughter yesterday and she told me to please lose today so I could come home. I said, Amy, give me one more day and then Mom is coming.

BETH MURRISON: And she's bringing the bacon home again.

DIANE LANG: Definitely bringing the bacon.

BETH MURRISON: Would you mind telling us one more time the version of how your caddie from last year became your caddie this year?

DIANE LANG: When I was leaving last year, Barry told me he was originally from Brunswick and he lived here, resided in New York, Westchester. So he gave me a telephone number, which I thought was his cell phone and said I would call him when I was going to come back. So when I got the application in the mail, I called Barry and a lady answered the phone that turned out to be his sister.

I said, Please tell Barry, I need to know if he's coming, because I didn't know if he was blowing smoke, and I need to send in this form that they sent me to let them know if I need a local caddie. I never heard from Barry. I waited two weeks. Finally I had to mail it. So I checked the box, I need a caddie.

When I came for media day, I ended up getting a very nice gentleman. I think his name was Mike. He said that he would caddie for me, and that was fine. And I got here for my first practice round, and the caddie master told me that Mike was already spoken for, but he had an another caddie for me and his name was Barry. I did not put two and two together.

Sure enough, when I got ready to tee off, I looked up and there was Barry, all smiles. So he had gotten the message about a month late. His sister lost the piece of paper that she wrote the note on. And once he got the message he headed down here.

So it was so nice to see a friendly face, plus good luck, good vibes, and he did his job so well. A lot of times I would get very frustrated out there and he would calm me down and say, "We can do this."

BETH MURRISON: He contacted the club then?

DIANE LANG: He must have.

Q. I thought that was him. I thought he looked familiar. I thought he must be a caddie here. It couldn't be Barry.

DIANE LANG: Wasn't that great? He drove all the way. He drove.

Q. Was he born here?

DIANE LANG: Yes, in Brunswick.

Q. He is a caddie at Westchester?

DIANE LANG: Yes.

BETH MURRISON: Next week you head to Mississippi?

DIANE LANG: Yes, I've never been to Mississippi. I don't know what to expect. It will be a lot younger crowd, so we'll just see how we go. I hear the golf course is gorgeous and I'm looking forward to playing it.

BETH MURRISON: Did you play last year?

DIANE LANG: No, I've never even tried to qualify. I never even knew about the tournament. And the week after that, the southwest state team matches where I'll play for Florida against the other states. So it will be a long two weeks there.

BETH MURRISON: No one has ever won the Mid Am and the Senior Am in the same year, just to let you know.

DIANE LANG: Talk about pressure. I like that little fact.

End of FastScripts.

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